141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

285374
Mapping and testing nonpharmaceutical intervention (NPI) messages

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Tiffani Phelps, MPH , Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Chenega Government Consulting - CDC, Atlanta, GA
Kathryn Maddox, MPH, MCHES , Freelancer and Consultant
Casey Brown, BS , Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN
Ben Wilburn, BS , Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN
Noreen Qualls, DrPH, MSPH , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
To effectively communicate and promote the use of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to the general public and community leaders (e.g., school officials and employers), we conducted an NPI message mapping and testing project. Message mapping is designed to help organizations communicate information about a specific topic to audiences in a concise and timely manner. The process involves using a template, called a message map, to identify three key messages for a specific topic and three supporting facts for each key message. We coordinated a 2-day message mapping session with internal CDC partners, including scientists, health communicators, and policy and management experts, to discuss priority topics related to pandemic influenza and to develop NPI messages. Nineteen NPI message maps were developed for members of the general public and community leaders.

To evaluate the clarity of the NPI message maps and the feasibility of the recommended actions, we later conducted 18 web-based, camera-assisted focus groups, with 99 participants recruited from across the United States. Participants included business administrators, members of the general public, and parents with children attending child care and K-12 schools. Key findings from the focus groups include the need for more action-oriented messages, concern about the practicality of school closures during a pandemic, confusion between seasonal and pandemic influenza, and the need for information about the use of face masks. We incorporated these findings in the development of an NPI website and educational materials (e.g., checklists, fact sheets, and posters) for the general public and community leaders.

Learning Areas:
Communication and informatics
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
Describe two methods used to develop and test nonpharmaceutical intervention (NPI) messages for the general public Define the purpose of message mapping and testing List at least three community mitigation terms the general public did not understand Describe at least three key findings from message testing Explain two ways the message testing results have been used

Keywords: Infectious Diseases, Health Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I lead formative health communication evaluations to help mitigate the impact of pandemic influenza. I serve as a health communicator, contracted with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for the Community Interventions for Infection Control Unit (CI-ICU). No conflict of interest.
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.