Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

1. Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community Pretesting educational materials Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

2. Session objectives • Understand importance of pretesting • Understand when, where, with whom and how to pretest • Understand how malaria instruction materials are tested • Learn skills to conduct pretesting interview, and assess the information obtained • Learn to advocate the importance of pretesting Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

3. Pretesting assesses: • Recognition: have the materials been understood? • Acceptability: is there anything offensive/unacceptable in the materials? • Familiarity and relevance: is the problem known and relevant to the target audience? People are most likely to consider/adopt change if these factors are considered Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

4. Assessing perception of a picture This visual is from Kilifi, Kenya, where it is used as a symbol of child fever Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

5. Why should you pretest? • Save money • Avoid big mistakes • Reach people with useful information and education – which they can understand, accept, and act on Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

6. Uganda Red Cross Poster Source: Uganda Red Cross, Kampala, 1985 Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

7. Two versions of a teaching poster Source: Ministry of Health and UNICEF Nepal, 1977 Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

8. Litrosol: Small details make a difference • From: Rasmuson MR et al. Communication for child survival, United States Agency for International Development, June 1988, Washington DC Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

9. Main influences on quality of information: • Attitude of pretester • Interpersonal communication skills • The way you ask (open) questions • The way you listen actively to the respondent Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

10. Exercise • Develop an instruction (visual + verbal) on how to use drugs (ARVs or AMs) with a patient. Define who the patient is (rural/urban….. • Develop some questions to ask, to find out if the instructions are understood, accepted and relevant • Test out the instruction with one of the participants in the course. Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

11. When should you pretest? • Early in the process of developing materials • Use rough materials Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

12. Nepal Healthy Baby Source: Haaland A. Pretesting Communication Materials Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

13. With how many do you pretest? • Test with 10-30 people, depending on version • Key problems show in first 5-10 interviews Keep testing until you: • Have defined the problem, or seen trend in responses • Know what the next version should look like 70% of respondents should recognise final version Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

14. Individuals, or groups? • Test with individuals to define the problem • Test with groups to find a solution Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

15. Pretesting interview guidelines: 1 • Undisturbed place: Respondent at ease • Motivate respondent to participate: Explain purpose of interview • Take away the fear: You are testing the picture, NOT the intelligence of respondent • No right or wrong answers • Convince the respondent as “expert“ his/her opinion is valuable • Invite respondent to ask questions Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

16. Pretesting interview guidelines: 2 Essential methods during interview: • Asking open questions • Probing • Active listening • Discuss/agree • Work in pairs – interviewer and recorder Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

17. Pretesting interview guidelines: 3 What to avoid: • Telling people they are wrong (or implying it) • Arguing or contradicting • Teaching or advising • Talking with others during interview (recorder or community members) • Challenging or leading questions • Testing too many pictures with one person • Testing too much text at a time Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

18. Pretesting interview guidelines: 4 Methods to test pictures: • Test pictures one at a time for recognition, familiarity, relevance • If several versions, test for preference • Ask for suggestions • Test last for meaning/abstract interpretation Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

19. Pretesting interview guidelines: 5 Methods to test text: • respondent reads text - note difficult words and hesitation • ask for words which are difficult • ask respondent what text means (after each section/sentence) - if it not clear explain • ask how respondent would express idea in own words • at the end ask about understanding of whole • compare understanding to purpose • ask for suggestions Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

20. Pretesting interview guidelines: 6 Methods to test radio programmes: • Play programme through without interruption • Ask respondent questions based on objectives • Test for recognition of ideas/contents, acceptability and familiarity • Play the programme piece by piece. • Ask respondent to stop the programme when he/she has something to say • Ask suggestions for changes. Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community

21. Pretesting summary • Pretesting is important in making your interventions effective • Pretesting assesses familiarity, acceptability and relevance • Pretesting saves time and money • Pretesting needs careful planning • Successful pretesting depends on practice and good communication skills. Pretesting Educational Materials Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community