Recommendations to improve health risk communication: lessons learned from the U.S. Public Health Service

The growth in the public's concern over a variety of environmental health risks has placed new requirements and demands on U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) agencies for information that describes and explains the nature of risk in clear and comprehensible terms. Experience has shown, however, that merely disseminating information without reliance on communication principles can lead to ineffective health messages and public health actions. This article presents the findings of a study conducted by the Subcommittee on Risk Communication and Education of the Environmental Health Policy Committee (EHPC), PHS, on how PHS agencies are communicating information about health risk; how effective these communications have been; and what specific principles, strategies, and practices best promote effective health risk communication. The purpose of the Subcommittee's study was to develop specific recommendations that would help PHS decision makers and health risk communicators improve the effectiveness of health information provided to, and received from, the public. The study suggests fundamental principles drawn from a series of case studies from PHS agencies about how best to plan and carry out risk communication activities.