Health promotion remains a pillar in preventative health care. The community demand for health promotion activities, particularly in rural and remote communities is high. However, when surveyed, health professionals claim “lack of time to prepare health promotion material” as a leading obstacle in delivering such activities. The Health Promotion Hub website stores health promotion resources in all formats: power point presentations, brochures, group activities, screening tools etc. for health professionals use for such activities. It is a user-friendly database, housing quality and accurate health promotion resources to ease the burden on practitioners of having to locate and prepare material.
Health Promotion Hub
Initiative Type
System Improvement
Status
Plan
Added
Last updated
Summary
Key dates
May 2019
May 2020
Implementation sites
The website construction has taken place in Biloela, Queensland. However, being web based the service is extensive and far reaching which is ideal given the target audience is rural and remote communities.
Aim
To improve the delivery of health promotion activities within rural and remote communities.
Benefits
- Support the framework of preventative health care within rural and remote locations.
- Fulfill community demand for health promotion activities.
- Compile and deliver up to date, accurate and relevant resources.
- Meet the request of health professionals in having an easy database for health promotion resources.
- Reduce time taken for health professionals to prepare health promotion activities.
- Increase the frequency health promotion activities within rural and remote communities.
Background
Community requests for health promotional activities in our rural community is consistently high. This prompted a Queensland wide survey amongst rural and remote health professionals questioning why they may decline to host health promotion activities. “Lack of time to prepare or locate suitable material” was the leading reason given. When questioned if they would utilise a website that housed health promotion resources in many different formats, 100 per cent of survey participants responded with “Yes”.
Solutions Implemented
A user-friendly website that greatly reduces the time required for health professionals to prepare and present health promotion activities. The search fields are flexible allowing users to complete broad searches, for example ‘Women’s health’, or more specific such as ‘Polycystic ovarian syndrome’.
Evaluation and Results
- Features have been included within the website to enable monitoring of number of downloads, number of uploads and comments/feedback from its members. This will be the measure of use.
- A survey to members will also be dispersed after one year gaining information into if they have used the website for health promotion activities, and if the intended purpose of increasing health promotion activities has been achieved.
- Each download will be required to answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to “Do you intend using this resource for health promotion within your community?”
Lessons Learnt
The demand for this website was greater than expected as measured by the survey findings. 100 per cent of participants claimed there is a need and they would use the website, 73 per cent are interested in being a part of the review panel for new resources, and 36 per cent had resources they wished to share. This website is a simple solution to an overwhelming demand.
