On The Road with NaRCAD: Strengthening Public Health in Idaho

Tags: Cancer, Cardiovascular Health, Diabetes, Training

We travelled to Boise, Idaho on March 10th, 2016, joining forces with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) on a new academic detailing initiative. On March 11th, we facilitated a 1-day workshop for 14 active academic detailers working on two public health priorities: promoting diabetes screening and management tools as part of their Diabetes, Heart Disease, & Stroke Program, and increasing colorectal cancer screening across the state as part of IDHW’s Comprehensive Cancer Control program.

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"I feel so much more confident about meeting with clinics and promoting our materials."
-IDHW Workshop Participant

​To support this group of academic detailers who are already out in the field, we adapted several components of our traditional Academic Detailing Techniques 2-day training to fit the specific needs of the IDHW’s programming. By drawing on the detailers’ prior experience, we identified the components of a visit that they most wanted to fine-tune and practice, providing specific techniques and exercises to strengthen their skills.

The session emphasized the importance of determining strong, specific, and actionable key messages, and helped the academic detailers practice delivering those messages clearly. Exercises in small groups focused on preparing for the inevitable obstacles that arise during a visit, anticipating different types of pushback or questions, and developing strategies for effective responses. Using roleplay, workshop participants practiced conveying their program’s goals in a dynamic, clear, and interactive way while continuously assessing the clinician’s specific needs.

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"This [workshop] changed my perspective on working with providers."
-IDHW Workshop Participant

​Participants noted that they interact with a range of clinicians in their visits, including doctors, nurse practitioners, and practice managers. They shared challenges in adapting key messages  in order to advance programmatic goals with each different type of clinician. Our facilitators encouraged IDHW detailers to build relationships with practices and individuals over time, focusing on a few messages per visit, and targeting recommendations to each individual clinician’s needs and priorities.

We’re looking forward to reporting back on the successes and growth of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s academic detailing programming to improve health outcomes by increasing colorectal cancer screening and effective diabetes diagnosis, prevention, and management throughout the state. Interested in learning more about our trainings or workshops? Learn more here, or contact us and tell us about your program's needs.