Turning Community Voice and Local Data into

Public Health Action

Building Public Health Briefs to Inform, Engage, and Move Toward Shared Action

Presented by:

Shannon Pray and Nicole Zwick

Type of Data Visualizations

Today...select your journey

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Pick your journey

Selecting the right size quantitative data

Heart of the brief

Integrating the community voice

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Putting it all together

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Wrap up & couple of extra tips

Which briefs do you prefer?

Pick your journey....

• Vaping in Youth
• Diabetes Prevention
• Flu Vaccinations
• Build your own

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zpHWW8ngwmGSpWD51KcLM6UzHN4M7BxP?usp=sharing

Heart of the

Brief

WHO, WHAT & WHY

Who needs to hear what you have to say?

Different people need different information to take action. Know your audience.

Ways to identify your audience...

Lead with One Clear Main Message

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After seeing this brief, I want [AUDIENCE] to understand [MESSAGE] and/or do [ACTION].

• What does my audience need to know?
• What is the one main point they should understand?
• What do I want my audience to do?
• What action, decision, conversation, or next step should follow?

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BEGINNING OUR JOURNEY....

WORKSHEET 1:

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• WHO ARE YOU COMMUNICATING AS?
• WHO NEEDS TO HEAR IT?
• WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO COMMUNICATE?

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AFTER SEEING THIS BRIEF, I WANT (AUDIENCE) TO UNDERSTAND (MESSAGE) AND/OR DO (ACTION).

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KEY MESSAGE!

Selecting the right size quantitative data

Quantitative Data Helps Show the Story

What is quantitative....numerical information that can be measured and analyzed statistically, often collected through surveys, experiments, or observations.

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It Answers the...“What” and “How many”

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Why use it...

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Data are supporting evidence for the story you want to tell.

Data Sources

Key Message: One type of data isn’t better than another—what matters is what fits the question

Data are typically collected and compiled by someone other than the analyst/public health professional

Secondary Data

• Commonly Quantitative Data
• “What” and “How many”
• Data provides numerical findings

BRFSS

HKCS

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Data are collected and examined by analysts/public health professional

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Primary Data

• Commonly Qualitative Data
• “Why” and “How”
• Data provides non-numerical findings

Key informant interviews

Focus groups

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Secondary Data Sources

Colorado Data Sources

United States Data Sources

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

https://cdphe.colorado.gov/cohid

https://cotracking.shinyapps.io/CDPHE_VISION/

https://cdphe.colorado.gov/center-for-health-and-environmental-data

https://data-cdphe.opendata.arcgis.com/

Colorado Health Institute

https://www.coloradohealthinstitute.org/research/chas-data-dashboard

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Denver OpenMap

https://www.denvergov.org/Maps/search

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Census Data

https://data.census.gov/table

CDC’s Chronic Disease

https://www.cdc.gov/cdi/index.htmlw.cdc.gov/cdi/index.html

County Health Ranking

https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/

Colorado Health Information Dataset (CoHID)

Diabetes Prevalence

Healthy Kids Colorado Survey Dashboard

Youth Asthma

Not every number earns a spot

• The goal is not to show everything you know.
• The goal is to show the evidence your audience needs.

For One-page briefs select no more than 1-3 quantitative findings

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1. What does this number tell us?

Size? Change? Difference? Reach? Gap? Outcome?

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2. Does my audience need to know it?

Will it help them understand the issue or make a decision?

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3. Does it support my main message?

If not, it may be interesting, but it may not belong in this brief.

What does this number tell us?

WHAT QUANTIATIVE DATA BEST SUPPORTS YOUR MESSAGE

WORKSHEET 2: WHAT IS EACH NUMBER DOING FOR YOUR STORY?

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Review the quantitative data findings available

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Ask:

• What does the number tell us?
• Does your Audience need it?
• Does it support your Message?

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Try to select no more than 3

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Integrating the community voice

Data are supporting evidence for the story you want to tell.

What Can Community Voice Add?

What is qualitative..non-numerical information that describes qualities, experiences, or perceptions. It helps understand meanings, patterns, and relationships within a specific context, such as research, evaluation, or program development.

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It Answers the...“Why” and “How”

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Why use it...

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Qualitative Data Sources

Qualitative data sources can be primary or secondary sources

What Does Community Voice Help Us Understand?

• The goal is not to show everything you know.
• The goal is to show the evidence your audience needs.

For One-page briefs select no more than 1-2 qualitative findings

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1. What does this finding help explain?

Barrier? Knowledge gap? Community priority? Concern? Experience? Possible solution?

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2. Does it add something the numbers cannot?

Does it add context, meaning, explanation, or lived experience?

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3. Does it support my main message?

If it is interesting but does not help the audience understand the story, it may not belong in this brief.

WORKSHEET 3: WHAT DOES COMMUNITY VOICE HELP US UNDERSTAND?

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WHAT QUALITATIVE DATA BEST SUPPORTS YOUR MESSAGE

Review the qualitative data findings available

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Ask:

• What does this finding help explain?
• Does it add something the numbers cannot?
• Does it support your Message?

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Try to select no more than 2

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Putting it all together

Use the Data Together to Strength the Story or Message

Key Message: One type of data isn’t better than another—what matters is what fits the question

Quantitative:

Shows the pattern or burden

Qualitative:

Adds context or meaning

Message strongly supported with data

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• Example 1: Multi-unit housing smoke-free policy
• Quantative: % of MUH properties with smoke-free policies
• Qualitative: Residents’ quotes highlighting the need for cessation resources in MUH settings

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• Example 2: Vaping device disposal
• Qualitative: Interviews reveal confusion about proper disposal
• Quantative: Data on the number of educational campaigns/resources on disposal

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Frame the story

• Title: Naming matters!
• Key message: What is the one thing audience should understand?
• Who is it about: Name the population, community, program, or setting
• Support the point:
• Quantitative support
• Qualitative support/Community Voice
• What this means: (messy thoughts here to help drive the action)
• Action statement: What should the audience know, consider, support or do?
• Restate the key message

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Layouts

TIP: Select 2 or 3 types of data visualizations that are your go to.

Choose a visual...

• Does it make the message easier to understand?
• Can someone understand the point quickly?
• Does it deserve the space it takes up?

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TIPS:

SKILL BUILDING:

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

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Couple of extra tips &

Resources

EXTRA TIPS

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Choose the right time:

• Send briefs Tuesday through Thursday morning when recipients are more likely to review them. Avoid late Friday afternoons and holidays.

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Connect to an opportunity:

• Share the brief before a meeting, community event, funding decision, or policy discussion where the findings can inform action.

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Distribute broadly:

• Send the brief to multiple people and organizations, including community partners, program staff, organizational leaders, and decision makers.

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Follow up:

• Check in one to two weeks after distribution to answer questions, gather feedback, and discuss potential next steps.

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Visit our VAP for previous webinars, slides, tips sheets and more!

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Please email us at: CEPEGEvaluationTA@cuanschutz.edu

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THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING OUR WORKSHOP