In a process that began more than 15 months ago, the US national health objectives are beginning to take final form. Yesterday, the Federal Interagency Workgroup (FIW) approved 13 objectives for the Health Communication and Health Information Technology area. Of particular note for this forum is that social marketing has been included in the list to be forwarded to the Department of Health and Human Services for final clearance and approval this Fall. The social marketing objectives are:
Increase social marketing in health promotion and disease prevention.
a: Increase the proportion of state health departments that report using social marketing in health promotion and disease prevention programs.b: Increase the proportion of Schools of Public Health and accredited MPH programs that offer one or more courses in social marketing.
c: Increase the proportion of Schools of Public Health and accredited MPH programs that offer workforce development activities in social marketing for public health practitioners.
As many of us celebrate this accomplishment, I want to extend my thanks and props, first and foremost, to Bob Marshall for his untiring efforts and perseverance to co-lead our work with the HC/HIT workgroup and organize the outreach to the social marketing community and stakeholders during the public comment period. Then it's for all of you who worked with us to make this happen by being on the conference calls and, more importantly, submitting comments in support of the social marketing objectives (which, by the way, generated the largest number of comments for ANY objective).
In the last few months, we were faced with the need to develop national data sources to measure progress towards our proposed objectives in order to move the ball (objectives) further down the field. A special thank you to the National Public Health Information Coalition that stepped up and will include measurement of subobjective a in their Healthy People survey. The other important evaluation gap was filled by the Florida Prevention Research Center whose leadership committed to, and submitted a design for, a national survey to monitor progress towards subobjectives b and c. Both of these national surveys will be in the field this Fall to establish baselines for all three subobjectives. Our proposal is to then set the goal of a 10% increase over baseline by 2020. Easy? Then let's gets started!
Finally but not least, a special thank you to the co-leads of the Health Communication part of the HP2020 puzzle, Linda Harris at ODPHP and Cynthia Baur at CDC, who guided, challenged, cajoled and ultimately championed our case to the FIW.
We likely will look back at this event as a major milestone for social marketing. I am already being asked what it means for funding of social marketing programs, the future of the field and the future of public health. That's for another time to consider. Right now I am enjoying the moment: social marketing may soon become part of national disease prevention and health promotion policy in the US. A tremendous outcome for 15 months worth of work.
And for those who are interested in the entire list of health communication and health information technology objectives, they appear (as provisionally approved) below:
1: Increase the proportion of persons who report that their health care providers have satisfactory communication skills.
1a: Increase the proportion of persons who report that their healthcare provider always listened carefully to them;
1b: Increase the proportion of persons who report that their healthcare provider always explained things so they could understand them.
1c: Increase the proportion of persons who report that their healthcare provider always showed respect for what they had to say; and
1d: Increase the proportion of persons who report that their healthcare provider always spent enough time with them.
2: Increase the proportion of persons with access to the Internet.
2a: Increase the proportion of persons with broadband access to the Internet.
2b: Increase the portion of persons who use mobile devices.
3: Improve the health literacy of the population.
3a: Increase the proportion of persons who report their healthcare provider always gives them easy to understand instructions about what to do to take care of their illness or health condition.
3b: Increase the proportion of persons who report their healthcare provider always asks them to describe how they will follow the instructions.
3c: Increase the proportion of persons who report their healthcare providers’ office always offers help in filling out a form.
4: Increase the proportion of quality, health-related Web sites.
4a: Increase the proportion of health-related Web sites that meet three or more evaluation criteria, disclosing information that can be used to assess information reliability; and
4b: Increase the proportion of health-related Web sites that follow established usability principles.
5: Increase the proportion of online health information seekers who report easily accessing health information.
6: Increase the proportion of persons who report that their healthcare providers always involved them in decisions about their healthcare as much as they wanted.
7: Increase the proportion of persons who use electronic personal health management tools.
7a: Increase the proportion of persons who use the Internet keep to track of personal health information, such as care received, test results, or upcoming medical appointments.
7b: Increase the proportion of persons who use the Internet to communicate with their provider.
8: Increase the proportion of patients whose doctor recommends personalized health information resources to help them manage their health.
9: Increase the proportion of adults who report having social support.
a: Increase the proportion of adults who report having friends or family members that they talk to about their health.
10: Increase the proportion of crisis and emergency risk messages, intended to protect the public’s health, that demonstrate the use of best practices.
11: Increase the proportion of medical practices that use electronic health records.
12: Increase the proportion of meaningful users of health information technology (HIT).
13: Increase social marketing in health promotion and disease prevention.
13a: Increase the proportion of state health departments that report using social marketing in health promotion and disease prevention programs.
13b: Increase the proportion of Schools of Public Health and accredited MPH programs that offer one or more courses in social marketing.
13c: Increase the proportion of Schools of Public Health and accredited MPH programs that offer workforce development activities in social marketing for public health practitioners.
you must also make sure to increase the awareness of people even in the rural areas. get those IT consulting guys to help out
Posted by: Account Deleted | 12 August 2010 at 08:12 PM