Strategic Communication in Urban Health Settings: Taking the Pulse of Emerging Needs and Trends

This report shares data from an online survey conducted in late 2009 in an effort to identify specific needs and preferences that may inform training efforts for communication in urban settings. Thirty public health and/or health communication professionals participated in the 12-question survey, which was developed by Dr. Renata Schiavo, Founder and Principal of the New York, United States (US)-based Strategic Communication Resources and her associates. Findings of the survey will be used to inform/validate topics for a book chapter on needs and training modules intended for public health professionals and non-profit organisations carrying out strategic health communication in urban settings. This kind of training includes - or should include - several areas of strategic health communication for behavioural, social, and organisational change/results, such as interpersonal communication/community dialogue, mass media and new media communication, public advocacy, community engagement and mobilisation, constituency relations, and professional medical communication.

In brief, key findings highlight several areas of need, with particular emphasis on training modules and sessions that address the issues of diversity and health disparities, which are very prominent in urban settings. Respondents pointed to the need for tools and strategies that would help them tailor communication interventions to different populations (both in relation to different racial and ethnic groups as well as various socioeconomic levels) within highly diverse contexts and given potential limitation of resources. Specific training needs were primarily related to the following topics: health disparities, diversity, communication framing and tailoring, and communication planning and evaluation methods.

Here is a more detailed snapshot of needs and trends that emerged from the survey:

• 69% of those respondents who were already working in the field of public health communication in urban settings indicated they had not received any training on strategic health communication as it relates to urban settings. Respondents highlighted a variety of training needs, primarily to address racial and ethnic disparities and the diverse needs of different populations in designing and tailoring communication interventions. Responses from those who had received training indicate the value of training inclusive of the entire strategic health communication planning, implementation, and evaluation cycle; less helpful is a focus on specific topics, such as risk communication, cardiovascular disease, social networking, public relations, language barriers, communicating with adolescents about sexual health, etc. Researchers assert that training on understanding, engaging, and mobilising relevant groups and audiences would be instrumental in readying trainees to address issues of diversity and disparities, to engage average citizens and communities in programme development, and to achieve health and social behaviour-related results.
• Responses underscore the need for a more comprehensive approach to training on tailored communication strategies. They also point to the importance of developing training modules that take into account the complexity and high level of diversity and disparity of urban settings, including strategies for resource allocation, tailored communication, audience segmentation and selection, community dialogue and engagement, needs assessment, and RM&E (Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation). Responses also revealed training needs pertaining to message development, behaviour change communication, formative research, grassroots communication, measuring communication uptake, and impact assessment.
• 94% of respondents favoured in-person interactive training, and 69% preferred a mentoring programme (which may include in-person or online training followed by periodic update sessions and follow-up during the first 6 months to 1 year after training). Only 44% of respondents preferred webinars, and 31% voted for online training, revealing that interpersonal communication settings and strategies may continue to be the preferred training modality. Financial constraints emerged as the top obstacle to adequate training.

The researchers assert that survey responses support the need for further and more structured research on the topic, so that the needs and preferences of public health professionals who operate in urban settings can be adequately met.