Special Report: Advice to the CDC
A Better Prepared Public Needs Clear Communication by CYNTHIA BAUR Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, experts, politicians, conditions, flatten the curve, mRNA technology, to name a few. For example, plain language explanations weren’t easy to commentators, and the public have criticized government agencies, oftentimes the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and find about what clinical trials are and why they are the best way Prevention (CDC), for their communications substance and to know the vaccines worked as intended and are safe enough style. They called out the agencies for confusing information for millions of people. Instead, the official messages were “Vaccines are safe. We know because we tested them in clinical and recommendations. My observation is that COVID messages come from trials.” As many have noted, people excluded or abused by prior many sources, not only CDC, and even those sources medical research especially needed plain language information providing accurate information often didn’t communicate about the science behind the vaccines and why they could trust both the scientists and the clearly about COVID risks. science. From the beginning, scientists Technically, “risk” is a labeled the virus a “novel” numerical probability, but threat with many unknowns for practically, risk is our personal, human health. This means we shifting sense of how dangerous all began with little knowledge something is. Explaining and understanding about what risks in plain language builds was to come. Practical plain people’s understanding and language explanations of risks confidence. For example, along the way could have recent testing messages show better prepared the public for the confusion that happens the long haul. when people can’t figure out Plain language puts what’s risky or not. Testing audiences’ information needs Cynthia Baur demand confirms many people at the center of the process, and want to do the right thing and COVID communications have know if they’re infected, but prioritized some audiences Practical plain language they couldn’t make sense of over others. Epidemiological explanations of risks along the being told to test before seeing data have driven COVID way could have better prepared friends and family during the messaging rather than the holidays but that testing wasn’t public’s need to understand the public for the long haul. necessary to leave isolation. If and respond to the virus’ the risks were different in these threat. From the beginning, the numbers of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have been situations, then the public needed a clear statement about why. As we reflect on this pandemic and anticipate the next, we the lead, not just from CDC but in many media reports, must consider if we want to replicate COVID communication commentary, and policymakers’ statements. If I’m a policymaker, hospital administrator, or even missteps for future outbreaks. Despite misinformation, we frontline clinician, then illness, hospitalization, and death data know enough about clear communication to do better. The are relevant for planning, resource allocation, and service question is, how much effort are we willing to spend to have a delivery. Members of the public trying to gauge their personal public with an accurate understanding of the health risks they risk, however, need simple, actionable information that aligns may face? RF with how they live their lives. For example, the UMD Horowitz Center for Health Literacy made an animated video for college Cynthia Baur, PhD, is the Director of the Horowitz Center for students to show them more and less risky realistic situations. Health Literacy, University of Maryland School of Public Health. Research shows people don’t trust what they don’t Prior to joining the Center in 2017, Dr. Baur spent ten years understand, and a lot about COVID has been hard to understand. working in CDC health communication roles, participating in The specialized language or jargon has been overwhelming: pandemic influenza communication planning, and leading the airborne versus droplets, herd immunity, underlying health agency’s health literacy and plain language work. 26
RIPON FORUM February 2022
