 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Dahlia F. Kupfer, MPP, MPH1, Denise Farrand, MPA2, Janna Halverson, MPH3, and Ruth Francis Williams, MPH3. (1) CHDD, University of Washington, Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195-7920, 206-543=1026, dkupfer@u.washington.edu, (2) CHILD Profile, Public Health-Seattle and King County, 900 3rd Avenue, Suite 900, Seattle, WA 98104, (3) MCH, Washington State Department of Health, Box 47880, Olympia, WA 98504
Background: CHILD Profile is Washington State’s health promotion and immunization registry system to ensure children from birth to age six receive needed preventive health care. CHILD Profile gives parents and providers the information they need to help make appropriate health care decisions about children. The health promotion component, using birth certificate data entered into and maintained in the registry, consists of mailed well-child checkup and immunization reminders and other health, safety and parenting information.
Objective: Evaluate parent satisfaction with the health promotion materials to determine: ·Usefulness, usability and readability; ·Whether materials help change attitudes and behavior and serve as reminders about immunization and other health and safety information; ·The effectiveness of electronic health education materials.
Methods: Conduct focus groups and mailed surveys of parents of children statewide receiving the health promotion materials to examine satisfaction over time, behavior and attitude changes and possible cultural differences needing to be addressed. A total of 6,800 surveys were sent statewide; two reminders, the first including an incentive, were also sent. To explore survey results and provide additional qualitative information, four focus groups, including a group of “non-readers,” were also conducted. Based on survey responses, an email pilot was undertaken for parents to receive materials electronically, to examine its feasibility, usefulness and cost-effectiveness.
Results: Results indicate significant parental satisfaction with materials. Survey results also suggest that materials are effective immunization and well-child reminders, and may help change behavior. Focus group results provide additional important qualitative information unattainable via surveys. Initial email pilot as method to receive the timely reminders deemed successful.
Conclusions: Ongoing program evaluation, using both qualitative and quantitative data, is a critical tool for improving system and assuring satisfaction. Health promotion materials assist parents with raising healthy children and getting timely, age-appropriate immunizations. As a next step, additional testing and evaluation of emailed material dissemination will be undertaken.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Child Health Promotion, Evaluation
Related Web page: www.childprofile.org
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.