Developing and Evaluating a Radio-Linked Telephone Helpline for Hispanics

Abstract

The goal of this research was to develop and evaluate a Spanish language telephone helpline staffed by bi-lingual nurses, to assist Hispanic people make knowledgeable, skill-based health and medical care decisions. The helpline was directly linked to educational vignettes broadcast on Spanish language radio. The radio program and helpline provided four main services to listeners and callers: 1) advice on routine medical concerns; 2) guidance and behavioral suggestions on chronic disease prevention; 3) information about cancer screening and treatment; and 4) references to local Spanish-speaking health care services. We broadcast one year's worth of five-minute educational radio programs three times each weekday on Spanish language radio in the greater Washington-Baltimore and San Francisco-Oakland metropolitan areas. Nurses staffed the helpline telephones on week nights, and data were collected from each call (n = 1,569). Main findings are that Hispanic people: 1) do listen to health messages on the radio, and 2) will call a health professional for information.