Legacy Document

Our responsibilities as Interns this summer have included but are not limited to:

● Utilizing various CRM’s including Google Sheets, Smartsheet and Mailchimp

○ Organizing and inputting data
○ Update CRM Software each Monday
● Tracking down contact information for various possible community partners
○ Contact Information includes: Main person of contact, email addresses,
phone numbers, website URL, and location.
● Pitching ideas for new possible partnerships as CORE’s testing reach expands to
the greater Atlanta Area and beyond
○ Found top 10 states as they relate to COVID-19 rates
■ Main contact information for governmental and nonprofit
organizations in the top 5 counties for each state within the
southeast
● Research on best practices in health promotion and communication.
○ Results can assist in script and partnership development
○ Best health communications practices posted below

Suggestions for the Communications Department:

● Create a detailed list of expectations ahead of time
● Separate meetings with interns more often
● Official CORE emails for interns if possible
● Have interns practice cold-calling more often
Top 10 Best Health Communications Practices
1. Create a Detailed Plan
a. Analyze the key health issues and purpose of this communication
i. What health problem are you trying to improve
ii. What behavior change needs to happen to improve this issue
iii. Identify gaps in the literature
b. Communication Strategy
i. Audience - who are you speaking to
ii. Objectives - what do you want to accomplish
iii. Key Message Points - what are they key messages you want to
communicate
iv. Channels and Tools - what you have to work with
c. Management Considerations
i. Partner Roles and Responsibilities
ii. Timeline for Implementation
iii. Create a budget
iv. Monitor the Plan
d. Evaluate progress and impact
i. Regular check-ins to determine if your efforts have been successful
ii. Adjust plans based on results
2. Health Communication Basics
What is Health Communications?
The study and use of communication methods to promote and influence
decisions and actions to improve overall health.
a. Define the problem
i. Describe the main goal of your effort.
ii. Clarify what the public health issue is, who is affected, and what
you plan to propose to address the issue.
b. Perform Market Research
i. Research who your target audience is to make sure you
understand their characteristics, attitudes, beliefs, behavior, social
determinants
c. Define Market Strategy
 i. Define the desired behavior change for the targeted population.
d. Develop Interventions
i. Methods and actions used to influence and promote behavioral
change
e. Evaluate Your Plan
i. You must evaluate you plan as you develop the communication
plan
ii. Was the program implemented as you planned it to be? Were there
any changes?
f. Implement You Plan
i. Plan the program’s launch
ii. Publicize your messages and program through the media
iii. Take advantage of all opportunities that come forward
3. WHO Principles for Effective Communication
a. 6 principles that all WHO communications strive for
i. Is it accessible?
ii. Is it actionable?
iii. Is the source credible and trusted?
iv. Is it relevant?
v. Is it timely?
vi. Is it understandable?

4. What an Organization Can Do to Deliver COVID-19 Information

a. Understand the audience and alter how you create the message to reach
them
 i. Social class, age groups, risk and vulnerability, and communication
style
b. Communicate clearly
c. Do not over or under reassure the public
i. Make sure the communication is simple and states the risks and
potential consequences.
d. Provide Evidence
i. Provide the numbers, history and changes to gain trust
e. Give people advice on what they can do to protect themselves and others
f. Keep a close eye on the media
i. Understand what questions the public may be wanting to ask
ii. Knowledge on the myths and misconceptions
5. Communicating about COVID-19
a. Important to deliver reliable information accurately and in a timely manner
i. Allows the general public to base their decisions on factual
information rather than rumors and hearsay.
ii. If you wait too long to publish information, it will be more difficult to
combat rumors
iii. Help people understand their personal health risks and how they
relate to the disease
6. Everyday Words for Public Health Communication Document
a. List of frequently used terms in public health and the everyday alternatives
in plain language sentences.
b. Write in short sentences
c. Use active words
d. Use everyday works and pronouns when it is appropriate
e. Everyday words examples
i. “Contagious” → “can be spread from one person to another”
ii. “Contact” → “touches”
iii. “Prevalence” → “about 1 in 100 people”
iv. “Public Health” → “the health of many people”
v. “Respiratory” -> “lungs and ability to breathe”
vi. “Risk” → “chances”
vii. “Surveillance” → “gathering information”
viii. “Transmission” → “spread”
ix. “Immune System” → “body’s ability to fight germs and sickness”
7. Fear Tactics. Helpful or Harmful?
a. Though fear tactics have been shown to be effective on some individuals,
there is growing resistance to these types of tactics
b. When used to prevent dangerous or unhealthy behaviours
 i. Can be effective
ii. Must ensure that all information shared is valid and accurate
1. Follow the 6 WHO principals
8. Combining Health Communication and Social Marketing
a. Share a common goal of creating social change by modifying or targeting
specific actions, habits, beliefs, or behaviors
b. Take into account strategic planning steps from health communication
methods
c. Take into account the 4 P’s of marketing
i. Product: desired behavior change and associated benefits
ii. Price: cost (either financially, time, emotional, or psychological)
iii. Place: where they would perform the desired behavior
iv. Promotion: communication methods and materials
9. Partnership Development
a. Identify the potential partners
i. Businesses, colleges and universities, faith based groups,
foundations, community organizations, non-profit organizations,
foundations
ii. Learn about the community you are partnering with
iii. Avoiding PArtnership Fails
1. Do internal research on the organization
2. Identify your organization’s strengths and weaknesses to
find areas you need resources in
3. Review your current partnerships you have with your
organization, look for any gaps
4. Always get feedback from partnerships
iv. When researching potential partnerships you must know
1. What type of organization it is
2. The mission statement and culture of the organization
3. Does the organization have the capacity to be a resource for
the gaps you have in your organization
4. Is this organization’s location convenient
5. Review the organization’s policies
v. Establishing Partnerships
1. Take a visit to the organization’s site.
a. Consider the space the organization has to offer
b. Look for a friendly and comfortable environment
2. Get to know the organization as well as the employees and
volunteer coordinator
vi. Maintaining a Supporting Partnership
1. Be in constant communication with the organization
 2. Be open and honest about the expectations
3. Create a plan and vision for the organization
4. Seek a common ground and act on it
5. Make sure to do evaluations on how the partnership is going

10. Communication with Partner Organizations

a. Avoid duplication of efforts and misinformation by sharing all plans for
distributing materials to partners ASAP
i. Ideally before distribution takes place
ii. If advance notice is not possible let stakeholders or partners know
that you are in the process of beginning distribution

References:

1. O’Sullivan, G.A., Yonkler, J.A., Morgan, W., and Merritt, A.P. A Field Guide to
Designing a Health Communication Strategy, Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs, March
2003
2. Health Communication Basics. (2020, January 22). Retrieved June 17, 2020,
from https://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/healthbasics/WhatIsHC.html
3. WHO. (2017). WHO Strategic Communications Framework for Effective
Communications. World Health Organization. Retrieved June 23, 2020, from
https://www.who.int/mediacentre/communication-framework.pdf
4. Igoe, K. (2020, April 03). Developing Public Health Communication Strategies-
And Combating Misinformation-During COVID-19. Retrieved July 27, 2020, from
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ecpe/public-health-communication-strategies-
covid-19/
5. NIH. (2020, March 24). Communicating About COVID-19. Retrieved June 20,
2020, from https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/what-we-do/science-health-public-
trust/perspectives/science-health-public-trustcommunicating-about-covid-19
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016,May). Everyday Words for
Public Health Communication. Retrieved June 24, 2020, from
https://www.cdc.gov/ccindex/.
7. Simpson J. K. (2017). Appeal to fear in health care: appropriate or
inappropriate?. Chiropractic & manual therapies, 25, 27.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12998-017-0157-8
8. Health Communication Basics. (2020, January 22). Retrieved June 19, 2020,
from https://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/healthbasics/WhatIsHC.html
9. Partnership Development. (n.d.). Retrieved July 27, 2020, from
https://www.vistacampus.gov/book/export/html/11111
10. Astho. (n.d.). Addressing Communication Challenges During an Infectious
Disease Emergency Response: State Experiences from the H1N1 Pandemic.
Retrieved June 23, 2020, from https://www.astho.org/Programs/Infectious-
Disease/Addressing-Communication-Challenges-During-an-Infectious-Disease-
Emergency-Response/
 Health Communications Research:

http://ccp.jhu.edu/documents/A%20Field%20Guide%20to%20Designing%20Health%20Comm
%20Strategy.pdf