Public Communication Project Highlights
Pandemic Influenza Communication Plan
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (HHS ASPA), in conjunction with staff from the National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO) and the Office for Public Health Emergency Preparedness (OPHEP), are taking the lead in developing an integrated interagency approach to crisis communication in the event of an influenza pandemic. ASPA asked ORISE to assist in identifying information, developing a structure, and facilitating the development of an interagency pandemic flu operational crisis communication plan.
Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Message Development and Testing
ORISE assisted the CDC in developing and testing information addressing pandemic influenza. From media content analysis, workshop facilitation, to testing selected messages and reporting on results, ORISE and the CDC work closely to create and validate communications around the topic of pandemic influenza.
Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT)
ORISE is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a national Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) system. It will integrate data about environmental hazards and exposures with data on diseases that may be linked to the environment. The EPHT system will be available to federal, state, and local public health departments.
Discovery Through Hindsight: When Communication Fails
ORISE developed this practical, problem-solving Web-based tool for the CDC. It is directed at helping risk communicators learn how to overcome the three biggest barriers to effective risk communication through the use of scenario-based learning.
Gardening in Lead-Contaminated Soil
Anniston, Alabama, is a small community in the northeast region of the state. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has been involved in the Anniston community since the mid-90s due to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and lead contamination of the local environment. One of the chief health concerns in Anniston is the potential exposure of residents to these contaminants through gardening activities. Working with different community groups and organizations, ORISE assisted ATSDR in developing gardening-related educational materials and outreach activities.
Emerging Diseases: Crisis Communication in Public Health
With the continued threat of the spread of infectious disease, ORISE has assisted the CDC in the organization and facilitation of meetings, conferences and focus groups involving research experts for the discussion of public health responsiveness.
Environmental Health Calendar
Upon the request of ATSDR, ORISE developed a calendar to provide information to parents on various environmental health hazards. Focus groups were conducted prior to completing the calendar.
Health Communication in Guam
ORISE developed fact sheets on behalf of ASTDR on health topics such as asthma, lung and stomach cancers, leukemia, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and arthritis--topics of concern among the citizens of Guam. ASTDR further categorized the fact sheets into age-specific and language-specific pamphlets.
International Symposium on Health Risk Communication: Uncertainty, Stakeholders, and Public Health
ORISE provided technical assistance to this symposium which brought together subject matter experts from around the world to discuss health risks within the United States and in other nations.
Should I Eat the Fish I Catch?
In partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ATSDR identified a need for developing an easy-to-understand brochure on the potential risks to pregnant women and children from eating fish caught in mercury-contaminated waters. ORISE designed, developed, and conducted focus groups to test a brochure that explains the risks to pregnant women, nursing mothers, women of childbearing age, and young children.