A Study On the Suitability of Risk Communication Preparedness Framework for Public Health Emergency In China

Background: Health communication capacity building project is a subcomponent of China-US EID program. Risk communication study and training is of key contents.

Program background: Risk communication need to be well prepared for future success as one of health emergency priorities. 2009 H1N1 prevention and control practices demonstrated again that it is key to well-prepared plan against influenza pandemic to conduct immediate health communication upon influenza pandemic outbreak. In order to improve the Public Health Emergency and Risk Communication Handbook, help with grassroots level risk communication, Chinese and American experts of risk communication conducted test and evaluation of preparedness by group discussion respectively in Tongzhou of Beijing, Guiyang of Guizhou and Sanming of Fujian.

Evaluation Methods and Results: Methods Focus group interviews were used to test and evaluate the preparedness framework of Public Health Emergency and Risk Communication Handbook, and study the essentiality and feasibility of the framework. Results All of the 12 groups agreed that the organization preparedness was very or extremely important, 41.67% of the groups considered that the organization preparedness had almost been completed. 83.33% of the groups considered that the technology preparedness was very or extremely important, 8.33% of the groups considered that the technology preparedness had almost been completed. 75.00% of the groups considered that the liaison preparedness was very or extremely important, 58.33% of the groups considered that the liaison preparedness had almost been completed. 91.67% of the groups considered that the information preparedness was very or extremely important, 58.33% of the groups considered that the information preparedness had almost been completed. 41.67% of the groups considered that material preparedness was very or extremely important, 41.67% of the groups considered that the material preparedness had almost been completed, 8.33% of the groups considered that the material preparedness had been completed.

Conclusions: The risk communication preparedness framework is suitable to guide the local officers to conduct risk communication in China.

Implications for research and/or practice: To explore the content of risk communication preparedness framework for public health emergency and regulate the risk communication.