Using the Internet to Disseminate a Tobacco-Cessation Program

West Virginia University: Prevention Research Center

Topics:
Tobacco Prevention & Control | Training & Technical Assistance

Public health professionals are demanding cost-effective ways to find and deliver health promotion and disease prevention programs. The U.S. Department of Education reports that U.S. public schools’ access to the Internet grew to nearly 100% by 2005.  The Prevention Research Centers Program is pilot-testing a Web-based technical assistance Web site to help public health practitioners implement an evidence-based  teen smoking cessation program—Not On Tobacco (N-O-T)—developed by the West Virginia Prevention Research Center.  The American Lung Association, which packages and disseminates N-O-T, lacks the resources to reach all settings through traditional means.

The Web site, www.notontobacco.com, reflects best practices from “Research-Based Web Design and Usability Guidelines” of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  The development team includes representatives from academia and the public, private, and non-profit sectors.  A content inventory was created from the intervention’s materials, and a site taxonomy, which outlines the Web site’s organization, was created by having sample users sort cards to reveal patterns in use.  Usability testing is being conducted to ensure the Web site serves all audience types. 

The Web site has two components.  The public area describes the benefits and history of the program, the evidence behind it, and how to start the program, and it enables users to share success stories.  In a password-protected area, certified N-O-T facilitators, can access technical assistance tools, implementation tips, program evaluation forms, and a message board.

Time will determine the Web site’s long-term effect on the reach and implementation of N-O-T, and statistics are being maintained.  Several methods are being used to study the Web site’s utility and effectiveness, including Google analytics, usability testing, and surveys of users.  If the Web site proves effective, usable, and useful, other evidence-based programs could benefit from a comparable dissemination Web site.

 

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