Establishing Innovative Partnerships for Effective Communication about the Affordable Care Act: The Use of Community Forums

Background: Assessing knowledge about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) can help health educators effectively communicate policy information. An innovative partnership between a public library system, an academic institution, and a non-partisan health policy institute seeks to promote ACA understanding. Different strategies employed included developing ACA web content, library signage, staff, magazines, as well as water bill inserts, local newspapers and television, word-of-mouth, and community forums. The purpose of this research was to assess the effectiveness of community forums in educating the public about the ACA.

Methods: Findings from educational community forums conducted at public library branches are described. Paper-pencil surveys were distributed following the forums. The survey instrument assessed forum quality, satisfaction, clarity, perceived knowledge, and demographics. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were used to analyze 15 close-ended items; thematic analysis evaluated two open-ended questions.

Results: 109 surveys were completed (180 attended; 61% response rate) at three forums. Most attendees were female (66%), Caucasian (63%), and employed full-time (40%). Forum quality was rated excellent by about half (48%) and just over 40% were very satisfied with ACA content presented. Findings suggest an increase in respondents’ understanding of the ACA (42% “pretty well” prior; 71% “pretty well” post).

Discussion: Findings suggested community forums may be valuable educational tools for conveying ACA information. Partnering with public libraries can help increase outreach efforts regarding important health issues and is recommended for future ACA research and education.