Organizing for Risk Communication: Response Informs Preparation for Outbreaks

Risk communication literature has described theories of public response during crisis. However, this literature is not well recognized outside the specialist community, and the instinctive response of government officials and medical professionals during a health emergency often contradicts risk communication theory.

In September 2006, the Ministry of Health of Panama (MINSA) learned that a syndrome of unknown origin was causing illness progressing to death in several patients. MINSA requested assistance from international public health agencies, including risk communication specialists. A team of risk communication experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) advised government officials regarding risk communication theory, message design and delivery, message tracking and analysis, effective community health education, and organizing the communication function for crisis response. Application of risk communication research into trust, public perception, and message design altered MINSA's approach to public communication and increased acceptance of the communication function.

The outbreak highlighted the need for national governments to integrate communication during strategy development and to conduct comprehensive communication planning in preparation for emergencies. Responders identified principles for national health communication departments to consider in organizing for response.

The Panama experience informs emergency planning for countries where communication may not be included, the communication function may not have an adaptive structure for emergency response, and governments wish to build public trust. Effective application of risk communication theory can affect positively public response to an outbreak and public perception of government, freeing officials to focus on necessary activity.