Dissemination Audiences
A dissemination plan can help guide the reasons, methods, and audiences for sharing information about the maternal health program. It is important to engage with and share findings with a variety of stakeholders, who have an interest in the maternal health program, as this has the potential to lead to multidisciplinary relationships that can lead to broader impact.
Maternal health affects every sector of society. Therefore, there are a wide range of stakeholders and audiences that may be appropriate for dissemination. Some possible dissemination audiences for rural maternal programs include:
- Local, state, and federal legislators and policymakers
- Maternal and primary care practitioners
- Partner hospitals and clinics with specialists
- Mental healthcare practitioners
- Local doula groups
- Breastfeeding support groups
- Local Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) offices
- Homeless shelters
- Employers
- Faith leaders
- Substance use treatment centers
- Nonprofits/social service organizations
- Cultural groups
- Patients and their families
- Media
- Community members
- Local and state public health
- Emergency responders
- Correctional facilities
- City leaders and councils
It is important for rural maternal health programs to develop dissemination strategies that target a variety of stakeholders. Focus groups can be an ideal method for identifying specific dissemination strategies that work best for different audiences.
For more information, see the Rural Community Health Toolkit on how to share successes and lessons learned.