Purposes for Dissemination

Sharing local health data can be important in small communities, as it is personal and relevant to community residents. This can be a useful tool for increasing community engagement in an existing initiative as well as inspiring new community changes. Sharing data is particularly beneficial when seeking community input on identifying priority needs. Having a clear understanding of your motivation will help determine what data to share and how.

Progress reports shared throughout the initiative can be helpful for keeping stakeholders engaged and connected to the program. Progress reports can share information on interim or short-term successes and reinforce the need for continuing support from community members, schools, elected officials, and other leaders.

It is also important to disseminate findings to local stakeholders when an initiative ends. This provides closure to the initiative while demonstrating respect and goodwill to the community. If a program's short-term funding ends, sharing final findings and lessons learned may invigorate community members to seek a new funding source to continue the work.

Resources to Learn More

Getting the Word Out: New Approaches for Disseminating Public Health Science
Document
Outlines innovative methods of dissemination of public health knowledge from multiple disciplines. Covers lessons learned and current practices used to share information that may lead to research findings being applied to solutions.
Author(s): Brownson, R.C., Eyler, A.A., Harris, J.K., et al.
Citation: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice 24(2): 102–111
Date: 3/2018