Oral

Today, more Americans are turning to the Internet for health information than ever before. In response, there is growing demand for accurate, understandable, and appropriate health content to meet consumers' evolving information needs. To date, much of this content has been disease specific—focusing on symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. However, as the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other preventable conditions in the population increases, Americans are actively seeking information on how to promote their health and prevent disease. Media and technology are increasingly part of children's daily lives and present new opportunities to engage and educate them about healthy lifestyles, particularly healthy eating and physical activity. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) has even developed research-based guidelines for writing and designing effective prevention-focused Web content specifically for audiences with low literacy. This session will include presentations on such innovative, technology-based health promotion strategies as using hand-held devices to simulate tobacco addiction, a cervical cancer prevention toolkit utilizing various forms of multimedia web resources; and the use of photovoice to explore youth perceptions and raise awareness of local health policy.

Session Objectives: At the end of the session, the participant will be able to: (1) Identify areas where technology-based programs can be delivered to the population most in need; (2) Discuss the benefits of using high-tech devices to reach a more technology-savvy generation with prevention messages; (3) Increase awareness of the role of media and technology in reaching and appealing to today’s youth.

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing