HP-101
Web Conference: Session Summary
Session 3: 29 March'05 (2:30p.m. - 4:00p.m.)
The final web
conference session started with "Media Resource Sharing"
wherein participants have the opportunity to share news items pertaining
to Health promotion. Some of the news items shared and discussed
were:
 Article
on Tobacco prevention, "WHO'S
STUPID NOW?", Now Magazine.
Thinking Mind program
of the York University on mental health.
Want to be healthy,
don't be born poor.., article in Toronto Star, March 19, 2005
The web conference
involved discussion on 3 reflective exercises from Section
- C of the course and 4 related online polls.
The first reflective
exercise (Using the Inclusion Lens
in your workplace) dealt with the evaluation of a current health
promotion program or policy with respect to the Inclusion
Lens. Participants felt that there were huge gaps between the
actual programs and policies and the ideal scenarios expected by
the Inclusion Lens. Although it is difficult to evaluate a current
practice based on the Lens, this tool should be used as an awareness
raising tool. Poll at the end of the discussion showed:
A detailed resource
on "Mandatory
Health Program and Services Guidelines" from the MOHLTC,
was suggested for further reading at this point. Participants also
discussed the use of variants of the Lens that are currently being
used in their organizations to assess their programs and made arrangements
to share such tools.
The second reflective
exercise (What are the forces that
motivate you?) discussed the forces that motivate each of the
participants to work in this field. Some of these forces identified
were: credibility, cost effectiveness, increased understanding of
health promotion. Participants also discussed the shift in focus
from empowerment and engagement in the early days of health promotion,
to the social determinants and most recently social inclusion. A
poll at the end of the discussion showed:
Participants
were encouraged to identify the challenges in the field of health
promotion today. Some of these were identified as a need for cultural
competence, better advocacy skills to make your voice heard, focus
on chronic disease management, technological barriers. Participants
also felt that funding agencies need to be more encouraging to new
ideas and support new initiatives, instead of cutting on grants.
The last reflective
exercise (Applying learning in your
practice) encouraged participants to share projects or situations
where theories and principles of health promotion were not followed
and the lessons learnt. It was agreed that theories should be used
as guidelines. Since there could be so many different scenarios
and factors, results cannot always be identical. Polls at the end
of the discussion showed:
The session ended
with the following comments from the participants on the course.
"..enjoyed
the course.."
"combination
of an on-line course and a related web conference is great"
"we formed a
group of 5, read the course and discussed it over lunches"
|
