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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Chara Stewart, MPH, CHES¹, Will Torrence, PhD², Paul Greene, PhD³, Kelly Duke, MA⁴, Alan VanBiervliet, PhD³, and Ronda Henry-Tillman, MD, FACS⁵. (1) Arkansas Cancer Research Center-Cancer Control, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 300 S. University, Little Rock, AR 72205, 501-526-5698, stewartcharan@uams.edu, (2) Public Health/Health Education, University of Nebraska - Omaha, School of HPER, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68182-0216, (3) College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham, slot 820, Little Rock, AR 72205, (4) ACRC Cancer Control, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 300 S. University, Little Rock, AR 72205, (5) Arkansas Cancer Research Center Cancer Control Department of Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Street, # 725, Little Rock, AR 72205

The Arkansas Cancer Community Network (AR-CCN) is funded by the National Cancer Institute to engage university and community partners in the development of community-based participatory research (CBPR) addressing cancer health disparities. Formative evaluation based on the Community Coalition Action Theory (CCAT) was conducted with Cancer Councils from 7 rural counties that have participated on the AR-CCN Community Advisory Board (CAB) during the past 4 years. Results showed interest in collaborative activities with potential to influence the development of a local and regional cancer control agenda. CAB members were invited to submitt competitive applications to participate in a CBPR Planning Project designed to develop the sckills and resources needed to: clarify specific attainable goals; plan and implement replicable projects, evaluate progress towards identified goals; and develop competitive grant applications to support cancer control activities. Four Cancer Councils will be selected to collaborate with university partners in the preparation of CBPR projects. The planning project will make use of eCommunities of Practice Tools (eCOPT) to provide a secure extranet environment (ie. web-based conference room) in which the geographically dispersed collaborators can distribute documents, conduct threaded discussions, and manage on-line work groups. This presentation focuses on the use of eCOPT to help university and community partners develop and support a framework for collaboration and decision-making in the development of community based participatory research. Evaluation of this process specifically addresses the feasibility of using web based communication tools in a rural environment and the use of digital technology to document and characterize collaborative partnerships.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify barriers to effective communication and collaboration experienced by community based public health programs.
• Describe how the eCOPT tools can be used to facilitate communication and collaboration within a community based public health program.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation