Communication Materials for Vulnerable or Special Populations in Emergency Situations KALHD MidYear

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Communication Materials for Vulnerable or
Special Populations in Emergency
SituationsKALHD Mid-Year Meeting

• Ruth Wetta-Hall, RN, PhD, MSN, MPH
• Amy Chesser, MAC

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Introduction

• Objectives of the Project
• Develop outreach materials to reach
  special/vulnerable populations.
• Inventory what already exists from a variety of
  sources.
• Catalogue and make resources available through a
  delivery system.

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Standard Operating Guides (SOGs)

• Mass Dispensing
• Risk Communications
• Tactical Communication
• Surveillance
• Community Disease Containment
• Public Health Continuity of Operations

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Vulnerable Populations

• Identifying subpopulations differences in
  preparedness is important since different public
  health messages, programs, and distribution
  channels are required for different subgroups.

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From Vulnerable to Special Populations

• Senior Citizens (long-term facilities
• Children (day care centers, schools)
• Disabled with a physical or mental impairment
• Self-governed properties (NA Reservations)
• Disenfranchised groups (cultural, ethnic or
  minorities)

• Faith-based groups (may have specific beliefs
  regarding illness, treatment, quarantine or
  death)
• Low literacy groups
• Inmates (local jails, state and federal prisons)
• Non-English speaking groups
• Health care providers (hospital employees)

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Methods

• Conduct Internet searches for specific existing
  communication materials (e.g., signs) that public
  health departments could distribute to special
  populations in an emergency situation (according
  to the S.O.G.s)
• Searches conducted on Pubmed, Yahoo Google

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Results
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Results
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Results
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Results
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Results
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Results
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Conclusion

• Very few visual communications materials existed
  that
• Could easily reproduced in black and white
• Apply to the S.O.G.s in an emergency
• Excellent guides are available that outline
  accommodations and communications for disabled
  populations
• Could not find actual signage

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Limitations

• Lack of information for inmates, military,
  healthcare providers, and childcare centers due
  to security reasons
• Lack of a consistent definition of what
  constitutes a vulnerable population within the
  published research.  

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Conclusion

• A great deal of money has been expended to create
  risk communication materials
• dearth of materials which addressed risk
  communication for vulnerable populations. 
• Representatives from vulnerable populations have
  not been included in the planning and development
  phases of risk communication materials

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Discussion

• How can we facilitate this toolkit to make it
  useful for YOU!

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Discussion

• What communication materials do we need to
  provide?