The fifth statement by the Federal Government’s Expert Council has it all. The committee not only sees the communication of the corona measures as in need of improvement – the experts are also concerned about the status of digitization in the healthcare system.
The Expert Council on Corona made a serious accusation against the federal government and German health authorities: “The corona pandemic has made the lack of availability of important data obvious compared to other countries and shows how this systemically tolerated lack of data makes it difficult to analyze and combat the pandemic scientifically All in all, the lack of digitization in the health system in Germany (see also the 4th statement) is a major obstacle – not least for successful communication,” says the Sunday published .
The Council is also demanding better public communication about the pandemic from those responsible in politics and the authorities. In order to enable people to behave correctly, “rapid, evidence-based, target group and user-specific risk and health communication is essential,” advises the committee. This must simply explain scientific evidence and translate it into recommendations for action.
Communication of the Corona measures could be improved
In public communication, attention must be paid to different educational requirements, cultural, linguistic and age-related differences, the statement goes on to say. Planning communication must also take people’s behavior into account, write the experts. It should be about the question of who rejects vaccinations for what reasons and who is reached with what.
“As far as possible, concrete decision-making aids should be offered,” the expert council found. These included checklists or “simple decision trees”. In addition, false and disinformation would have to be identified and refuted. When educating the population, the multiple channels of a modern information society should be used, “from classic to social media to e- and m-health offers”.
Adapt communication to population groups
The experts write that the distribution channels would have to be selected for specific target groups. “It must be taken into account that some target groups such as children and young people, people with a migration background or people with little educational background can be reached differently via the classic or modern media repertoires.” Therefore, multipliers such as doctors, social workers, teachers or nurses should also be involved.
From the point of view of the Council, four closely interlocking building blocks are necessary for “technically sound and evidence-based health communication”:
- the bringing together and generation of the best available knowledge
- the translation of relevant data into target group-specific and understandable information formats. Among other things, the statement says: “The goals should be education and not advertising or persuasion (“persuasion”).”
- Communication via the various channels of a modern information society
- Review of the effects achieved and, if necessary, adjustment of the strategy
Expert council makes concrete proposals
According to the statement, the Expert Council therefore recommends “improving current communication and information offerings according to the principles described above”. He also suggests expanding the infrastructure for risk and health communication quickly. “To do this, the existing competencies should be bundled and the missing ones supplemented. This multidisciplinary infrastructure should be technically independent”.
Virologist Christian Drosten, virologist Melanie Brinkmann and the chairwoman of the German Ethics Council, Alena Buyx, belong to the Corona Expert Council advising the federal government. All 18 members of the Council agreed with the fifth opinion.
Sources:, AFP, DPA.
Source: Stern
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