Building a Digital Health Communications Strategy for the Air Force Medical Service

Background: To deliver world class health care to 2 million+ active duty service members, family members, and retirees, the Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) must provide clear, direct information about its health care related services, programs, and facilities to its stakeholders across 75 individual military treatment facilities. 

Program background:  As part of the Air Force Surgeon General’s commitment to the visibility of AFMS policies, programs, and strategies at all levels to ensure superior care and support for the total force, increase healthier outcomes via proactive communication, improve transparency, and enhance its reputation of “Trusted Care Anywhere,” AFMS has executed a multi-pronged digital health communications program. 

Evaluation Methods and Results:  When AFMS embarked on this strategy, it started with two facts. First, an environmental scan of service members allowed the AFMS to learn that the majority of Airmen prefer to receive health information through online sources. Second, the AFMS and respective MTFs used digital communication in a limited or non-existent way. 

Conclusions:  Over the past year, AFMS has gone from almost no digital media presence to a robust suite of communication tools across multiple channels:

• Social Media: Setting up one Facebook page is simple; what makes the AFMS campaign unique is the integrated approach to using social media in a cohesive health promotion strategy, designed to reach an ever-moving, worldwide audience. The AFMS developed a Social Media Strategy, Policy, and Implementation Plan which included the launch of www.facebook.com/AirForceMedicalService and www.Twitter.com/USAFHealth. To enhance collaboration across all MTFs, the AFMS developed a virtual Social Media Toolkit with 60+ “how-to” documents, guides, and templates to empower MTFs to implement a Facebook page and engage directly with their local audience. Currently, 61 of the 75 MTFs use Facebook as part of their communication strategy; collectively reaching 20,000+ fans.
• Web Standardization: A scan of the 75 MTF websites revealed disparate, inconsistent, and inaccurate information being provided to Airmen and their families. AFMS developed a 60-day campaign to get all sites to a “basic” (necessary) level, complete with a scorecard, customizable toolkit, and training. As sites met the basic threshold, they moved into an “advanced” campaign to enhance their sites with recommended content elements. The advanced campaign also includes a scorecard, toolkit, and training as needed.
• Mobile Apps: Embracing the ever-growing trend of patients and providers who are downloading and using mobile apps to prevent, monitor, and treat health conditions, the AFMS recognized the need to develop a mobile applications strategy to manage the use, development, and promotion of apps for patients, family members, and providers. The strategy had to balance federal/DOD regulations with access and demand issues. The AFMS also developed several mobile app prototypes as resources for their stakeholders. 

Implications for research and/or practice:  Conference participants will receive an overview of the strategy from the task manager, helping others understand how effective digital communication can impact healthy behaviors. The presentation will included lessons learned on standing up social media and Web platforms across 75 individual MTFs, insights into the priorities and next phases of a digital strategy, and best practices on developing an integrated digital strategy within the federal environment.