What’s the best way to communicate health issues to underserved populations?

Challenge

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) needs to translate cutting-edge science and regulatory concepts into language that the general public, particularly the underserved, can understand and use to make informed choices about their health.

Solution

Westat has conducted well over 700 interviews with diverse audiences to test over 40 FDA communication materials.

We employ a variety of interview techniques to evaluate products ranging from websites and social media posts to informational brochures and prescription guides. We partner with a wide variety of panel providers to successfully fulfill recruitment goals that often focus on respondents with lower education levels and of diverse racial and ethnic minority backgrounds.

Our innovative project structure ensures each message test—from initial request to final report approval—is completed within 8-10 weeks.

Results

FDA uses Westat’s recommendations based on the interview data to improve the communication materials. FDA is particularly interested in whether participants learn something new from the materials or would act on the calls to action.