221288
Assessing the needs of key audiences in CDC's H1N1 influenza response
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
: 5:00 PM - 5:15 PM
Tiffani Phelps, MPH
,
Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Gabrielle Benenson, MPH
,
Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Kathryn Maddox, MPH, CHES
,
Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Jennifer Reynolds, MPH, CHES
,
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN
Kelli Martin, MPH, CHES
,
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN
Nichole Urban, MPH, CHES
,
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN
Lisa Barrios, DrPH
,
Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
When 2009 pandemic influenza (H1N1) was first identified in spring 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was flooded with questions concerning how to prevent the spread of disease. Before H1N1 vaccine became available, community and individual measures were critical strategies for prevention. To educate key audiences about these strategies and to facilitate their adoption, CDC developed planning guidance and toolkits targeting four key audiences: 1) Childcare and Early Childhood Programs, 2) K-12 schools, 3) Institutions of Higher Education, and 4) Businesses and Employers. During the second wave of H1N1 influenza in fall 2009, CDC conducted a needs assessment to assess the priorities, challenges, and strengths of each audience in addition to evaluating the comprehension, usefulness, and efficacy of existing H1N1 influenza materials. Methods included conference calls with opinion leaders and interviews and web-based focus groups with frontline personnel. Results from the needs assessment showed that while CDC's website was a top destination for H1N1 information, many key audiences were largely unaware of specific resources targeting them. However, when presented with these resources, audiences said they would use at least some of them, especially plain language materials they could share with parents or employees. Other key findings that transcended audiences included concern about the safety and availability of H1N1 vaccine, resistance to implementing policy changes such as telecommuting for businesses, and the need for more information on specific topics such as how to clean, ways to implement social distancing, and when to seek emergency care.
Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Communication and informatics
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Learning Objectives: 1. Describe two methods used to assess community measures communication needs.
2. Name three key findings from the needs assessment.
3. Explain how the results of the needs assessment will be used by CDC.
Keywords: Needs Assessment, Evaluation
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I oversee public health prevention programs to mitigate the impact of infectious disease. I currently serve as a health communication specialist with CDC, in the area of immunizations. For 6 months, I was detailed to the Community Mitigation Task Force for CDC’s H1N1 response.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
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