Susan W. Hayashi, PhD¹, Lisa Kretz, PhD¹, Susan M. Hubbard, PhD¹, Wendy Parker, MPA¹, Timothy P. Condon, PhD², Lucinda L. Miner, PhD³, and Denise Pintello, PhD³. (1) Johnson, Bassin & Shaw, Inc., 8630 Fenton Street, 12th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910, (301) 495-1080 x3016, shayashi@jbs1.com, (2) Deputy Director of NIDA, Office of the Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Bethesda, MD 20892, (3) Office of Science Policy and Communications, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Bethesda, MD 20892

In the fall 2002, The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) implemented a multi-year, multi-study, multi-method evaluation project designed to determine the use and usefulness of selected NIDA public health information publications for several of its key audiences. Using diffusion of innovations theory (Rogers, 1995) as its theoretical framework, objectives for the project include: (1) to determine the extent to which target audiences are knowledgeable about NIDA public health information publications; (2) to determine target audiences’ attitudes toward NIDA public health information publications; (3) to determine how target audiences use NIDA public health information publications; and (4) to learn ways to strengthen the development and dissemination of NIDA public health information publications to better meet user’s needs. Multiple methods include survey, in-person interviews, focus groups and case studies. Key audiences include community coalition leaders, drug abuse treatment and prevention service providers, drug abuse researchers, American Indians, middle school science and health educators, public health policy makers and public health officials, and the general public. This poster will present methods and results from a study targeting public health policy makers and public health officials. It will highlight successful methodologies for incorporating target audiences in the development and dissemination of public health information publications as well as the obstacles faced. Additionally, the poster will present the implications of study findings for NIDA’s publications development and dissemination program and indicate how results may be generalized to other organizations and agencies providing similar services.

Learning Objectives: Through this presentation, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Identify how policymakers and public health officials access drug abuse information.
• Describe how the information contained in NIDA’s public health publications targeted to policymakers and public health officials was implemented into practice.
• Determine the impact of the guidance contained in NIDA’s public health information publications targeted to policymakers and public health officials.
• Identify how the results of this study can be applied to other organizations providing similar services or publications to policymakers and public health officials.

Keywords: Drug Abuse, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: JBS is funded by NIDA to conduct an assessment of selected NIDA public health information publications.