Intro to Risk Communication & Applications in Veterinary Medicine

Question 1

Risk = what?

Answer 1

Risk = Probability X Severity

Question 2

According to Dr. Peter M. Sandman, Risk = what?

Answer 2

Risk = Hazard + Outrage

Question 3

According to Dr. Sandman, what is the most important factor about risk communication?
Does he feel that Dangerous = Upsetting?

Answer 3

• The incredibly low correlation between a risk’s “hazard” (how much harm it’s likely to do) and its “outrage” (how upset it’s likely to make people).
• No

Question 4

T/F: According to Dr. Sandman, the risks that upset people are the same as the risks that kill people.

Answer 4

False - They are completely different.

Question 5

What are 3 examples of riskisms?

Answer 5

• Everything we do involves risk.
• Zero risk is unachievable.
• Options exist for managing every risk.

Question 6

What is risk perception?

Answer 6

Combination of thought and emotion.

Question 7

What does thinking (logic) focus on?

Answer 7

The hazard and the probability it will occur.

Question 8

What does feeling involve?

Answer 8

Fear, anger or other emotions that are evoked when considering potential consequences and value of what may be lost.

Question 9

What are 8 factors of fear?

Answer 9

• It is automatic
• It comes early
• It is temporary
• It is a small over-reaction
• It may need guidance
• It is slow to extinguish
• Easily re-established
• Contagious

Question 10

T/F: Denial is more common than fear.

Answer 10

False - it is less common.

Question 11

What are 4 categories of human reaction to risk?

Answer 11

• Acceptance
• Fear
• Denial
• Panic

Question 12

T/F: Denial is more dangerous than fear.

Answer 12

True

Question 13

T/F: Denial is a more common response than panic.

Answer 13

True

Question 14

Denial can be reduced when what 3 things happen?

Answer 14

• Legitimize the fear.
• Take actions to address fear.
• Make decisions to act from a given range of options.

Question 15

What 3 things are common of trust?

Answer 15

• Slowly acquired.
• Readily extinguished.
• Difficult to re-establish.

Question 16

What do public health activities help to ensure?

Answer 16

That messages and strategies designed to prevent exposure, adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life are effectively communicated to the public.

Question 17

Risk communication is most often used to describe what?

Answer 17

An organization facing a crisis and the need to communicate about that crisis to stakeholders and the public.

Question 18

Risk communication includes what 2 aspects?

Answer 18

• Risk management

- Risk assessment

Question 19

Contemporary risk communication includes what?

Answer 19

• Who says what and when
• To whom
• Through what channels
• with what effect.

Question 20

Who is the audience for risk communication?

Answer 20

• Clients (animal owners, farmers, producers)
• Employees and a vet clinic, dairy or processing plant
• Reporters at a press conference
• The public at a town meeting

Question 21

What are 5 examples of harmful human behavior that can be seen during a crisis?

Answer 21

• Demands for un-needed treatment.
• Disorganized group behavior (looting/stealing).
• Bribery/fraud
• Increased tobacco and alcohol use.
• Increased multiple unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS).

Question 22

What does MUPS stand for?

Answer 22

Multiple unexplained physical symptoms

Question 23

What are Sandman’s 4 tasks of risk communication?

Answer 23

• Precaution advocacy
• Outrage management
• Crisis communication
• Sweet spot

Question 24

You need to utilize precautionary advocacy under what conditions?
How?

Answer 24

• Hazard is high and outrage is low.

- Alerting insufficiently upset people to serious risk.

Question 25

When do you need to utilize outrage management? | How?

Answer 25

- When hazard is low and outrage is high. | - Reassuring excessively upset people about small risks.

Question 26

When do you utilize crisis communication? | How?

Answer 26

- When both the hazard and outrage are high. | - By helping appropriately upset people cope with serious risks.

Question 27

When do you see the sweet spot? | What happens during that time?

Answer 27

- When the hazard and outrage are both intermediate. | - Dialoging with interested people about a significant but not urgent risk.

Question 28

What are 2 common risk communication mistakes made in vet med?

Answer 28

- Withholding information | - Over-assurance of audience.

Question 29

Which trait is most important concerning risk communication?

Answer 29

Empathetic

Question 30

What are 3 things to do pre-crisis?

Answer 30

- Be prepared - Foster alliances - Test messages

Question 31

What are 5 things to do initially with risk communication?

Answer 31

- Acknowledge the event with empathy. - Explain and inform the public in simplest terms. - Establish agency/spokesperson credibility. - Provide emergency courses of action. - Commit to stakeholders and public to continued communication.

Question 32

What are 6 aspects of risk communication maintenance?

Answer 32

- Help public more accurately understand its own risks. - Provide background and encompassing information to those who need it. - Gain understanding and support for response and recovery plans. - Listen to stakeholders and audience feedback, and correct misinformation. - Explain emergency recommendations. - Empower risk/benefit decision-making.

Question 33

What are 4 ways risk communications help in resolution?

Answer 33

- Improve appropriate public response in future similar emergencies through education. - Honestly examine problems and mishaps, and then reinforce what worked in the response and recovery efforts. - Persuade the public to support policy and resource allocation to the problem. - Promote the activities and capabilities of the agency.

Question 34

What are 3 ways to evaluate risk communication?

Answer 34

- Evaluate communication plan and performance. - Document lessons learned. - Determined specific actions to improve crisis systems or in the crisis plan.

Question 35

What are the 4 steps to message mapping?

Answer 35

- Identify stakeholders. - Identify a complete list of stakeholder concerns and questions. - Analyze the questions to identify common sets of underlying concerns. - Develop key messages in response to the generated list of stakeholder concerns and questions.

Question 36

Studies show that most public health issues are associated with how many primary underlying concerns?

Answer 36

8-15

Question 37

How many key messages should be delivered and how many parts for supporting facts to each?

Answer 37

3 key messages with 3 parts each.

Question 38

How long should each key message be?

Answer 38

Less than 3 seconds or less than 9 words.

Question 39

What reading level should the messages be at?

Answer 39

6th grade reading level

Question 40

In messages, avoid the use of what 5 words?

Answer 40

- No, not, never, nothing, none

Question 41

What is risk?

Answer 41

A probability or threat of damage, injury, liability, loss or any other negative occurrence that is caused by external or internal vulnerabilities, and that may be avoided through preemptive action.