Category of Risk Communication

When I first began to consider the type of risk communication for my topic, I initially thought it matched up well with care communication. This was supported by one of the early chapters in our book we use for class that featured a diagram graphically representing examples of the different risk types. Specifically, Medical Communication was listed under care communication and from that I assumed that was probably the appropriate category.

Looking at it from a care communication standpoint, the purpose of this particular risk communication type is to encourage the audience to act. Care communication also assumes the danger has been determined through research and accepted by the majority of the audience. While some of the audience members in my topic understand the dangers associated with preventable medical errors and its impact to patient safety and quality, this is not a widely-accepted “risk” area within the main employer group community. While interest and acceptance of these issues as true risks have been gaining momentum in recent years, there continues to be a small subset of larger employer groups who have embraced this focus and have begun to take action.

For those employers who understand the risks associated with lower patient safety and quality and the potential benefits to be gained by implementing health information technology, there are a handful of sites to find more information, if interested. My previous post included a link to the Health and Human Services Health Information Technology website. For those who may want some background on what initially piqued the interest of these larger employers who have taken action, please visit this link to download the Institute of Medicine’s brief “To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System.”

Upon further review of the definitions and specific examples provided in the book, I began to realize this topic may fit better with consensus communication. Given the purpose of this type of communication is to inform others and encourage change with group support, health information technology and its interest to employer groups certainly fits in line with this category. It encourages groups with similar interests or “stakes” to become involved to bring about change.

Employer groups have begun to understand the negative effects preventable medical errors have on their employees’ health, their productivity, and perhaps most importantly, its contribution to increasing health care costs. The Leapfrog Group is a great example of a group with similar interests coming together to bring about change. As previously explained in my last post, this group is an organization comprised of large employer groups and public agencies focused on patient safety with the intention of influencing quality in the health care industry. The point is they are a committed group of companies focused on the same goal.

Ultimately, I think this topic incorporates characteristics of both care and consensus communication. As I continue to explore this topic and refine my focus, I anticipate it becoming clearer which type of risk communication best fits.