LI Course
CE Hours: 6 contact hours

Statement of Purpose and Institute Overview: The purpose of this institute is to increase the effective use of social media tools for public health practice. Social media, with its emphasis on interactivity, sharable information, and many-to-many communication, has begun to transform how public health organizations communicate with their communities. Participants will examine a wide range of topics. From broad based social media campaigns to individual technologies integrated into existing programs, current examples will be demonstrated and participants will critically evaluate the use of each technology in detail. When are specific social media technologies effective in reaching populations and when are they not? Participants will learn to identify the common traits of effective social media campaigns and how to avoid the pitfalls that are common when using popular, new technologies. Participants will be introduced to a variety of existing online communities of researchers and practitioners who are using social media in their work. Additionally, strategies for implementing social media initiatives within an organization will be discussed. Building institutional support, training staff, creating appropriate policies, and marketing new resources are all key elements of a successful implementation. Participants will identify barriers to using social media and discuss a wide range of creative solutions.

Session Objectives: 1. Identify five common traits of effective social media campaigns 2. Describe effective approaches to overcoming barriers to using social media for public health practice

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)