When dealing with a crisis such as a pandemic , always try to be first and quickly share both the information that you do know , but equally important is to share the information that you don ’ t know .”
information that you do know , but equally important is to share the information that you don ’ t know . Next , it is critical to be “ right ” and establish credibility with your target audience whether that be internal healthcare personnel or external patients and the local community . Healthcare spokespersons should take all necessary steps to remain credible and communicate clear messaging that can be practically implemented . During all communications , a visible display of respect must be noticeable for all parties both healthcare personnel and patients . When delivering recommendations , we must ensure that they are able to be understood by the target audience and that they provide actionable guidance on what steps to take to remain safe .
Ironically , the CDC offers a world-class training curriculum to help healthcare facilities navigate the challenging nuisances of communication during crises such as a pandemic . This CDC-sponsored training is called Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication ( CERC ) training and can be accessed online via the
CDC website :
https :// emergency . cdc . gov / cerc / training / index . asp . The cause of most medical adverse events is breakdowns and communication , and now more than ever we need our federal public health officials to lead , deliver evidence-based science , and provide clear guidance to keep our healthcare colleagues and patients safe during this extremely challenging time .
J . Hudson Garrett Jr . is president and CEO of Community Health Associates , LLC . He also has an appointment as an adjunct assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Louisville School of Medicine , is a fellow with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement , and has earned designation as a Fellow with both the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the Infectious Diseases Society of America . He is a frequent lecturer globally on patient safety , infectious diseases , and medical device reprocessing and safety . He may be reached at :
Hudson . garrett @ chaassociates . com
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