Benefits of Structured Engagement with Target Audiences of a Health Website: Study Design for a Multi-Case Study (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Access to evidence and practice knowledge is an important precursor to best practice health care. However, while availability is a requirement it is not necessarily sufficient to ensure reach into and uptake by intended audiences. Planning, implementing and evaluating engagement with intended audience’s offers one mechanism to identify ways that increased interaction and integration could be achieved. Since 2008, the CareSearch website has provided online palliative care evidence and information nationally in Australia to support health and aged care professionals, patients, carers and families to make informed decisions about care at the end of life. Having become an established presence in the palliative care sector, CareSearch is seeking to extend its reach, and ensure that the utility of the website is maximised for all target groups. As part of its deliverables cycle, CareSearch is undertaking a project to design, implement and evaluate a structured engagement activity in three different target groups (Aged care; Allied health; and Patients, carers and families). OBJECTIVE This paper describes the development of an evidence-based approach to understanding context to support a targeted engagement approach to influence reach and uptake of online resources. A mixed methods formative and summative evaluation study design for assessing the potential value of the approach has been developed. METHODS The project commenced with a design meeting between the project lead and external evaluator about the purpose of the project, rationale for the intended audiences, and required outcomes specified in the grant application. A literature review of approaches used in knowledge translation, implementation science, politics and social marketing, was undertaken. The project lead and external evaluator then met to finalise the Engagement Framework and to formalise a template for documenting context based on relevant elements identified in the literature review. The proposed approach was then formally reviewed by the CareSearch Project Advisory Group to determine face validity. RESULTS An Engagement Framework comprising eight steps was developed. This outlines a series of tasks to be undertaken by the CareSearch Project staff working with the three target groups. A process/formative evaluation schedule was designed to collect data using qualitative methods to explore the experiences of participants, including staff implementing the engagement activities. Further details of the impact/summative evaluation will be formulated alongside the sector specific Action Plans and will include web metrics and qualitative feedback from stakeholders. The three target groups will enable a cross-case comparison approach. CONCLUSIONS The use and impact of online resources often stops at web visits and page views. A structured approach to engagement with intended user groups may provide insights into how different groups find, use and value resources.