Communicating the results of an investigation

1. Communicating the results of an investigation Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) district surveillance officers (DSO) course

2. Outline of the session • Audience • Behavioural objectives • Communication strategy • Short slide presentations 2

3. Key principles of communication • Define the audience • Understand the concern of the audience • Frame what you expect from the audience • Select the right media • Find the right tone • Adapt the content (e.g., language) 3

4. Key principles of communication • Define the audience • Understand the concern of the audience • Frame what you expect from the audience • Select the right media • Find the right tone • Adapt the content (e.g., language) 4 Audience

5. Audiences that may benefit from receiving information about an outbreak • Epidemiologists • Laboratory specialists • Public health managers • Political leaders • Community • Scientific community • Others… 5 Audience

6. Selecting the audience • What needs to be done for this outbreak • Who needs to be engaged so that these actions are taken 6 Audience

7. Audiences to engage in the case of two different outbreak scenarios • Local food poisoning • The community • The food handlers • The public health department • Avian influenza • Multiple audiences among professionals and the broader community 7 Audience

8. Key principles of communication • Define the audience • Understand the concern of the audience • Frame what you expect from the audience • Select the right media • Find the right tone • Adapt the content (e.g., language) 8 Audience

9. Seek first to understand, then to be understood • The audience has a personal appreciation on the situation • What are the risks ? • What are the opportunities ? • Engaging the audience from the angle of the concern they have will increase the effectiveness of communication 9 Audience

10. Au d ienc e s Key co n cern of th e a ud ie n ce Press The truth co u ld be hid de n ｧ Farmer s , ve ts Poultry deat h s m e ans e co n om i c l o s ses ｧ Cullers Protect i on m ay be cu m bersome ｧ Pub l ic / c on s umers No r i sk shou l d be t aken ｧ Health care workers Care pr o v i s io n cou ld b e da nge rous ｧ Pub l ic h e alt h syst e m Repor t in g c a s es m ay n o t l e a d to a ｧ Potential concerns among various audiences in the case of an avian influenza outbreak c t i o n Internat i o n al partne r s The c ountry may n ot be a ble t o co pe ｧ 10 Audience

11. Key principles of communication • Define the audience • Understand the concern of the audience • Frame what you expect from the audience • Select the right media • Find the right tone • Adapt the content (e.g., language) 11 Behaviours

12. Communication for behavioural outcomes • Communication has a purpose • Getting the audience to engage in a specific behaviour • The purpose needs to be clear • Identify the behaviour you would like from your audience • The expected behaviour guides the communication strategy 12 Behaviours

13. Examples of behaviours that may be expected from specific audiences • Population • Engage in safer practices • Public health managers • Implement prevention measures • Political leaders • Support prevention measures with funds 13 Behaviours

14. Key principles of communication • Define the audience • Understand the concern of the audience • Frame what you expect from the audience • Select the right media • Find the right tone • Adapt the content (e.g., language) 14 Strategy

15. Choosing the media • Reach the audience through adapted media • Examples: • Decision maker • Briefing note • Population • Mass media • Nurses / doctors • Article in a professional bulletin 15 Strategy

16. Key principles of communication • Define the audience • Understand the concern of the audience • Frame what you expect from the audience • Select the right media • Find the right tone • Adapt the content (e.g., language) 16 Strategy

17. Communication tone • Use a tone that will create trust with the audience • Epidemiologists: Scientific • Decision makers: Managerial • Population: Empathic • Pilot test communication tools with audience • Pilot test with a sample of the audience • Revised according to feedback, response 17 Strategy

18. Key principles of communication • Define the audience • Understand the concern of the audience • Frame what you expect from the audience • Select the right media • Find the right tone • Adapt the content (e.g., language) 18 Strategy

19. Communication messages • Designed to achieve the behavioural objective • Adapted to the audience • Can be designed to trigger inter-personal communication channels • “Ask your health care worker if your child is fully protected against measles” 19 Strategy

20. Overall example: Communicating the results of an outbreak investigation with a district collector • Define the audience • Public administrator • Understand the concern of the audience • The public needs to be protected and the situation brought under controls • Frame what you expect from the audience • Provide support for control measures • Select the right media • Briefing note • Find the right tone • Managerial, big picture, factual • Adapt the content • Facts, figures and recommendations 20 Strategy

21. Exercise: How would you communicate the results of an outbreak investigation with the state surveillance unit • Define the audience • ? • Understand the concern of the audience • ? • Frame what you expect from the audience • ? • Select the right media • ? • Find the right tone • ? • Adapt the content • ? 21 Strategy

22. Getting across a Single Overriding Communication Objective (SOCO) during an oral presentation with slides • Your audience may be subject to information overload • The absorption capacity is limited • Think of ONE take-home message: • Single Overriding Communication Objective (SOCO) • Write down your SOCO in two or three lines SOCO for oral presentations 22

23. Example of a good SOCO “The cholera outbreak that occurred in city X in October 2003 was caused by a sewage back-flow into the municipal water system. It could have been prevented through appropriate public engineering.” SOCO for oral presentations 23

24. The good SOCO • Is easy to remember • Clear, simple, practical • Is an invisible blueprint of the presentation • Gets the audience ready for action: • This outbreak was caused by bad sanitation I want to make sure that the one is my state is OK • I will check with my sanitation people • Anything that is not necessary to support the SOCO should be cut from the presentation SOCO for oral presentations 24

25. Prepare easy to read slides, one per minute • Use font number 20 as an absolute minimum • Prefer fonts without serifs (e.g., “Arial”) • Use lower case that are easy to read • Ensure maximum text / background contrast • Have less than 7 lines per slide SOCO for oral presentations 25

26. Readability is essential for each member of the audience, whatever the seat • Font below number 20 are unreadable • “Serifs” (e.g., “Times Roman”) • Are adapted to small prints in book • Are more difficult to read on a slide that is projected • CAPITAL LETTERS ARE DIFFICULT TO READ AND AGGRESSIVE • Poor contrast is unpleasant and difficult to read DO YOU GET MY POINTS? Or is this difficult to follow? SOCO for oral presentations 26

27. Using SOCOs with journalists • Prepare a SOCO • Stick to the SOCO • If asked any question • “Bridge” and find a way to get back to the SOCO • Use of a SOCO allows you to keep control of an interview • You will not be caught on something you did not say SOCO for oral presentations 27

28. Exercise: A measles outbreak in a large city • A large metro city is affected by a large measles outbreak • The key determinant of the outbreak is a low measles coverage (47%) • Case fatality is high because children do not present for care and do not use vitamin A SOCO for oral presentations 28

29. Preparing an interview with the press • Your supervisor ask you to give an interview with the local radio about this outbreak • Prepare your interview: • Who is your audience? • What is the concern of the audience? • What do you expect from the audience? • What media should you use? • What tone is right? • What is the content? (Write a SOCO) SOCO for oral presentations 29

30. Take home messages • Communication WITH and not TO the audience • Keep in mind what is needed out of people • Pilot test communication material • Have your oral presentations guided by a clear SOCO 30

31. Measles outbreak exercise results • Define the audience • Audio visual press • Understand the concern of the audience • The press may want to finger point to create a story • Frame what you expect from the audience • Children must get vaccinated and cases must receive vit A • Select the right media • Interview with SOCO • Find the right tone • Sympathetic • SOCO: • You can protect your child during this outbreak! Make sure s/he is vaccinated for measles and if sick, make sure s/he receives vitamin A in the health centre 31 Strategy