: Diffusion of Innovation

“Just as energy is the basis of life itself and ideas the source of innovation, so is innovation the vital spark of all human change, improvement, and progress.” Ted Levitt, economist

NOTE:

MY  Public health Campaign IS ON  VESICO-VAGINAL FISTULA (VVF) – ‘THE SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF VVF ON YOUNG  ADULT GIRLS  IN AFRICA. (CULTURALLY, HEALTH INTERVENTION AND SOCIAL BEHAVIORAL CHANGE)

If innovation is the heart of human change then public health leaders must be creative and develop innovative ideas and messages about public health issues. In 1985, after the onset of the AIDS epidemic, a group of people got together to memorialize loved ones who succumbed to AIDS and to increase the public’s awareness of this devastating disease. Thus giving birth to The AIDS Memorial Quilt. In October 1987, the Quilt was first displayed on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The Quilt had 1,920 memorial panels and over a half a million people viewed the Quilt at its inaugural display. In 1989, The Quilt was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and to this day remains “the largest community art project in the world.” Currently, it consists of over 44,000 panels and has raised over 3 million dollars for AIDS organizations (The AIDS Memorial Quilt, n.d.). Think about how this small, innovative idea evolved into an initiative adopted by communities around the world.

Reference:

The AIDS Memorial Quilt (n.d.). The NAMES Project Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.aidsquilt.org/about/the-names- explore the principles of the diffusion of innovation model which examines how innovative ideas are adopted into communities and consider how you can apply these principles to your own public health campaign. In addition, you submit the first part of your final project, the Communication Plan.

Learning Objectives

lMY  Public health Campaign IS ON  VESICO-VAGINAL FISTULA (VVF) – ‘THE SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF VVF ON YOUNG  ADULT GIRLS  IN AFRICA. (CULTURALLY, HEALTH INTERVENTION AND SOCIAL BEHAVIORAL CHANGE):

USING THE BELOW OUTLINE REFER TO MY HEALTH CAMPAGN ABOVE

• Analyze the principles of the diffusion of innovation model
• Create a Communication Plan for a public health campaign

Photo Credit: [artvea]/[Digital Vision Vectors]/Getty Images

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Chun, G.J., Sautter, J.M., Patterson, B.J., McGhan, W.F. (2016) Diffusion of Pharmacy-Based Influenza Vaccination Over Time in the United States. Am J Public Health. 106(6):1099-100. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303142. PMID: 27077353.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Olsson, A., Skovdahl, K., Engström, M. (2016) Using diffusion of innovation theory to describe perceptions of a passive positioning alarm among persons with mild dementia: a repeated interview study. BMC Geriatr. 16:3. doi: 10.1186/s12877-016-0183-8. PMID: 26745961.

Document: Communication Plan Guidelines (Word document)

Document: Final Project Guidelines (Word document)

Discussion: Diffusion of Innovations

Diffusion of innovation is a theoretical framework explaining how new ideas or “innovations” are spread through specific communication mediums over time to communities, social systems, or cultures (Rogers & Scott, 1997). It also looks at how quickly the information can be adopted into a community, social system, or culture. There are several things to consider. First, if the information is relevant and advantageous to the targeted audience, the quicker it becomes adopted. Second, the more compatible the idea or message to the needs, values, and experiences of the target audience, the quicker the adoption. Third, the less complex an idea or message is, the easier it is to adopt in the community because it can be more easily understood. Fourth, if you test the message or idea, you can determine whether or not it fits into the target audience and is more likely to be clear in its communication. Fifth, the easier it is for the target audience to see the results of the message or idea, the easier it is to adopt it (Rogers & Scott, 1997). In a time of increasing technological advantage, you must understand the role that media and social media outlets play in the spread of innovative ideas and how you may utilize media and social media in your current and future public health campaigns.

For this Discussion, consider the principles of the diffusion of innovation model and which are most important for you to consider in the development of your public health campaign. Using the Walden library, select an article describing the diffusion of innovation model and analyze its results.

Reference:Rogers, E. M., & Scott, K. L. (1997). The diffusion of innovations model and outreach from the national network of libraries of medicine to Native American communities. National Network of Libraries of Medicine. Retrieved from http://nnlm.gov/pnr/eval/rogers.html

With these thoughts in mind:

By Day 3

Post a brief summary of the article you selected. Explain how the diffusion of innovation was used. Then explain one of the principles of the diffusion of innovation model that is most important for you to consider in the development of your public health campaign and explain why. Be specific and use examples to illustrate your points.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

By Day 5

Respond to your colleagues’ postings and discuss which principles of the diffusion of innovation are most important to consider as a public health leader and suggest how your colleagues can incorporate them into his or her public health campaign.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Submission and Grading Information

Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:

Week 10 Discussion Rubric

Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 5

To participate in this Discussion:

Week 10 Discussion:

Final Project: Part I-

 MY  Public health Campaign IS ON  VESICO-VAGINAL FISTULA (VVF) – ‘THE SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF VVF ON YOUNG  ADULT GIRLS  IN AFRICA. (CULTURALLY, HEALTH INTERVENTION AND SOCIAL BEHAVIORAL CHANGE)

Throughout this course, you have created elements of your communication plan.

 Compile all the elements of the plan and create a descriptive narrative detailing each aspect of your public health campaign to prepare it for implementation.

Create a 10- to 12-page narrative including all the elements from Parts I through IV of your communication plan.

 Create a new descriptive narrative of your communication plan with all the required elements.

Refer to the Communication Plan Guidelines and the Final Project Guidelines in this week’s Required Resources for the Communication Plan criteria.