Case Study:
The Maryland Tobacco prevention and cessation program
Public health planners usually spend considerable amounts of time on needs assessment and program development. Once the planning phase is complete, just as careful a consideration should be given to how the program will be implemented. For each phase of the implementation, all of the specific tasks involved need to be identified. For instance If you don't have enough handouts for all the participants, what kind of message does this send? Was the program publicized sufficiently to assure an adequate number of clients? You will also need to determine the time frame for your implementation, deciding, for example, whether to start everything at once or have a gradual phasing in?
Consider the tobacco prevention and cessation program. Review the steps of implementation as described in your Learning Resources(Different phases in implementation; adoption of the program, identifying and prioritizing of the tasks to be completed , establishing a system of management, and finally putting the plans into action McKenzie, Neiger, & Thackeray, 2009) and compare to the process conducted by those involved in the tobacco prevention and cessation program . Reflect also on the possible ethical or legal issues that might arise as a result of implementing this program.
Q1. Has the Maryland Tobacco prevention and cessation been implemented, was it implemented as planned? What steps were taken to make sure the program implementation occurred as intended? Identify any tasks that should have been taken to implement the program but were not and explain how these would have helped.
Q2. If the program is still in the planning stages, have the proper implementation strategies been identified? If yes, describe the stages planned and whether you think these are appropriate. If not, describe what strategies should be followed and why.
Q3. Regardless of whether or not the program has been implemented yet, briefly discuss any ethical or legal issues that might arise as a result of implementing this program.
References:
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (2010). M00F03.06 Cigarette restitution fund-Tobacco use and prevention and cessation program- Family health administration. www.dhmh.state.md.us/mfr/doc/2010/Tobacco.doc
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (2008). Exploring cultural, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing tobacco use among Asian American, Hispanics, African American and American Indians in Maryland. https://www.crf.stae.md.us/html/stats.cfm
McKenzie, J. F., Neiger, L. B., & Thackeray, R. (2009). Planning, Implementing, & Evaluating Health Promotion Programs (Fifth ed.). San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education Inc.