Influences on this HIT Risk Communication Effort

Thinking back over the multiple reading assignments we have been given in class, I have identified a few sections that will influence how I proceed in my risk communication effort for Health Information Technology (HIT).

First, my chosen topic is a fairly technical one that needs to be communicated clearly to appropriately influence my chosen audience. I should not assume everyone in the large employer group community fully understands the risks associated with not implementing HIT. Nor should I assume they clearly understand HIT, its components, or its benefits. In our reading “A Rhetorical Toolbox for Technical and Professional Communication,” the first section indicates the communicator needs to “make information accessible and user-friendly” and keep in mind the needs of the audience. It will be important for me to continuously define complicated, technological terms in a clear and concise manner while also considering any potential limitations the audience may have in this subject matter area.

I began my memo and fact sheet by listing the risks associated with not implementing HIT – the risks to the company’s employees (or consumers), the risks to the company’s productivity, and the effect medical errors ultimately have on the company’s health care costs. I cited legitimate, well-known sources this audience will recognize. The point of citing experts and providing other valuable supporting information is to establish credibility, or the rhetorical appeal of ethos as outlined in “A Rhetorical Toolbox for Technical and Professional Communication.” By providing further evidence and sources in future communication pieces, including efforts other large employer groups are making in this area, this additional support will also focus on persuading the audience through the third means of persuasion, logos.

Finally, a third area of influence combines two readings that focus on the way the information is presented and communicated to the audience. The first includes using the canon of arrangement, as outlined in the reading “A Rhetorical Toolbox for Technical and Professional Communication,” to provide this audience with information in a clear, strategically selective manner to gain their attention above competing priorities and other distractions they encounter on a daily basis.

Determining the most effective way to arrange the information will lead me to determine the most appropriate method to communicate the risk. In Chapter 10 of our textbook, Risk Communication: A Handbook for Communicating Environmental, Safety, and Health Risks, the authors touch on several methods of communicating risk including informational materials, visual representation, and face-to-face communication. In my issue analysis, I indicated the need to determine the most effective medium to communicate to this audience. Again, with competing priorities, deadlines, and other distractions, this audience will need clear, concise mediums to effectively communicate the risks and equip them to influence change.

Communication efforts on this topic will require a unique approach to gain the full attention and focus of the large employer who juggles multiple priorities and goals within the organization. By keeping this audience in mind at all times, understanding their constraints and potential limitations, I look to determine an effective method of communication for large employers to bring about change and influence hospitals to adopt health information technology.