May 2009 - Program Updates

Using Common Messages to Address Chronic Disease in Ontario: A Utilization Framework

by Hoi Ki Ding, Program Coordinator, Ontario Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance

The Ontario Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance (OCDPA) is a collective voice of health-related organizations on effective chronic disease prevention policy and programming and is dedicated to improving the health of all Ontarians. The OCDPA envisions communities where population and individual health are supported by healthy societal conditions, public policies, and personal behaviours. Our mission is to provide collaborative leadership to support a comprehensive chronic disease prevention system for Ontario.

Common Message Project phase 1: development of Common Messages

OCDPA believes that it is essential in Ontario for community and health practitioners, groups and organizations whose work relates to chronic disease and its prevention to think, and act, like a system in order to address prevention and reduce the burden of chronic disease in this province.

Through its membership and feedback from external field experts, OCDPA developed consistent messaging for use by individuals, groups and organizations to focus attention on important issues and priorities in chronic disease prevention and to promote collective action on these issues across Ontario. The Common Messages document, Supporting Collective Priorities and Action on Chronic Disease Prevention in Ontario, was released in February 2009 and is available on the OCDPA website.

The messages take a “socio-environmental approach” to preventing chronic disease, and are framed around the central themes of “access and availability” to encourage the promotion of healthy eating, physical activity, and mental health as well as the prevention of tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol.

Common Message Project phase 2: development of the Utilization Framework

OCDPA worked with consultants from One World Inc. to engage OCDPA members in developing a Common Message Utilization Framework. The objectives for the Framework are to identify ways that the Common Messages can be advanced, disseminated, promoted, used and integrated, and to engage members in the promotion, utilization and integration of the Common Messages.

The Framework is intended to be a launch point for future planning to use the Common Messages to align policy, planning and practice among Alliance members, external stakeholders and across the province. The content of the Framework reflects input of OCDPA members and staff, identifies opportunities and challenges in using the Common Messages, and maps out practical ways in which the messages can be used, integrated, and promoted.

Through surveys and focus group discussions, respondents indicated their overall interest in advancing the messages, and that the Common Messages align with organizational mandate/priorities. Respondents indicated some capacity in advancing the messages (e.g., the ability to lead specific risk factor messages), but additional supports/resources are needed (e.g., brief evidence-based papers, tools, templates, etc.) to further operationalize the Common Messages for use. Respondents also indicated ability to support the dissemination and promotion of the Common Messages, and to integrate them into planning and priorities as areas of interest. They saw value in operationalizing a system-wide approach, and in tracking the dissemination and use of common messages, as well as their outcomes.

Benefits and values in advancing the Common Messages

There are benefits to advancing the OCDPA Common Messages, which include, but are not limited to:

  • Facilitate a shift in policy and practice to an evidence-informed, multiple-risk factor, multiple-setting approach that promotes healthy living conditions;
  • Identify common chronic disease prevention priorities to advance by OCDPA members;
  • Support strategic alignment of policy, planning and practice;
  • Increase impact of chronic disease prevention efforts;
  • Put into practice a comprehensive, system-wide approach to chronic disease prevention.

Opportunities to advance the Common Messages

Within the OCDPA membership, the Common Messages could be advanced primarily through senior managers responsible for policy, planning, government relations, program and/or resource development, as well as through local practitioners and volunteers. Other opportunities include local or regional office staff, and program coordinators and communications departments.

Outside the OCDPA membership, the Common Messages could be advanced primarily through public health professionals, Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs), provincial government representatives, as well as through other systems and/or networks. Other opportunities include primary care providers (e.g., Family Health Teams, Community Health Centres), municipal governments, professional and health provider associations and educators.

In addition, the Common Messages could be disseminated and promoted through various networks with a focus on areas such as: alcohol, healthy eating, heart health, health promotion, mental health, physical activity, public health, tobacco.

OCDPA’s Next Steps

OCDPA is currently pursuing funding opportunities and support to: increase the visibility of the Common Messages; disseminate, promote and support the integration the Common Messages in stakeholders' activities; support the sharing of learnings from the use of Common Messages; and, to evaluate use/impact of the Common Messages.

For more Information on the Common Messages Project, please visit the OCDPA website.