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A local nightclub owner who had been involved with the DDHRAG
allowed his club to be used for focus testing the pamphlets.
Patrons standing in line at the club were approached and asked
to review the pamphlets; those who agreed to do so were allowed
to jump the queue. Focus testing was also conducted at a local
university residence, agencies serving street youth, and several
local high schools. A total of 49 individuals were consulted.
Much of
the feedback provided by the focus test participants was integrated
into the final product. In particular, the language was simplified,
medical terms and other jargon were replaced, sentences were
shortened and the number of bulleted items was increased.
In preparation for production, the group contracted with a
local printer, and vibrant Day-Glo papers were selected for
printing.
A final
draft was then produced and placed on the web for review by
DDHRAG members. Final review included feedback from a pharmacist
at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. A simple website
for disseminating the pamphlet was created. This site included
.pdf versions of each pamphlet, an FAQ page and an on-line
order form.
The ability
of organizations using the pamphlets to customize them according
to the unique features of their audience and community is
one of the unique features of the DDHRAG campaign. Because
the pamphlets are printed in a highly sophisticated digital
manner, alterations are possible and do not represent a prohibitive
cost for consumers.
Implications for Practice
The campaign
materials produced by the DDHRAG incorporate a number of recommended
features of health communication practice, including:
 the
meaningful engagement of the intended audience in
the development of the pamphlets
a
clear timeline for campaign development
a
clear purpose for the campaign and a clear orientation
for the campaign materials (harm reduction) that was understood
and agreed upon by all the participants
the
development of the campaign by a coalition representing
the range of community groups with an interest
the
selection of a suitable channel (print media available
on the web) and vehicle (pocket pamphlets) for meeting the
campaign objectives.
The
key to a successful health communication campaign is planning.
To guide you through the important things you have to keep
in mind when developing a health communication campaign for
your organization or community, the Health Communication Unit
has developed a series of helpful checklists for each of the
twelve steps described Checklist 5.1.
You can access these at:
http://www.thcu.ca/infoandresources/health_communication.htm#checklists
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