Question 1: The considerations Andre should make to engage these communities effectively
Public healthcare providers need to engage audiences in their healthcare programs to reach the target audience effectively. Healthcare organizations that engage their communities to expand their approach in improving the quality of health in the communities they serve (Howard- Grabman et al., 2017). The following are the factors that Andre should keep in mind to ensure a successful community engagement:
Purpose and target of the community engagement
Andre and his team should focus on a specific target audience for community participation and the specific health-related concerns that need action to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of the program.
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Community capacity
Several factors related to community development and management is likely to affect access to healthcare. Leadership is a critical link between the communities and their willingness to participate in any health care program. Andre should consider the people who represent the community to ensure he can engage the community and reduce community engagement barriers. Engaging community partners gives program implementers a better perspective and understanding of the health needs of pregnant women in the community.
Social, cultural and environmental factors
Understanding the community's cultural and social dynamics will help Andre and his team build trust and respect with the community more effectively. Andre should focus on the gender social construct of the society to ensure he can get the faith of expectant mothers in the community and build a health-based relationship with them (Howard- Grabman et al., 2017). Culture influences the perceptions of illness, methods of disease prevention and the use of health services.
Question 2: How Andre can develop the community engagement materials to ensure effective reach
Community engagement ensures that the local health system users and community resources are included in the design, planning and delivery of health services. It helps the community adequately understand the risks they face and involves them in acceptable response actions (World Health Organization, n.d.). These are some ways Andre could develop materials that are well understood and accepted by the community.
Andre needs to assess the target audience interests and promote the programs as solutions to those needs and wants. His primary target audience is pregnant women, so he must ensure that the information he is presenting is coherent and consistent with the interests of women.
He should also focus on open, honest and meaningful discussions. The material should provide opportunities for the community to contribute to the planning and implementation of the health care program (McCloskey et al., 2015). The material should also provide all the information regarding the prenatal services, the possible side effects, the donors and information where the community can ask more questions on the services.
Prepare material with culturally appropriate language that the community members can understand to make the engagement inclusive and proper. It also makes it easier for the community to participate therefore producing better responses to the engagement.
The information on the material should be timely and relevant to give the community to consider it and make a meaningful contribution to the program's development.
Question 3: How to begin to target a population with a health services marketing plan
Defining the target population for a community engagement exercise narrows down the exercise's scope and objective and improves the program's financial viability (Morgan & Lifshay, n.d.). The following are ways to begin to target a population with a health services marketing plan.
Carry out a comprehensive research about the community being targeted. By understanding the communities’ norms, social networks, demographic trends, significant stakeholders and political structures, Andre will become more aware of the best way to engage them. It is helpful to collect feedback from stakeholders and assess the available data to assess the health progress of the community (Washington State Department of Health, n.d.). He will have a better understanding of the barriers to health services and tackle them effectively.
Define the purpose and target community of the engagement effort. The definition involves identifying the geographic focus and the specific population affected by the health program. Defining the community is also useful to classify their characteristics into ethnicity, income level, age, and gender.
Prioritize community health needs and interests. The marketing plan should prioritize the health issues the community is facing using prevalence, interventions and the availability of resources. In this case, prenatal services are essential to the community. The plan should focus on improving access to the services through home visits, facilitating referrals and easing hospital protocol for expectant mothers.
Question 4: The potential barriers you might face in reaching these communities and how you might address them
Language
There might be community members who are illiterate, prefer to use their native languages or have unique visual and hearing disabilities. It is essential to identify the linguistic needs of the participants and engage the community leaders on how best to engage the disadvantaged groups. Their linguistic needs should be met by translating all materials and announcements into the languages that are spoken in the area (Washington State Department of Health, n.d.). It is also essential to ensure that there are sign language interpreters during the community engagement functions.
Culture
Different communities have different cultural beliefs that determine their response to specific healthcare programs. The community engagement exercise needs to accommodate the diverse cultural values to attract participation (Ramsbottom et al., 2017). The program planners need to be mindful of the date and the time of the events to ensure they do not go against any cultural and religious observances. Engaging the major community stakeholders in the planning and decision-making process helps determine the most appropriate way of engaging community members.
Question 5: The population that the health services marketing plan will most serve
Pre-natal care is a healthcare service that provides the necessary healthcare interventions for pregnant women. Prenatal care involves routine checkups by health professionals who monitor the foetus development and carry out tests to detect possible problems and mitigate them.
References
Ramsbottom, A. et al., (2017). Enablers and barriers to community engagement in public health emergency preparedness: A literature review. Journal of Community Health , 43 (2), 412-420. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-017-0415-7
Howard-Grabman, L., Miltenburg, A. S., Marston, C., & Portela, A. (2017). Factors affecting effective community participation in maternal and newborn health programme planning, implementation and quality of care interventions. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth , 17 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-017-1443-0
World Health Organisation. (n.d.). Community engagement [Powerpoint Presentation]. World Health Organisation .
Washington State Department of Health. (n.d.). Community Engagement Guide . https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1000/CommEngageGuide.pdf
Community engagement strategies in health care . (2021, February 22). Ohio University. https://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/blog/community-engagement-strategies/
Morgan, M., & Lifshay, J. (n.d.). Community engagement in public health . Contra Costa Health Services: CCHS main page: Contra Costa Health Services. https://cchealth.org/public-health/pdf/community_engagement_in_ph.pdf
