Ema O'Hara
Fall 2024
Market Research
Research Problem(s) Studied
CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) has the opportunity to expand its services to students through the use of telehealth, including virtual yoga classes. What factors will make students more willing to engage in these services, and how can CAPS begin this process to reach more students and promote telehealth to better meet student needs?
Data Collection Method
A survey was conducted on 4 IU Indianapolis students to get their input on if telehealth is a good idea and if they would seek services if this was an option. I think for the CAPS program, conducting a survey will allow students to be more open and honest about their thoughts rather than an interview where they feel more pressured to answer the questions.
This survey will also allow students to express any concerns, feedback, or preferences they may have when it comes to telehealth and the services it will offer.
Research Instrument
Interest in Telehealth Services for CAPS
Part Two
I recently conducted a survey to assess student interest in implementing telehealth services within the CAPS program. This survey included five students at Indiana University of Indianapolis, three of which are seniors and one a graduate student. All the participants in the survey are female and majoring in Health Services Management. The demographics of the students include three Caucasian students, one Hispanic student, and one African American student. For reference, none of these students are a part of the CAPS program. Out of the five participants surveyed they all agreed that implementing telehealth for CAPS services would be a good idea, while four out of the five expressed supports for expanding yoga classes to CAPS and offering a telehealth option. While most of the students think yoga classes would be beneficial for the program and the students it serves, there is always going to be a difference in opinion. There were some concerns regarding the privacy of seeking mental health services virtually as well as being unable to navigate the technology efficiently.
One thing I learned when looking at the results from this survey is that everyone has a different opinion about telehealth and services that the CAPS program should offer. One of the students made a point that yoga can be seen as a religious practice and that it may not benefit being a part of CAPS services. The other students survey agreed that bringing yoga classes to the CAPS program is an important part of reaching more students, specifically in a virtual format. I think it is interesting that other perspectives can bring valuable insight to the discussion. I learned that yoga classes are not for everyone and that this service should be put in place to reach more students, but it is not going to reach the entire university because of these different views.
The results from this survey will influence my marketing plan in many aspects. I feel that it provides a solid foundation when it comes to identifying a target audience, specifically Health Services Management students or other healthcare related fields that would be interested in joining the CAPS program. For those already participating in the program, we can encourage them to explore yoga as a valuable tool for enhancing their mental health and well-being. We can also make a point to put an emphasize on the benefits that yoga can have when it comes to practicing mindfulness and stress relief and the convenience that participating virtually provides. With the results from this survey, it can demonstrate to other students that this implementation is a great way to engage in mental health services without feeling like a hard task. By highlighting these positive impacts that telehealth and yoga bring to the table, we can create a welcoming environment and supportive community, while also focusing on the privacy and technology concerns expressed by students.