A presentation given by Helen Price at the October 2012 CHA Conference, The Journey, in the 'Beyond hospital Walls: Community Care' stream.

1. Children’s Healthcare Australasia Conference
The Journey Towards Excellence in Children’s
Healthcare
23-24 October 2012, Sydney
Care for Kids’ Ears campaign:
A media partnership approach to communicating
ear disease prevention and treatment messages
to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at
a local community level
Dr Helen Price
Department of Health & Ageing

2. Introduction
• Care for Kids’ Ears - aims to help reduce high
prevalence of chronic middle ear infections leading to
hearing loss in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
communities.
• Part of $58.3 million investment to improve ear and eye
health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Communities.

3. Introduction
This presentation will:
– outline the strategic approach taken to address
challenges of implementing a national initiative that
can respond to diverse communication needs of
urban, regional and remote communities, while
delivering consistent ear health promotion messages
– showcase the diversity of creative materials being
produced to effectively reach and engage local
audiences.

4. Background to campaign and strategy
• Formative research in 2010 informed communications
strategy.
• Primary target audience : Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander parents and carers with children zero to five years
old.
• Secondary target audience: 2 groups to help convey ear
health promotion messages:
– Health professionals and practitioners
– Early childhood workers and teaching staff.
• Children are also a secondary campaign audience.

5. Background to campaign and strategy
The campaign aims to convey positive and clear health
messages including:
•prevalence and seriousness of ear disease
•link between ear disease and hearing loss
•importance of regular ear checks
•that ear disease can be prevented and treated
•symptoms of middle ear infections, and
•risks and protective factors.

6. Background to campaign and strategy
• Challenges of implementing a national initiative that can
– respond to diverse communication needs of urban,
regional and remote communities
– deliver consistent ear health promotion messages.
• Two integrated components:
– national distribution of evidence-based ear health
promotion resources, and
– funding of 35 media organisations to design, produce and
broadcast locally tailored communications including radio,
film, TV and live broadcasts.

7. The national targeted resources
• A series of resources were developed for national distribution
to the different target audiences, based on:
– the Recommendations for Clinical Care Guidelines on the
Management of Otitis Media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Populations (updated 2010)
– expert advice from University of Western Australia and
Campaign Reference Group, and
– findings from market testing.

8. The national targeted resources
National targeted resources:
•Resources for parents and carers
•A resource kit for health professionals for use with parents and carers
in a health care setting
•Resource kits for early childhood and community groups, and teachers
and teachers’ aides.
Other collateral:
•A campaign resource flyer
•A range of branded merchandise to support grass root events.

9. Resource kit for parents and carers

10. Resource kit for health professionals

11. Resource kit for early childhood and community groups

12. Resource kit for teachers and teachers’ aides

13. Ordering resources and distribution
• Resources can be ordered through the campaign
website at www.careforkidsears.health.gov.au (see
flyer for details).
• These resources have been distributed to a broad range
of stakeholders and networks, including the AML
Alliance.

14. Media Partnership Projects
35 media organisations funded in communities around Australia

15. Media Partnership Projects
• Ear health promotion projects include :
– radio, TV, short films and documentaries, DVDs and
music, grassroots events, school-based activities, outdoor
broadcasts and community engagement programs.
• National resources promoted and distributed at a grassroots.
• Media organisations building relationships with local
healthcare services.

16. Media Partnership Projects
• Rap song from 4MUR Radio in Mackay, Qld
• A short claymation film by Goolari Media Enterprises in
Broome, WA
• An example of in-language health messages for radio – Stop
Sick Ears by Nganjatjarra Media, WA
• A clip from a short film by film maker Beck Cole – Listen Up!
produced by CAAMA Productions in Alice Springs, NT.

17. Next steps and opportunities for engagement
• Development and strategic distribution of multi-lingual,
multimedia tools
• Campaign evaluation, including online survey.

18. Further information
Find out more about the campaign at the website:
www.careforkidsears.health.gov.au
Helen Price
Department of Health and Ageing
email: helen.price@health.gov.au