Review: The COVID-19 pandemic: Targeted and factual health communications are exactly what patients need

Home/Review: The COVID-19 pandemic: Targeted and factual health communications are exactly what patients need

Review: The COVID-19 pandemic: Targeted and factual health communications are exactly what patients need

This article gives health care providers tips for more effective communication with patients about COVID-19.

To combat misinformation and information overload that may lead to anxiety and panic, it is important for health care providers to tailor their messages to their patients. Targeted information for vulnerable patients, in particular, can meet that group’s unique needs. The following four tips can increase the effectiveness of communication to patients:

  1. Keep information easy to understand
  2. Offer information in different languages
  3. Use communication methods that are preferred by patients
  4. Leverage technology to automate outreach efforts

One of the best things health care providers and organizations can do for patients is to provide timely, accurate, and relevant information about COVID-19.

|2020-06-17T09:28:28-04:00June 17th, 2020|COVID-19 Literature|Comments Off on Review: The COVID-19 pandemic: Targeted and factual health communications are exactly what patients need

About the Author: Maria Brann

Maria Brann
Dr. Maria Brann, PhD, MPH, is a professor in the Department of Communication Studies in the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI and affiliate faculty with the Injury Control Research Center at West Virginia University. She explores the integration of health, interpersonal, and gender communication. Her translational focus and mixed methods approach are woven throughout her health vulnerabilities research, which advocates for more effective communication to improve people’s health and safety. Her primary research interests focus on the study of women’s and ethical issues in health communication contexts and promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviors to improve personal and public health and safety. She researches communication at both the micro and macro levels and studies how communication influences relationships among individuals and with the social world.

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