6 Tips for Improving Public Health Communications

1. Know and understand your audience.

Once you have identified your audience, learn about the unique needs of the group or groups of people who will be receiving the health information and tailor messages and information channels accordingly. Language should resonate with and be relevant to each particular audience. For example, messages to encourage older adults to get a flu shot should include information about age as an increased risk factor for developing health complications from the flu and be delivered through network or cable news programs.

When the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) had to communicate information about its expanded Caregiver Support program to several diverse audiences, including staff, caregivers, Veterans (including those in newly eligible categories), strategic partners, Veterans service organizations and Congress, it turned to Aptive Resources for help. Aptive created staff training materials along with a host of printable content, videos and messaging options with information about the program and its changes tailored for each audience. Changing the tone and messaging for each audience required more strategizing initially but lead to increased engagement among each group.

Despite tailoring information for specific audiences, key health messages should remain consistent across all groups. Consistent messaging will improve the credibility and effectiveness of the information source. If you need to modify original messages to reflect the latest studies or science, as was the case during the COVID-19 pandemic, clearly explain how the information has changed, why the changes are necessary and how they will impact individuals and communities.

Aptive supported VHA’s effort to increase the number of Veterans, family members and caregivers who received COVID-19 vaccines by launching a paid media campaign targeted to populations with the highest vaccine hesitancy rates. Though the language, imagery and outreach channels varied according to the population we were trying to reach, the key message remained consistent across each sub-campaign: COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.

4. Deliver your messages in plain language.

People appreciate clear and easy-to-understand communication, regardless of their education level or language skills. Legal, financial, engineering and medical professionals speak a common language within their industry groups. However, the public must be able to understand the information these groups share outside their professional circles to benefit. The Plain Writing Act of 2010 requires that public documents issued by the government be written clearly to enhance citizen access to government information and services.

The Plain Language Action and Information Network maintains a website with plain language guidelines, examples and available training. CDC has a Clear Writing Hub, a guide to clear writing and an A to Z index of everyday words to use when communicating about public health, as well as other tools to help with plain-language writing.

To help VHA improve access to care for the nation’s Veterans, Aptive partnered with several VHA program offices to overhaul the public-facing Access to Care website to showcase more transparent and plain-language access features. Aptive has supported many other government offices in their efforts to make their websites and other communication vehicles more reader and user friendly.

CDC recommends collaborating with community partners to identify priorities and strategies, including the need to build community awareness and acceptance, before creating the actual communication products. Getting input from community leaders and members trusted by the public — for example, personal or frontline health care providers and, in some communities, spiritual leaders — can make the communication more relatable and effective. So can tailoring health messages to a community’s specific needs and situations.

For instance, messaging for a rural community might address the distance patients must travel to get to a health facility or provider’s office — and potential transportation assistance; mobile vaccination, screening or testing vans; or telehealth opportunities. Health messages should also reflect the values and cultural norms of individual communities, as well as the languages and dialects spoken there. Having a spokesperson who looks and speaks like the residents of a community may increase trust and their willingness to accept the messages being delivered.

Social media is a cost-effective way to share public health information with vast and varied audiences. However, users of social media may fall victim to misinformation from unreliable sources. Informing the public about trustworthy sources of health information, such as CDC, the National Institutes of Health and other government agencies (dot gov); academic institutions (dot edu); and research and professional health and medical organizations (dot org) can help them become more discerning when consuming online health information.

Knowing which types of social media to use for different audiences will improve the effectiveness of your communication efforts. For instance, younger audiences are more likely to use YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, while older audiences favor Facebook and YouTube.