IQ Solutions is a proud annual supporter of the National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media (NCHCMM). Through this event, we see an opportunity for a forum of great exchange involving the latest creative approaches to and practice in public health communication, marketing, and media. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and their partner, the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC) provide this platform.
IQ Solutions is excited to contribute to this interchange of ideas, because it helps promote the very thing that inspired us to commit to the discipline of public health: the improved quality of life for everyone and the equitable access to health services and health information.
In Atlanta, we talked about blogs as both engagement and content development tools. We suggested that there are 10 concise benefits of blogs that are supported by web analytics and engagement metrics and confirm the value of the blog as a health communication tool. Scott Jones provided tips and troubleshooting advice to ensure the success of a public health blog.
What about public health campaign messages that change over time? How should communicators deal with that? Ellen Robinson and her IQ Solutions team have been supporting the Safe to Sleep® Campaign for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) since the message began as “Back to Sleep.” Ellen provided guidance on navigating significant changes in public health messages when new research reveals the need for a change in direction.
Mobile applications are another trend IQ Solutions has piloted for our federal clients. The mobile apps that we helped design for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) were the topic of a presentation by SAMHSA staff. Mobile apps have proven an ideal channel to reach the diverse populations who benefit from important behavioral health resources. Targets and messages of the various mobile apps differ based on the topic, from parents using the Knowbullying App, to behavioral health responders relying on the SAMHSA Disaster App, to primary care providers seeking resources through the Suicide Safe App.
Each August we come to Atlanta to share health communication innovations and successes such as these, to engage with our friends in public health, and learn from their exciting projects and triumphs. Advancing public health depends on this kind of idea-sharing, and we look forward to doing the same next year.
We’ll see you again on August 16, 2016, with new stories to share.
