2016 NCDC Conference & Exposition

Social media have proliferated over the past decade and their application to health has been more recently growing in consideration and use. A number of factors are contributing to this including their real-time nature, ability to track and collect data, the openness of the medium, and their fast-paced nature of the platforms that enables rapid and ubiquitous sharing of messaging and content.
The development and demand for these platforms and applications, however, have outpaced the research and evidence to demonstrate successful implementation and evaluation of their efficacy and validity for various initiatives. Successful implementation of these platforms means appropriate evaluation of the considered strategy and how it supports the program objectives of the initiative. Moreover, even with successful implementation, the disconnect between the online and offline worlds makes it challenging to evaluate their impact as it relates to impact.
This interactive workshop will present an overview of how to think about social media beyond traditional platforms such as Facebook and Twitter; opportunities for use in campaigns; frameworks for planning social media interventions; and frameworks and strategies for evaluating these initiatives.