Communicating Health Information: The Community Engagement Model for Video Production

Abstract

The Community Engagement Model was developed as a tool for the production of health communication videos for broadcast on local television stations. The model, a hybrid of participatory video design and social marketing techniques, uses iterative design principles for both production and evaluation. This article reports on the use of this model for the design and production of a series of videos aimed at promoting awareness of the BC NurseLine (a 24-hour telephone health service) among Farsi speakers in the Greater Vancouver area. Statistical analysis of project-related data suggests that the use of an extensive, culturally engaged process to produce and evaluate the videos was integral to its success. The steps taken in this campaign are described to show how the Community Engagement Model can be used to produce effective, culturally sensitive, participatory media targeted at specific communities.