The theme for the 2012 ASTHO, NACCHO, & Safe States Alliance webcast series is “Using Communication and Media to Prevent Injuries & Violence.”

This is the third webinar in the three-part series. Evaluating public health interventions is a necessary step in determining health improvement. Results from robust evaluations assist public health professionals in identifying the links between program inputs, activities, and outcomes to guide improvement and drive behavior change. The same is true for web-based and multimedia public health campaigns, especially as they are becoming increasingly more common. Evaluating the effects of exposure to public awareness campaigns helps understand how these programs can supplement evidence-based programs, or serve as a standalone strategy for engaging target audiences.

Highlighting examples from public awareness campaigns and web-based social media projects, this webcast will:

• Describe methods for evaluation and measurement
• Learn how public health agencies have engaged communities and stakeholders through web-based and social media platforms
• Discuss the development and outcomes of public health campaigns in the context of promoting mental health, and preventing child abuse and neglect;
• Review methods for collecting data during social media events (e.g., live Twitter chats)

The three webinars in this series are: Webinar 1: Making the Front Page: Using Media Strategies to Promote Injury and Violence Prevention Programs, Webinar 2: #Prevention: How State and Local Health Departments Can Capitalize on Social Media, Webinar 3: Evaluating Web-Based Public Health and Public Awareness Campaigns

Continuing education credits are offered for this training for Safe States members. These include credits for individuals who are Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Certified in Public Health (CPH).