Webinars have started!

I've finally begun a series of webinars on evidence-based public health and I am pretty darn excited! The first group met Tuesday (we will meet for 3 more Tuesdays); I have another group meeting today. Each session is 2 hours long. Oh, and so I don't forget:

This project has been funded in part with Federal funds from the National Library of Medicine National lnstitutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No NO1-LM-6-3505.

I was able to hire 2 awesome interns this semester, one from the University of North Texas and one from Texas Woman's University. Both are studying to be librarians (I'd written a stipend into my project to pay for library school students to work with me.)

And now, I'm going to be really brave and post a link to the recording:
Week 1: EBPH Workshop Agenda and Course Overview (Tuesday recording)
Week 1: EBPH Workshop Agenda and Course Overview (Thursday recording)

It's long-- 90 minutes or so. Next week will be 120 minutes.

That's it, I guess. I have another session this afternoon so I better make sure I'm ready!

July workshops starting!

If you're taking the webinars starting in July, welcome!



I taught a 3-hour version of this workshop at TPHA in San Antonio (2008). We really rushed through everything-- speed of light. This will a little more leisurely but there is still quite a bit to cover.



We will start with this post:

http://ebph.blogspot.com/2008/02/welcome-to-evidence-based-public-health.html



and work our way through the resources. I've set the archives to show oldest first which means you'll see them in the order of the class.

I encourage you to review the blog, post comments, suggestions, and questions. If there is a site I need to add, tell me!

Post TPHA workshop thoughts

I want to thank the people who attended the TPHA pre-conference workshop. I had fun and I hope you did as well. Not to say I wasn't dog tired afterwards, but I did have fun. I hope you did as well.

There was quite a bit covered in the workshop and we had to rush through some of the tasks. But I hope you look at the handouts as I walk you through the tasks, screen by screen. I have lots of pretty pictures in my handouts!

Lastly, there is a link to Ask a Librarian on the EBPH page that I hope you will use. Ask me questions! I want to know what kind of data you are looking for, what your projects are, and what evidence you need. It will help me prepare for the future (my selfish motive!) plus I want to make certain you have the tools you need at your disposal to be as successful as possible when creating and implementing programs.

I'd also be interested in any successes you might have had as a result of using some of the resources we covered in the workshop. Did your program get funded? Were you able to come up with new community partners? What have you learned about one of your communities using the Census that maybe surprised you and resulted in some changes in your programs? I'd love to know and, if you don't mind, share with others.

Happy Friday!

Logic models to the rescue

So far, I've written about theory, health data, research literature-- many of the pieces needed to conduct research but nothing on how to put it together. Well, I'm not really an expert in that arena, but I can offer some suggestions of resource to use from those who are.

First-- what is a logic model?
According to one of those tutorials listed below, a logic model is: "A pictorial diagram that shows the relationship between your program components and activities and desired health outcomes. A logic model is a planning tool that might describe your entire program or a particular program objective or initiative."

If you've not used them before, your really need to take a look. Logic models can help you avoid missing important components as you do your program planning. Of course, once you do your logic model, keep it out where you can see it! I don't think I've ever seen that written anywhere, but too often we create these things and then put them away after we've gotten the funding or convinced the boss that we *do* know what we're doing!

So, on to the resources:

Logic Models: The Basics (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention)
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dashoet/logic_model_1/menu.html

Logic Models 2: Constructing a Logic Model (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention)
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dashoet/logic_model_2/index.html

W.F. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide
http://www.wkkf.org/Pubs/Tools/Evaluation/Pub3669.pdf

Remember that creating a logic model doesn't have to be a solitary event. Invite your co-workers or anyone else who will be a part of this project from the get-go to work on it with you.

Just remember:
Common sense, however it tries, cannot avoid being surprised from time to time. ~Bertrand Russell

TexShare databases for research

Here in Texas, we have one of the most amazing cost-sharing, economy-of-scale programs I have ever seen called TexShare. Every single person in Texas has access to incredibly fine quality online databases through their public library!

I work at a university (one that is part of the University of Texas System, no less!) so we have primo access to online databases and journals. But not everyone has that luxury-- not everyone is part of a mammoth university system. But you do most likely have a public library in your community.

You will need to go to your library (and, again, I'm talking about Texas; I don't know about other states). If you've never visited your library or you're not sure which branch is closest to you, you can find a list of libraries at the TexShare Public Library site:
http://www.texshare.edu/generalinfo/about/programspub.html

A list of databases that are part of the 2008 agreement can be found at:
http://www.texshare.edu/programs/academicdb/licenseagreementsfy2008.html

"Only librarians like to search; everyone else likes to find." Roy Tennant [librarian]

Community Based Participatory Research

Kohatsu, Robinson, and Torner make the point that evidence-based public health must involve the community stakeholders (Kohatsu ND, Robinson JG, Torner JC. Evidence-based public health: An evolving concept. Am J Prev Med. 2004 Dec;27(5):417-21.) But how?

Community-based participatory research is one way:

http://www.ahrq.gov/research/cbprrole.htm

Through CBPR, community members aren't just subjects, they're partners. After all, who knows better what's happening in a neighborhood than the community?

Of course, there can be problems with CBPR. Your agenda may not be their agenda. Or is it?.....

Let's say you know there is a major obesity/diabetes problem in one of the neighborhoods. You set up town hall meetings with organizers and community members and all they want to talk about are the broken lights and bad sidewalks in the neighborhood. And some of the streets don't even have sidewalks. And the park is completely unsafe as it's used for prostitution and drug dealing.

What does any of this have to do with obesity and diabetes? That's what you planned on talking about, not the neighborhood!

Well, guess what-- it has everything to do with obesity and diabetes! The outdoor environment plays a major role in the ability of people to go out and exercise. If it's unsafe and unattractive, why will they go outside? So what can you do to improve the immediate environment? That issue may have to be tackled before you can implement a "10,000 steps a day" program, right?

So, does CBPR work? Take a look at an evidence report published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality:
http://www.ahrq.gov/downloads/pub/evidence/pdf/cbpr/cbpr.pdf
Chapter 3 and 4 are results and discussion respectively.

Consider looking at some of the studies included to see if maybe they might provide some insight to how you can incorporate CBPR into your next project.

And the moral is, we all have to learn to play nice!

Links to Handouts

I've been madly developing handouts for the EBPH workshop to be held at the Texas Public Health Association 2008 Annual Conference in bee-yoo-tee-ful San Antonio TX. If you've never been, you need to go.

The handouts are slowly being added to the CHARTing Health Information Web site. If you're like to see what's there, go to:
http://www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/charting/handouts/ebph_handouts/ebph_workshop.htm

Happy browsing!