New York State DOH New York State DOH Influenza Pandemic Plan: Influenza Pandemic Plan:

Risk CommunicationRisk Communication

Kristine A. Smith, M.A.Kristine A. Smith, M.A.

Director of Pubic HealthDirector of Pubic Health

Risk Communication, NYSDOHRisk Communication, NYSDOH

Plan AssumptionsPlan Assumptions

Effective communication will be Effective communication will be critical to a successful public health critical to a successful public health response to pandemic flu response to pandemic flu

Confirmation of a pandemic flu strain Confirmation of a pandemic flu strain will require comprehensive public will require comprehensive public information targeted at multiple information targeted at multiple audiences audiences

Target AudiencesTarget Audiences

Members of the mediaMembers of the media General publicGeneral public Elected leadersElected leaders Special populationsSpecial populations Local health departmentsLocal health departments Healthcare providersHealthcare providers

Risk Communication Risk Communication AssumptionsAssumptions

““Information inoculation” can help Information inoculation” can help alleviate fears.alleviate fears.

Worried people respond better if they Worried people respond better if they are provided with up-to-date factual are provided with up-to-date factual informationinformation, coupled with , coupled with action action stepssteps

Risk communication principles must Risk communication principles must be employedbe employed

Core Risk Communication Core Risk Communication PrinciplesPrinciples

Build trustBuild trust Announce earlyAnnounce early Be transparentBe transparent Respect public concernsRespect public concerns

Pre-Event Risk Pre-Event Risk CommunicationsCommunications

Bird flu is waiting in the Bird flu is waiting in the wings!wings!

Bird Flu is Not Pandemic Bird Flu is Not Pandemic Flu!Flu!

We want you to learn about bird flu, We want you to learn about bird flu, not worry about bird flu!not worry about bird flu!

Q&AsQ&As Bird flu brochureBird flu brochure Radio PSARadio PSA Low literacy flyersLow literacy flyers

Low Literacy FlyersLow Literacy Flyers

General informationGeneral information Dead bird reportsDead bird reports Dealing with droppingsDealing with droppings Feeding backyard birdsFeeding backyard birds

Pandemic Pre-Event Pandemic Pre-Event CommunicationsCommunications

Goal: to move the public to a place Goal: to move the public to a place of irrational of irrational complacency,complacency, or or irrational irrational alarmalarm to somewhere in to somewhere in between that can reasonably be between that can reasonably be construed as aware and prepared!construed as aware and prepared!

Pre-EventPre-Event Communications Strategies Communications Strategies

Media Relations:Media Relations: Pre-event panel Pre-event panel

discussionsdiscussions Regional media forumsRegional media forums

Regular flow of Regular flow of informationinformation

Via Opinion LeadersVia Opinion Leaders Preparedness partner Preparedness partner

meetingsmeetings Stakeholder meetingsStakeholder meetings

Direct InteractionDirect Interaction Pre-event Town Hall Pre-event Town Hall

MeetingsMeetings Postings on the Postings on the

NYSDOH public websiteNYSDOH public website

Pre-event social Pre-event social marketing:marketing: Keep Keep Your Germs to Your Germs to Yourself!Yourself!

This is howThis is how germs germs spread…spread…It’s sickening.It’s sickening.

Use a tissue, or cough and sneeze into the bend of your arm.Use a tissue, or cough and sneeze into the bend of your arm.Wash your hands.Wash your hands.

Stay home if you’re ill. Stay home if you’re ill.

Please, Please, pleaseplease keep your germs to yourself! keep your germs to yourself! www.pandemicflu.govwww.pandemicflu.gov

www.nyhealth.govwww.nyhealth.gov

LHD Incident LHD Incident CommunicationsCommunications

Via Health Commerce Via Health Commerce System:System: Health Alert Network, Health Alert Network,

Health Provider Health Provider Network and Health Network and Health Emergency Response Emergency Response Data System (HERDS)Data System (HERDS)

Communications Communications DirectoryDirectory

Postings on the Postings on the NYSDOH public NYSDOH public websitewebsite

Bulk e-mailBulk e-mail ““Dear Commissioner” Dear Commissioner”

lettersletters

Though regular Though regular and continued and continued interactions with interactions with NYSACHONYSACHO

Health Provider Health Provider Incident Communications Incident Communications

Via Health Commerce Via Health Commerce System:System: Health Alert Network, Health Alert Network,

Health Provider Health Provider Network and Health Network and Health Emergency Response Emergency Response Data System Data System (HERDS)(HERDS)

Communications Communications DirectoryDirectory

Postings on the Postings on the NYSDOH public websiteNYSDOH public website

Bulk e-mailBulk e-mail ““Dear Administrator” Dear Administrator”

lettersletters

Distribution to professional Distribution to professional associations:associations:

Medical Society of the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY)State of New York (MSSNY)

New York State Nurses’ New York State Nurses’ Association (NYSNA)Association (NYSNA)

New York State Veterinary New York State Veterinary Medical Society (NYVMS)Medical Society (NYVMS)

Home Care Association of Home Care Association of New York StateNew York State

Greater New York Hospital Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA)Association (GNYHA)

Healthcare Association of Healthcare Association of NYS (HANYS) NYS (HANYS)

Incident Communications:Incident Communications:Enhancing CredibilityEnhancing Credibility

First message is the most credibleFirst message is the most credible Do we wait until we have Do we wait until we have all all of the of the

facts? Just some of the facts? facts? Just some of the facts? What if facts keep changing?What if facts keep changing?

Messages must be Messages must be consistentconsistent

Deliver The MessageDeliver The Message

Regular briefingsRegular briefings Possibly Possibly

telebriefingstelebriefings Live interviews/ Live interviews/

satellite media satellite media tourstours

Taped PSAsTaped PSAs

Releases, Fact Releases, Fact Sheets, etc.Sheets, etc. WebsiteWebsite E-MailE-Mail FaxFax

Despite This…Despite This…

Expect Expect panpandemonium!demonium!

About a “One-Voice” About a “One-Voice” ResponseResponse

Primary spokesperson—yes; single Primary spokesperson—yes; single spokesperson unlikely spokesperson unlikely

Primary message—yes; single message Primary message—yes; single message unlikelyunlikely

Key communications partners must Key communications partners must consistently stress key messages; e.g.;consistently stress key messages; e.g.; What has happened? Who is at risk?What has happened? Who is at risk? What are you doing to protect me?What are you doing to protect me? What can I do to protect myself and my family?What can I do to protect myself and my family?

Joint Information Center: one voice responseJoint Information Center: one voice response

Joint Information Center is Joint Information Center is ……

Sole source of “official” information Sole source of “official” information in an emergency in an emergency

Could be “virtual”Could be “virtual”

SummarySummary

Message consistencyMessage consistency Fast, accurate dataFast, accurate data Share information with partnersShare information with partners The bottom line:The bottom line:

Effective communication will not, in and Effective communication will not, in and of itself, solve the health crisis… but of itself, solve the health crisis… but ineffective communication will inevitably ineffective communication will inevitably make it worse! make it worse!

““The public does not The public does not always appear to be always appear to be rational. Our job is rational. Our job is not to change their not to change their rationality, but to rationality, but to understand it” understand it”

Source: Clifford Scherer, Source: Clifford Scherer, PhD, Cornell UniversityPhD, Cornell University

Take Home MessageTake Home Message