Health Care Communication Methods Essay

As the Communication Coordinator for this well known drug manufacturer, we will now debate and discus how we will get information to the public about the negative effects that our medications are causing the public. Our goal, as a vital asset to the public and medical community, is to convey all concerns to our community in a very sensitive and careful way. Using the power of newspapers, radio, internet, social networking and news related companies. The local news has already reported that a well-known public figure has been effected which goes against the health portability and accountability act. So as communication coordinator it is important to communicate this issue carefully, addressing the proper population, without losing business and the trust we created with our investors and consumers. Today in our meeting, we will discuss very important aspects of our company’s medical concerns and deciding which communication tactic is most suitable for this situation, while sticking to the very important and necessary HIPPAA guidelines. We will start by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of using traditional media, to get the news out to a significant number of the population. Recent reports of negative effects caused by one of the company’s medications need to be addressed. News reports have alleged that one of the individuals is a well-known public figure. Traditional media can include magazines, newspapers, radio and television. There are some great advantages on why these media outlets would be great in reaching our audience regarding this health scare. Two great methods are newspaper and magazines; they can help because we can be precise and explicit when discussing our issue. Additionally, these methods will provide use with a permanent record of the manufacturer attempt to reach the public (Advantages and disadvantages of written communication, 2012). Two other good methods are television and radio. These methods are beneficial because they are cost effective. It allows the communication coordinator to reach the audience directly, while showing attentiveness, emotion and oncern about the negative effects caused by our medication. All these tactics seem like they will work however there are disadvantages with sticking to traditional media outlets instead of using social media or electronic sites. Some main concerns the coordinator will have with using traditional media is that it can only reach a limited amount of people and the company is restricted to a small scope of listerners and readers. According to the national center for education statistcs the U. S. reads between the 8th and 9th grade reading levels. (NCES, 2003). The lack of education and the advancement of technology will minimize the effectiveness of radio, magazines and newspapers. The communication coordinator will continue talking about the different methods of communication. By discussing the advantages and disadvantages of using electronic media, to get information to the public without breaking any HIPAA laws. Some advantages of electronic communication, is that the media tends to be very fast, cost-effective and convenient. Electronic communication will let the coordinator combine numerous media; text graphics sound and video in a single message. This will also give the coordinator the chance to set up a website to give good credible information directly targeted to the population that is effected by the medication, with less chances of interfering with the laws set in place by the HIPPA act. This form of media can result in far more meaningful communication tailored to the population effected by the national drug manufacturer medication. Increasingly doctors are communicating with other practitioners, hospitals, clinics and patients via portable devices. However these attributes contains disadvantages. The technology that enables health care providers and the rest of the nation to keep in touch can also invade privacy. The main disadvantages of using electronic communication, is security. Computers can be hacked, and affected with computer virus. Communication electronically in this particular scenario can also make it difficult, for all affected to understand the message the same. The speed at which the messages are transmitted, often, changes the structure of the message which at times, can be misinterpreted. False or Phantom sites are also a concern. Some foes of this company or medical manufacturing companies may release false or exaggerated negative reports. This could cause the public to lose trust in our efforts to give valuable information and hinder patients to trust products. Electronic communication will lack the human touch. Now we will talk about the disadvantages and advantages of social media facebook, twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn are social networking platforms that are set up and created by web developers. Public internet and social networks can enable communication, collaboration and information collection and sharing. The advantages of using social media are because, â€Å"About one-third of Americans who go online to research their health currently use social networks to find fellow patients and discuss their condition† (Elkin, 2008). As communication coordinator a social network can be used to reach out and receive feedback from the population, and bring awareness about the drug. Social network is where individuals have control on releasing their private information about the drug and the consumer will not be breaking any HIPAA laws. The disadvantages of using social media, is that all information may not always be credible. This method of communicating can also open up the possibility for hackers to commit fraud and launch virus attacks. Social networks increases risk of people falling prey to online scams. The hugest risk using social media such as facebook, YouTube or twitter, Is the inability to control the conversation. The effected population may say a lot of negative things about the company true or not that can damage its reputation. Improper descriptions or discussions of a patient’s case on social media could violate a patient’s privacy, even if no names are used and no harm is intended. As communication coordinator for the national drug manufacturer, in conclusion, all methods of communication have their advantages however the disadvantages outweigh the smartest of the decisions. Majority of the methods will affect the HIPAA law by releasing to much information about personal health. Traditional media, electronic communication and social media sites can be all used in moderation to reach out to the effected population. Traditional media such as newspaper and magazines should be very brief in the information it voices. This method will be used to have record of the company showing some sort of concern about news reporting negative effects of the drug. As the coordinator I feel the best form of communication will be provider and patient’s direct contact. It may be difficult to reach each individual affected however it will be the safest.