By Kelly Clay, MS, CHES, PMP
During the 2025 National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media in Atlanta, GA, Karna hosted a 90-minute panel to share insights from the rapid community assessment (RCA) the team recently implemented to inform a state-level communications strategy and campaign.
RESEARCH
In the fall of 2024, Karna won a contract from a state health department to promote awareness and prevention of mpox among high-risk communities through various communication channels, including print, digital, and social media. To support these efforts, we planned and implemented an RCA to quickly gather insights from the community. Originally designed to evaluate COVID-19 vaccine knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, the RCA approach can be tailored to any public health issue.
For this project, we wanted to understand:
- the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to mpox and the mpox vaccine,
- the preferred communication methods and platforms,
- feedback on existing mpox campaign images, and
- who were the potential partners and ambassadors for the campaign.
Karna sent four team members to conduct in-person, virtual, and intercept interviews, along with two additional staff who conducted remote interviews. In one week, they conducted 37 interviews with public health professionals and community members. The team also performed an environmental scan of existing mpox resources and online conversations to help understand what people on social media thought about mpox and the mpox vaccine. We used a mixed-methods analysis approach to understand user engagement and the narrative surrounding mpox on social media.
We found that conversations about mpox were not commonplace in the state. Both community members and professionals were largely unaware that mpox was still present and did not fully grasp the associated risks. Awareness was slightly higher among professionals than among community members. Other findings:
- Among the public there was a lack of mpox knowledge.
- There was vaccine hesitancy among respondents.
- There were access barriers to healthcare resources.
- There were insufficient resources for education and outreach.
- Cultural differences affected communication.
- There was stigma among healthcare providers.
COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY AND PLANNING
Informed by the RCA findings, Karna developed a communications plan with a robust strategy to increase awareness of mpox and the associated risks. This plan included clear goals, key messages, outreach strategies, and distribution channels aimed at effectively engaging the public, providers, and community partners. We tailored key messages for specific audiences to make sure they resonated and were actionable.
For the public, the focus was on raising awareness. For healthcare providers, we emphasized their essential role in discussing mpox with patients, along with risk reduction. For high-risk populations, the messages underscored increased awareness and encouraged vaccination and self-protection.
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Karna created a suite of campaign materials for each audience using the approved key messages. These included posters, one-pagers, social media graphics, advertising for dating apps, and email templates for trusted messengers and providers. All materials followed the state-approved Karna-developed campaign style guide, supported co-branding, and were designed to meet Section 508 accessibility requirements.
EVALUATION
Karna carried out pilot testing on a selection of communication materials to gather feedback from their intended audiences. We conducted 30-minute interviews with high-risk individuals, healthcare providers, and other community partners for qualitative feedback. An experienced facilitator managed the interviews while another team member took notes, using an established interview guide. Overall, most participants favored the materials’ color scheme, calls to action, and clarity, finding them visually appealing. Karna also developed an evaluation plan the state health department could implement post-campaign. This plan details data collection methods and analysis strategies to gauge campaign impact.
CONCLUSION
This initiative represents a significant first step in the health department’s goals towards increasing awareness and prevention of mpox, and equipped them with the necessary tools and information for discussions with their patients.
This project showcases Karna’s mission to provide impactful solutions that empower clients to address and resolve public health issues while fostering a supportive environment for team members.
The rapid community assessment yielded invaluable insights into local community dynamics, which could not have been gathered through environmental scans, literature reviews, or prior campaign data alone. Karna’s multidisciplinary team and the client collaborated across departments to develop pragmatic, sustainable, and cost-effective community-informed communication strategies and products.