You must use this template!! Do not change the headings – including their numbers.
Page limit: 3 pages (not including title page and references)
You must stay within the page limit: In this class, students are required to keep the page limit so they can improve their writing skills - many grants, journals, clients have very strict page/word limits (submissions that are longer are often not accepted/admitted for review). So hopefully after this class, students will be better prepared for this challenge:)
Grading rule: for each additional page (over the page limit) 1-2 points are deducted – this rule is enforced so the grading is fair for all the students
Tables and Figures: All Tables/Figures must have a title.
APA:
Do not rely on direct quotes- use of direct quotes is strongly discouraged. Instead student should paraphrase
Direct quotes must be in “ ”
Do not use bullet points in the academic text
Do not use “I/my/we/our” in the academic text
Self-Plagiarism: Work submitted in a different class is not permitted!!
Submit by Day 7 of Week 6
Participants
Description
Describe the participants (for example: stakeholders, target populations). Be specific (who are they? What is known about them? (e.g. their demographics) What are they needs? Etc.).
Page limit = 0.5 page
Double-spaced
The target group will be all healthcare professionals in the pharmacy department and those who prescribe drugs to patients. This will be based on the fact that these are strategically placed to prevent medication errors, whose effects in healthcare are huge. There are different factors that contribute to medication errors, and these professionals may not be aware about them. Moreover, they may not be aware about the effects medication errors they cause have. Nonetheless, these effects are very prevalent. Therefore, targeting these professionals is very important considering that hospitals have been searching for approaches through which operational efficiency and quality can be improved, and costs cut. The most basic quality improvement strategy is creating awareness among the professionals.
Justification
Describe why you want to involve specific participants in your SPP. Be specific. Clearly state your arguments. Support them with evidence.
Page limit = 0.5 page
Double-spaced
As a result of medication errors, around 200,000 Americans die following preventable medication errors and the costs for this go up to 19.5 billion dollars. The economic impacts are obviously higher. However, all healthcare professionals should be aware that quality care is normally less expensive, more efficient, better, and less wasteful. It is basically about offering the right care on a timely basis and always. Therefore, less patients should be injured or harmed. Without doubt, there is no consistent quality care delivery in US hospitals. Medication errors are costing the society and payers a great deal. Therefore, following program implementation, the target group will have a vital role in promoting patient safety and care quality.
Sections 1.1. and 1.2. must be on page 2
2. Social Marketing Plan
2.1. Description
In detail describe strategies/tools you will use to disseminate information about your program
Page limit = 0.5 page
Double-spaced
This social marketing plan will use commercial marketing strategies so as to enhance public health. It will be effective as it will be on the population level, and healthcare providers, who are the target group, will have a cardinal role in contributing to its effectiveness. Proven techniques and concepts obtained from the commercial sector will be key in promoting changes as far as medication errors are concerned. The methods to be used draw from marketing science, persuasion psychology, and behavioral theory in relation to practitioners’ responses to message delivery and messages and health behavior. Behavioral theory will be very vital in influencing professionals’ behavior that has an impact on health and assessing the factors which underlie audiences’ receptivity to messages like the likeability and credibility of the argument (Southwell et al., 2005).
Social marketing has a cardinal role in influencing health behavior. Different health communication strategies will be used depending on the mass media. There will also be used of mediated, interpersonal, other communication modes, as well as marketing methods like community level outreach, promotion, and message placement (United States, 2002). The multimodal transactional communication model will be used based on the fact that those disseminating the information may face problems like the increased types and numbers of health issues that are competing for the attention of the public; limited time among the target group members; and increased types and numbers of communication channels such as the internet. Therefore, the most strategic approaches through which the information can reach the professionals will be selected. Various channels will be used based on the fact the professionals have limited time, and some may find a given strategy more appropriate and convenient compared to others. Therefore, the multimodal approach will be more effective in reaching the audience on medication errors.
The social marketing plan will follow the following steps; developing strategies and plans using behavioral theory; choosing communication materials and channels with a keen focus on medication errors and knowledge about the target audience; pretesting after developing the materials (qualitative methods will be used); implementing a communication campaign or program; assessing effectiveness in relation to awareness and exposure of the audience, behavioral outcomes, and reactions to messages; and materials refinement for future communications. This final stage will feed back into the initial step so that there can be a continuous loop of improvement, implementation, and planning.
The different dissemination strategies will depend on the segmentation of the target group, based on their most convenient method. Tailored communication will consider specific behavioral and cognitive patterns in addition to individual demographic features since they are very precise. Another consideration will be that not all healthcare professionals will manage using digital health information sources, which is why it will be important to use effective strategies and messages, and adapt these to the proper audiences.
The tools that will be used for the dissemination include staff meetings, official websites, policy briefs, e-mails, brochures, posters, workshops, conferences, news bulletins, flyers, research briefs, and study newsletters. A project summary will have topic areas for comprehensiveness. Articulate findings will be presented suing bullets, and this will make it very easy for any professional scanning through the document. This method will be very strategic for professionals who lack adequate time to read the entire document (Garrison, 1996). There will also be use of a fact sheet where different pages will present information on varying areas. The participants will also receive a fact sheet after the conference or workshop for future reference. The official website will be another effective way as the professionals will go through the information when it is convenient for them and there will be an exchange forum through which they can present their feedback. Consequently, a lot of time will be saved (Corcoran, 2007).
2.2. Justification
Explain why tools/strategies mentioned in section 2.1. are appropriate for your target population
Page limit = 0.5 page
Double-spaced
Sections 2.1. and 2.2. must be on page 3
These tools are proper since their use will strengthen the application and incorporation of the intended approaches in practice (Diem & Moyer, 2005). The approaches are very strategic and their effective use will promote incorporation and continuation of proper practices, which will enhance the outcomes. The use of conferences and workshops will ensure a high project profile, ensure easier discussions as well as presentation of the findings, and the participants can offer their feedback. Learning will be easier and impacts immediate. Communication will be from all the sides where ideas will be presented and discussed. Brainstorming will, therefore, be used considerably. A project summary will promote summarization of the findings in a clear and concise manner.
2.3. Ethical Considerations
Explain potential ethical issues you need to consider in disseminating information and communicating the message to your target population
Page limit = 0.5 page
Double-spaced
Section 2.3. must be on page 4
Social media is often considered as being a protected and private space. Nonetheless, the inherent social media nature makes communications accessible to a larger public. Therefore, the presenter may no more have control of the information. Several basic rights under the constitution of the US may be implicated where social media use is involved including the right to privacy, seizure and search issues, the due process denial, and freedom of speech. It may also be hard for the readers to judge online personas, which might make the presenter be doubted. Moreover, people search information from social media sites for different reasons.
3. References
At least 5 references (five years old or younger)
References must follow APA guidelines:
Only list sources you cite in your writing. Do not include sources youread but did not cite.
Double-space your list and use a hanging indent for each reference.
Organize your references alphabetically by the author's last name.
Do note bold the title of the list.
Addition info: http://academicanswers.waldenu.edu/a.php?qid=418146
Section 3 must start on page 5
Corcoran, N. (2007). Communicating health: Strategies for health promotion. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Diem, E., & Moyer, A. (2005). Community health nursing projects: Making a difference. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Garrison, B. (1996). Successful strategies for computer-assisted reporting. Mahwah, N.J: L. Erlbaum.
Southwell, D., Gannaway, D., Orrell, J., Chalmers, D., & Abraham, C. (2005). Strategies for effective dissemination of project outcomes. Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education.
United States. (2002). School dropouts: Education could play a stronger role in identifying and disseminating promising prevention strategies : report to the Honorable Jim Gibbons, House of Representatives. Washington, D.C: U.S. General Accounting Office.
