246682 Cultural competency evaluation of e-health initiatives

Monday, October 31, 2011: 3:10 PM

Gonzalo Bacigalupe, EdD, MPH , Department of Psychology, IKERBASQUE Basque Foundation for Science & University of Deusto Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain
Social technologies utilization in e-health initiatives continues to expand. One of the core characteristics of emergent digital media is enhancing access and thus its ability to reduce health disparities is promising. How do social networking technologies (social media, Web2.0 and other emergent technologies) can enhance the ability of healthcare organizations, providers, and patients to ameliorate and eliminate health disparities through culturally competent e-health practices? This research is based on a larger research project that utilizes mixed methods to assess e-health and healthcare initiatives powered by social technologies. A taxonomy was developed based on a throughout review and analysis of Web2.0 offerings, the research literature, and peer research review. The development of specific cultural competence criteria to evaluate e-health offerings is highlighted in this presentation. Since social media research is still in its early stages, this inquiry proposes a set of categories and program evaluation tools that researchers and practitioners can utilize to assess the quality of e-health offerings from the perspective of patients and their families.

Learning Areas:
Communication and informatics
Diversity and culture
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
1. Map the scope of e-health social media initiatives. 2. Identify categories that allow health care and public health practitioners to evaluate the level of cultural competency of e-health social media tools. 3. Discuss evaluation criteria to assess the ability of e-health initiatives in ameliorating and reducing health disparities.

Keywords: Cultural Competency, Health Promotion

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Leading researcher in team studying ehealth tools; presented first part of this study in 2010 at the APHA; have three peer referee publications in 2011 directed related to the subject of e-health and/or social technologies and cultural competency; researcher has presented at several APHA conferences and organized a panel for this section in 2010.
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.