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Communication and Information Dissemination
Inputs: NIOSH Strategic Goals
Mission Statement
Implement and promote the use of innovative communication science and marketing strategies to protect the health and safety of workers and their families through a collaborative program that:
- Assures impact
- Based on quality
- Customer relevant
Introduction of the Research Council/Steering Committee
The NIOSH Communication and Information Dissemination (CID) Portfolio is guided by the 50+ CID Portfolio Steering Committee members. Additionally, a smaller workgroup conducts bi-monthly meetings to further address updates of portfolio activities, discuss important problem areas and review emerging issues of concern.
NIOSH Program Portfolio Approach
NIOSH has been organizing research, guidance, information, and service efforts into specific programs that can be readily communicated and strategically governed and evaluated. Eight NORA Sector Programs represent industrial sectors, and twenty-four Cross-sector Programs organized around adverse health outcomes, statutory programs and global efforts.
The NORA Sector Programs intersect with Cross-Sector Programs in a matrix-like fashion. For example, an Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Program goal of reducing farm-related deaths and injuries due to tractor rollovers and trucks would likely be a shared goal with the Transportation Program and if appropriate would be adopted by both programs. This approach provides an added advantage and will allow multiple Programs to work towards accomplishment of intersecting goals.
Each of the 32 programs in the NIOSH Program Portfolio has a Manager and Coordinator. Each of the 8 NIOSH Sector Programs facilitates the work of a NORA Sector Council to engage external stakeholders in the process of developing sector goals for the nation and methods to measure the short-term, intermediate and long-term outcomes arising from those goals. The NORA goals for the nation will be considered when choosing NIOSH sector program goals. Cross Sector programs have internal Steering Committees that develop program goals and monitor outcome measures.
These planning efforts will position NIOSH to align with the most current governmental approaches for evaluating program effectiveness, i.e., the Program Assessment Rating Tool (or PART). PART is a mechanism to hold governmental agencies accountable for accomplishing results. As part of our comprehensive approach to performance measurement, NIOSH has engaged the National Academies to independently evaluate our sector and cross-programs for relevance and impact.
Background
Definition and Scope
In the knowledge economy, the generation and application of all types of knowledge play a vital role in the creation of wealth. However, despite the availability of knowledge, mortality and morbidity from preventable occupational causes persist, in part because a gap remains between what is known and the adoption of that knowledge in policy and practice. To bridge this gap, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms of knowledge creation and application at different levels of implementation, such as policy making, technology application and hands-on practice and services at the workplace.
The purpose of good communication practice is to reach workers and employers directly, or though appropriate partners, and assist them in adopting more effective prevention and control behaviors.
Top problems and Gaps
Limited evidence currently exists regarding the effectiveness of occupational health interventions (OHI) and almost no systematic evidence exists concerning the communication and marketing practices that underlie the activities that move occupational safety and health research into practice. Ruotsalainen (2006) in a study of 148 OHI studies found that “…high quality evaluation studies were conducted in all areas of occupational health. However, it is clear that more are needed and the methodology used could be improved.”
Emerging Priorities-The research to practice (r2p) linkage
Health communication activities at NIOSH involve a systematic approach to deliver new knowledge for decision making and improving customer impact. The Communication Portfolio is aligned to provide assistance and build the capacity of NIOSH researchers and partners by providing tools and techniques to reach their intended audiences. The challenge is to build an infrastructure that supports the convergence of diffusion of innovation and social marketing principles to move research into practice.
Linkage with Other Portfolio Program Areas
The Communication Portfolio alignment with NIOSH’s research to practice (r2p) activity provides an opportunity for collaboration with all NORA Sectors, Cross-Sector Programs and Coordinated Emphasis Areas. These collaborations are listed under the Portfolio’s five strategic goals.
Key Consultation Activities Available to Portfolio Program Areas
Partner-focused planning
Innovative marketing programs will focus on demonstrating critical partner outputs and intended audience outcomes. The key to success lies in collaboratively choosing the proper messages, dissemination strategies and channels to move selected research outputs to practice. It is anticipated that communication activity outputs directed at intermediary customers (employers, policy makers, professional organizations) must work in harmony and be consistent with reinforcing messages and strategies directed at the intended audience.
Quality through science guided decision-making
Communication project designs for improving client impact are based upon defensible data drawn from existing research findings, new formative research, current surveillance and monitoring systems and demonstrated client need. A combination of quantitative and qualitative research is required to provide the range of information needed for the design of appropriate communication and marketing activities.
Multi-channel approaches
To the extent feasible, communication program managers will emphasize the use of multi-channel communication approaches utilizing a combination of marketing and dissemination strategies and channels to achieve desired outcomes.
Evaluation and feedback
Feedback from evaluation activities is essential to understand if the communication and marketing strategy affected the program’s anticipated outcome. At best, it identifies program strengths and weakness and suggests a course of action for improving communication and marketing strategies. Most important, it assists in building a data base to enhance Institute communication research and marketing strategies that appropriately links successful program outcomes with applied tools and techniques.
Communication and Information Dissemination Strategic Goals
Strategic Goal 1: Increase Awareness of NIOSH Scientific Information Products
Increase by 30%, the translation of evidence-based research and promote the use of advanced dissemination systems to increase awareness of NIOSH scientific information products.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
- Intermediate Goal 1.1: Form collaborative efforts with key stakeholders to provide yearly assessments of current and emerging: 1) major occupational health and safety concerns and, 2) prioritize interventions and help to disseminate safety information to workers and employers.
- Intermediate Goal 1.2: Annually, identify practical and “proven” occupational safety and health interventions, then encourage and facilitate the adoption of work practices deemed most likely to minimize disease and injury.
- Intermediate Goal 1.3: Use innovative social marketing and educational techniques to influence knowledge, attitudes and practices of agricultural producers and workers, commercial fishermen, and loggers.
Construction
- Intermediate Goal 1.4: Investigate ways to protect construction workers from contact with live electrical wiring and components by studying electrical installation, maintenance, and repair tasks and recommending ways to improve work practices, techniques, and tools. Special emphasis will be given to lockout and tagout procedures for troubleshooting tasks, which may involve using certain work practices, tools, techniques, and personal protective equipment (PPE), that may be conducted when the circuit is live.
- Intermediate Goal 1.5: Promote the availability and use of operator visibility limit information for road construction equipment.
- Intermediate Goal 1.6: Increase awareness about noise hazards and solutions among construction workers, contractors, owners, and suppliers. Partner: Home Depot.
- Intermediate Goal 1.7: Increase awareness about silica hazards and known solutions among construction workers, contractors, owners, and suppliers. Partners: New Jersey Silica Outreach and Research Alliance; OSHA; New Jersey Turnpike Authority, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.
- Intermediate Goal 1.8: Increase awareness about welding fume hazards and known solutions among construction workers, contractors, owners, and suppliers.
- Intermediate Goal 1.9: Expand the availability of effective interventions to prevent WMSDs in Construction.
- Intermediate Goal 1.10: Promote the dissemination and use of construction training best practices, materials, and methods.
Services
- Intermediate Goal 1.11: By 2013, disseminate information on effective interventions in the automotive repair industry such as hazardous material control technologies and training programs; Partner: Center for Polyurethanes Industries.
- Intermediate Goal 1.12: By 2012, disseminate effective health communication materials to ensure that workers understand their rights to safe and healthy work environments as well as the right to report occupational injuries and illnesses to their employer in order to possibly qualify for workers’ compensation insurance coverage.
- Intermediate Goal 1.13: By 2011, create and disseminate health communication documents about musculoskeletal disorder symptoms emphasizing the need for recording information for workers who complete repetitive tasks in office settings.
- Intermediate Goal 1.14: By 2013, create health communication documents that inform workers in the telecommunications industry about the possible roles of work organization and physical ergonomics in the development of occupational stress and its relationship with musculoskeletal disorders and symptoms.
- Intermediate Goal 1.15: By 2013, disseminate all health communication documents to telecommunications industry employees and employers through trade associations, labor unions, government agencies, and employers.
- Intermediate Goal 1.16: By 2011, create and disseminate health communication materials promoting adherence to safety and health requirements, e.g., ANSI, DOT (hours of service, driver qualification, and drug and alcohol testing) and Federal and State OSHA through trade associations, labor unions, and government agencies.
Public Safety Subsector
- Intermediate Goal 1.17: By 2014, use social marketing methods to create health communication materials for specific occupational health issues associated with chronic disease in the fire service.
- Intermediate Goal 1.18: By 2012, create guidance documents with effective, evidence-based interventions for potential inhalation, dermal and ingestion exposures to vapors, gases and particulate matter.
- Intermediate Goal 1.19: By 2012, ensure that guidance documents are distributed by fire service organizations to all fire stations and to fire service consensus standards organizations.
- Intermediate Goal 1.20: By 2012, disseminate information on effective interventions to all fire service agencies through web sites and trade publications.
- Intermediate Goal 1.21: By 2010, provide health communication materials that encourage adoption of seat belt use policies through law enforcement organizations and labor unions and describe the materials in trade publications and web sites.
Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities
- Intermediate Goal 1.22: Improve communication and dissemination of health and safety information to workers, their unions, and companies in the air transportation industry.
- Intermediate Goal 1.23: Improve communication and dissemination of information on fatigue, distraction, and sleep disturbance to transportation workers, their unions, and related industries.
- Intermediate Goal 1.24: By 2014, the Sector will develop and disseminate information on “fatigue distraction and sleep disturbances” to transportations workers, their unions, and related industries.
Healthcare and Social Assistance
- Intermediate Goal 1.25: Improve dissemination of public health information and research results in HCSA sector.
- Intermediate Goal 1.26: Develop effective teaching tools and strategies to managers about risks of shift work and long work hours and countermeasures disseminate scientific information to healthcare organizations, workers, and managers about risks of shift work and long work hours and countermeasures.
- Intermediate Goal 1.27: Disseminate information about safe staffing levels.
- Intermediate Goal 1.28: Develop and disseminate evidence-based guidelines and develop capabilities to prevent transmission of emerging infectious diseases and bioterrorism agents.
Oil and Gas Subsector
- Intermediate Goal 1.29: Develop a cooperative strategy in collaboration with partners in industry, epidemiology, and health communications to decrease transportation-related fatalities in the subsector, especially those involving pickups and semitrailers.
- Intermediate Goal 1.30: Using economic research and social marketing to investigate and promote the use of currently available engineering controls to improve safety.
- Intermediate Goal 1.31: Improve the availability and acceptance of safety education materials.
Communication and Information Dissemination
- Intermediate Goal 1.32: Develop and promote 20 new scientific information products to document and highlight the impact of NIOSH research. Partner: CDC/NCHM; NORA Sectors.
Strategic Goal 2: Promote the Diffusion and Adoption of Evidence-based Research
Increase by 20% the use of social marketing strategies and methods to promote the diffusion and adoption of evidence-based research.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
- Intermediate Goal 2.1: Use innovative social marketing and educational techniques to influence knowledge, attitudes and practices of agricultural producers and workers, commercial fishermen, and loggers.
Construction
- Intermediate Goal 2.2: Investigate ways to protect construction workers from electrocution hazards involving power line contact through hand-carried metallic objects and vehicle-related contacts.
- Intermediate Goal 2.3: Improve the acceptance, diffusion, and adoption of MSD interventions and solutions by contractors, owners, and workers.
- Intermediate Goal 2.4: Develop an understanding of factors that contribute to a positive or negative safety and health culture in the construction industry and a working definition and framework.
- Intermediate Goal 2.5: Develop and disseminate materials on effective interventions so as to increase the utilization of these methods by construction stakeholders and influence policy-makers. Based on existing information, Hispanic workers should be an important target group, but efforts should not neglect other vulnerable groups including other immigrant groups and inexperienced workers.
Services
- Intermediate Goal 2.6: By 2012, develop effective health communication products that target exposures, tasks, operations or organizational factors associated with elevated risks for traumatic injuries in the automotive repair industry.
- Intermediate Goal 2.7: By 2012, disseminate effective health communication materials to hotel industry workers at risk for musculoskeletal disorders to reduce exposures or to otherwise improve work practices, and document changes in knowledge and behaviors among employers, supervisors and employees.
- Intermediate Goal 2.8: By 2012, develop a national public education campaign to emphasize the need for drivers to be alert and to exercise caution when moving past waste collection vehicles operating on or near public roadways.
- Intermediate Goal 2.9: On an ongoing basis, support the exchange and use of effective prevention strategies with special emphasis on reaching employers, supervisors and workers in small businesses.
Public Safety Subsector
- Intermediate Goal 2.10: By 2014, use social marketing methods to create health communication materials for specific occupational health issues associated with chronic disease in the fire service.
- Intermediate Goal 2.11: By 2012, create guidance documents with effective, evidence-based interventions for potential inhalation, dermal and ingestion exposures to vapors, gases and particulate matter.
- Intermediate Goal 2.12: By 2015, use social marketing methods to promote safe vehicle operations during fire service response through labor and professional organizations.
- Intermediate Goal 2.13: On an ongoing basis, create health communication documents to describe effective assault-related interventions and disseminate through law enforcement agencies, professional associations and labor unions.
- Intermediate Goal 2.14: By 2010, create effective health communication products that promote seat belt use, passive seatbelt restraints, and appropriate head trauma protection.
Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities
- Intermediate Goal 2.15: Improve the transfer, diffusion, and adoption of effective ergonomic interventions in the TWU industries.
Wholesale and Retail Trade
- Intermediate Goal 2.16: By 2014, the Sector will develop information campaigns to improve transfer and diffusion of MSD interventions for jobs involving manual materials handling in the WRT industries.
- Intermediate Goal 2.17: By 2012, the Sector will have implemented a slip/trip information campaign aimed at high-risk businesses within the WRT sector to provide information on the causes, costs, and methods for preventing slips and falls.
- Intermediate Goal 2.18: By 2014, the Sector will disseminate effective intervention methods for motor vehicle-related injuries through business/trade/labor, and professional organizations and subsequently assess the adoption and diffusion of the intervention methods.
- Intermediate Goal 2.19: By 2015, the Sector will disseminate return on investment and cost data to community partners to promote compliance to NIOSH and OSHA guidelines for motor vehicle injury and fatality prevention.
- Intermediate Goal 2.20: Improve transfer, diffusion, and adoption of effective workplace violence interventions in high risk WRT sectors that include small businesses, such as convenience stores, liquor stores, and gas stations.
- Intermediate Goal 2.21: By 2012, develop a national public education campaign to emphasize the need for drivers to be alert and to exercise caution when moving past waste collection vehicles operating on or near public roadways.
Healthcare and Social Assistance
- Intermediate Goal 2.22: Improve the transfer and diffusion of effective interventions to reduce risks connected with exposures to carcinogens and teratogens.
- Intermediate Goal 2.23: Work with partners to develop and implement a national campaign to promote healthcare culture that strengthens worker safety.
- Intermediate Goal 2.24: Develop effective teaching tools and strategies to disseminate scientific information about occupational risks and countermeasures to workers and managers regarding vulnerability to healthcare occupational hazards that vary by worker characteristics and countermeasures.
- Intermediate Goal 2.25: Improve the transfer and diffusion of effective interventions to reduce risks for dermatologic disease.
- Intermediate Goal 2.26: Improve the transfer and diffusion of effective interventions to reduce risks for asthma, including practices recommended in the NIOSH Alert on natural rubber latex.
- Intermediate Goal 2.27: Assess baseline awareness with the 2005 guidelines and raise awareness through an appropriately targeted information dissemination campaign.
Oil and Gas Subsector
- Intermediate Goal 2.28: Develop a cooperative strategy in collaboration with partners in industry, epidemiology, and health communications to decrease transportation-related fatalities in the subsector, especially those involving pickups and semitrailers.
- Intermediate Goal 2.29: Using economic research and social marketing, investigate and promote the use of currently available engineering controls to improve safety [OGS 3].
- Intermediate Goal 2.30: Improve the availability and acceptance of safety education materials.
Communication and Information Dissemination
- Intermediate Goal 2.31: Develop and implement 1 social marketing-based research translation demonstration project focused on reducing health disparities in a targeted migrant population. Partners: Mexican Government; Texas A&M; CDC; DHHS; Texas State Health Department.
Strategic Goal 3: partnerships and collaborations
Develop and sustain 20 new strategic partnerships and collaborations to assist the dissemination, diffusion and evaluation of NIOSH scientific information products.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
- Intermediate Goal 3.1: Form collaborative efforts with key stakeholders to provide yearly assessments of current and emerging: 1) major occupational health and safety concerns and, 2) prioritize interventions and help to disseminate safety information to workers and employers.
Wholesale and Retail Trade
- Intermediate Goal 3.2: By 2014, the Sector will disseminate effective intervention methods for motor vehicle-related injuries through business/trade/labor, and professional organizations and subsequently assess the adoption and diffusion of the intervention methods.
Construction
- Intermediate Goal 3.3: Partner with construction stakeholders to greatly increase the diffusion of existing effective practices for preventing fatalities and serious injuries associated with trench collapses.
- Intermediate Goal 3.3: Develop a set of validated measurement methods of safety culture in the construction industry.
- Intermediate Goal 3.4: Partner with trade associations, management associations, and other construction stakeholders to disseminate new information and practices and to expand the use of effective safety and health management programs.
Healthcare and Social Assistance
- Intermediate Goal 3.5: Work with partners to develop and implement a national campaign to promote healthcare culture that strengthens worker safety.
Oil and Gas Subsector
- Intermediate Goal 3.6: Develop a cooperative strategy in collaboration with partners in industry, epidemiology, and health communications to decrease transportation-related fatalities in the subsector, especially those involving pickups and semitrailers.
Strategic Goal 4: Evaluate the Effectiveness of Communication Methods and Materials for Translating Scientific Information Products into Practice
Implement 4-8 demonstration projects to promote, and employ innovative measurement approaches and study designs to evaluate the effectiveness of communication methods and materials for translating scientific information products into practice.
Communication and Information Dissemination
- Intermediate Goal 4.1: Assess the effectiveness of selected social media venues Partner: Stanford University Mobile Persuasion Lab.
Construction
- Intermediate Goal 4.4: Annually, identify practical and “proven” occupational safety and health interventions, then encourage and facilitate the adoption of work practices deemed most likely to minimize disease and injury.
- Intermediate Goal 4.5: Develop and evaluate practical field exposure assessment methods for use by contractors to prioritize the effectiveness of workplace interventions.
- Intermediate Goal 4.6: Develop a set of validated measurement methods of safety culture in the construction industry.
Wholesale and Retail Trade
- Intermediate Goal 4.7: By 2012, the Sector will have implemented a slip/trip information campaign aimed at high-risk businesses within the WRT sector to provide information on the causes, costs, and methods for preventing slips and falls.
- Intermediate Goal 4.8: By 2014, the Sector will disseminate effective intervention methods for motor vehicle-related injuries through business/trade/labor, and professional organizations and subsequently assess the adoption and diffusion of the intervention methods.
- Intermediate Goal 4.9: By 2014, the Sector will evaluate communication strategies, including worker awareness campaign for motor vehicle injury and fatality prevention in WRT.
Healthcare and Social Assistance
- Intermediate Goal 4.10: Evaluate effective interventions to reduce risks for dematologic disease.
- Intermediate Goal 4.11: Assess baseline awareness with the 2005 guidelines and raise awareness through an appropriately targeted information dissemination campaign.
Strategic Goal 5: Communication Research
Conduct and promote a synthesis communication research to better understand the methodological basis for the effective translation of evidence-based scientific information products.
Construction
- Intermediate Goal 5.1: Develop and evaluate practical field exposure assessment methods for use by contractors to prioritize the effectiveness of workplace interventions.
Communication and Information Dissemination
- Intermediate Goal 5.2: Sponsor one complete journal issue devoted to the synthesis of OSH interventions from a social marketing perspective. Partner: Social Marketing Quarterly.
- Intermediate Goal 5.3: Synthesize the research on the social marketing strategies and methods as applied to Occupational Safety and Health Interventions. Partner: NCHM and the Canadian Health Research Foundation.
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NIOSH Program:
Communication and Information Dissemination
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