CDC 2011 National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing and MediaAug. 9-11, Atlanta, GA: http://www.cdc.gov/NCHCMM/

Tract: To Explore Innovative Communication Tools and Technologies“The purpose of this track is to share new ideas about the use of internet and new communication technologies (e.g., digital productions such as podcasts and video games, social media, SMS texting) in health communication and marketing programs. Abstracts in this track should focus on emerging trends in and the development and application of new communication tools and technologies in health communication and marketing programs. Presentations that are data-driven and that help participants understand and leverage innovations to improve health communication, marketing, and media programs are encouraged.”

ID 26816; Password 91364

Title: An innovative approach to Personalizing Point of Care Patient Education using Social Media and Portable Media Devices

Background: A vital task for health care professionals is providing medical information at the point of care to patients in an understandable way. With the Internet becoming a place for user-generated content, e.g. YouTube, SlideShare and blogs, health care providers can now create patient education materials aimed at targeted populations that are in compliance with clinic policies and procedures. At the same time, portable media devices like Apple’s iPad, Motorola’s Xoom and Dell’s Streak 7 can leverage the value of combined innovative technologies to increase patient access to important, suitable, health-literate information.

Program background: The number of asthma patients at an urban community no-cost clinic is increasing at a rate of [%]. (Or “Over [#] asthma patients make acute illness visits each year/month to a southwest region urban community no-cost clinic.) A group of clinic administrators, Family Medicine faculty physicians and residents practicing at a Title 1 research teaching university embarked upon creating a Point-of Care Patient Education (POCPE) campaign to inform asthma patients about the proper use of metered dose inhalers with a spacer, as specified by clinic policies and procedures. Nurses provided a 15-minute POCPE follow-up to asthma patients following a visit with their health provider.

Evaluation Methods and results: After determining POCPE curricula objectives for asthma patients, a cost-benefit analysis was performed to determine the most suitable media for health information delivery, including paper brochures, tvs/DVD players with DVDs, and laptop computers or portable media devices with Internet connection. Social media were evaluated based on access, security and protection of intellectual capital. POCPE visits were limited to 15 minutes, and health information was required to follow electronic medical record (EMR) care measures in compliance with clinic policies and procedures. Innovative teaching methods to involve patients were achieved using self-produced videos that coupled auditory learning from

clinician voice-over with visual step-by-step inhaler use instructions. Videos were uploaded to a password protected YouTube account. Portable media devices were evaluated relative to convenience, graphic user interface, interoperability with clinic IT equipment, and cost. During the pilot program patients presenting with acute asthma symptoms requiring immediate intervention were identified using an EMR-generated rating scale. Low scoring patients were offered POCPE on the use of metered dose inhalers with a spacer. Patient and provider surveys quantified POCPE outcomes and indicated curricula improvements.

Conclusions: Using a combination of social media and portable media devices, health care providers can leverage Internet technology to deliver easy-to-understand POCPE health information in compliance with clinic policies and procedures to targeted patient populations.

Implication for research and/or practice: Outcomes from the pilot program will be evaluated using surveys from patients and health care providers. Lessons learned will serve as best practices for future POCPE health information campaigns, including those for smoking cessation, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Future research is planned to measure patient health improvement outcomes. Similar POCPE curricula and delivery methods could be developed by other medical clinics to improve the health of targeted populations.

Learning Objectives:

Following the presentation participants will be able to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of media options for delivering targeted patient health information at point of care health provider visits.

Following the presentation participants will be able to identify social media channels that can be used to create user-generated targeted, customized, easy-to-understand patient education messages.

Following the presentation participants will be able to identify portable media devices that can leverage the power of the Internet to access and share health information during point of care health provider visits.

Following the presentation participants will be able to recommend a partnership with health care providers to deliver point of care patient education as part of targeted health information campaigns.

Dr. LOW:Dr. Linda Oberst-Walsh is an Assistant Professor and Medical Director in the Department of Family Medicine at OU-Tulsa. She received her undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado-Denver and her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Oberst-Walsh served as a physician in the Ptarmigan Family Practice for nine years, and then was appointed as the Medical Director of the University of Colorado’s Westminster Satellite Clinic. Dr. Oberst-Walsh has participated in a variety of research and scholarship endeavors in association with the University of Colorado, such as Applied Strategies for Improving Patient Safety, Leaders in Effective Activity Planning, and HgbA1c Decision Making Study. She has been involved in the American Academy of Family Practice and Physicians for Social Responsibility. Dr. Oberst-Walsh’s interests mainly focus upon women’s care, health prevention and recovery, and positioning practices to improve chronic disease management.

Kim Crosby:

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Michelle Farabough:

Michelle Farabough is a knowledge and information management professional at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa School of Community Medicine Center for Health Outcomes and Improvement Research, where she coordinates health communication for faculty physicians and resident researchers in the departments of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and Pediatrics. Michelle holds a Master of Science degree in Knowledge Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Oklahoma. Michelle presented findings about "Using Socially Adaptive Web 2.0 Technology to Build a Cyber-infrastructure for an Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Community of Practice (CoP)" at the 2010 CDC National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing and Media. She has since been invited to publish a case study of her findings in The George Washington University "Cases in Public Health Communication and Marketing" journal. Michelle’s research interests are in health literacy, social media and peer-to-peer communication systems for research communities of practice.