Using Technology and Social Media Tools to Communicate Your Messages During Tough Economic Times

Objective: Identify alternative methods to communicate within a budgetary restrictive environment.

Methods: One of the priorities of the Washington State DPCP and leadership team is to provide training and technical assistance to five diabetes coalitions in Washington.  However, with the recent economic crisis resulting in statewide restrictions for travel and other costs related to bringing people together, it was clear we needed alternative methods to accomplish this. Using i-Linc technology we hosted online skill-building training sessions for members of the coalitions, later posting sessions and materials to the Diabetes Connection, a web portal for members of the statewide diabetes network. Additionally, we use Twitter© technology to get key messages out and connect partners to information on the Diabetes Connection.

Results: Overall feedback has been positive and attendees have found the technology easy to use. Having the ability to post training sessions to the Connection so they could be viewed as needed has resulted in a savings of time, money, and effort on the part of DPCP staff. Posting on Twitter© has resulted in connecting with new partners in the fight to reduce diabetes in Washington. 

Conclusion: With a little bit of research and a willingness to try new things, there are numerous forms of technology available to make the work we do in diabetes prevention and control more efficient, while at the same time reaching a broad audience.