7 Health Communications Trends We’ve Learned from COVID-19
In just a couple of years, COVID-19 has structurally transformed health communications. While the eventual retreat of the pandemic may suggest some semblance of a return to our pre-COVID habits, initial indications suggest that a completely different healthcare communications landscape is emerging. In any event, long gone are the days when one-on-one time with the doctor was the only means to learning, understanding, and communicating about our health.
Since the beginning of COVID-19, 7 distinct trends have grown to shape health communications in the United States:
1 | Quantity Overtakes Quality
Health information seekers today have an unprecedented number of tools at their disposal. In an environment where online health communication can be easier, safer, and cheaper than traditional medicine, many patients turn to the Internet instead of the doctor’s office. And they have plenty of source material to draw upon. From telemedicine platforms like Sesame Care and Teladoc to digital resources like Mayo Clinic and WebMD, options for information seekers have never been more plentiful. The trade-off? Dubious quality. Health information significantly differs between online sources, leading some to conclude that “the Internet at the present time does not provide reliable health information for laypersons.”
2 | Plain Language Remains Important
Plain language can be defined as “grammatically correct language that includes complete sentence structure and accurate word usage.” While initiatives like the Plain Writing Act of 2010 have existed at the federal level for years, COVID-19 ushered in an immediate need to contextualize more complex concepts like a patient’s “incubation period” or “droplet transmission.” Other programs have sought to clarify conflated terms like efficacy vs. effectiveness, epidemic vs. pandemic, and more. Throughout the pandemic, government, non-profit, and local initiatives have emphasized the importance of using clear language techniques and jargon-free terminology to communicate vital healthcare information.
3 | Misinformation Becomes Disinformation
Intention differentiates the concepts of “misinformation” and “disinformation.” While misinformation is inadvertently generated, disinformation spreads when false info is knowingly propagated by malintentioned actors. In previous eras, traditional barriers to publication have held back this sort of disinformation in the health sphere. These barriers have included editorial oversight, printing, production costs, and delays in physical publication. Yet, in the 21st century, the Internet has enabled any individual or group to publish their health views with the click of a button. Today’s health messaging must meet the heavy challenge of combatting false information respectfully but firmly.
4 | Personal Health Literacy Progress Is Needed
The NIH defines personal health literacy as “the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.” In a time when the Internet has enabled individuals to understand their health in new ways, progress on the health literacy front is particularly important. As just one example, health literacy is considered influential regarding patients taking their prescribed medications; medicinal non-adherence kills over 100,000 Americans every year.
5 | Medical Providers Turning Into Information Arbitrators
The health literacy of medical providers tends to supersede those of their patients. After all, medical professionals specialize in healthcare, while individual patients tend to care about health literacy the most when their own health is impacted. Yet juxtaposing health literacy and medical knowledge in this way is not a like-for-like comparison, nor is it strictly qualitative, with one party “knowing” more than the other. With more patients bringing their own brand of health information “to the table” in their medical consultations, the role of doctors and nurses in addressing patient concerns is shifting. While a bit of an oversimplification, whereas patients once came to medical providers with a list of symptoms, they may now be tacking on self-diagnoses to their medical consultations. Nurses, doctors, and other staff must possess the patience and the aptitude for navigating these conversations, tactfully blending their own expertise with what the patient has either read or heard.
6 | Health Narratives Add Intrigue
Narrative makes for more than just good entertainment; storytelling is fundamental to who we are as humans. While statistical figures like case counts, hospitalizations, and vaccination figures have helped potential patients understand the risks posed by COVID-19, the human element of the pandemic has drawn more and more interest as society tires of the quantitative side of the house. Narrative evidence has permitted governmental and non-governmental organizations an alternative means to sharing information about health and safety during COVID-19, especially in the context of a weary population losing interest in the continued pandemic news cycle.
7 | Virtual Communication Requires New Skill Sets
The downsides of all-virtual communications have been well-documented in the media. Less covered are the new skill sets needed to effectively reach digital audiences. Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare personnel educated with the physical healthcare environment in mind are actively seeking new strategies to build and improve patient relationships through online interfaces. Across all professions, remote work certifications have emerged to cover the interpersonal soft skills needed for engaging with others in an increasingly digital world.