Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T05:49:44.079Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) Communication During the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Outbreak: Literature Review (2009-2013) of the Methodology Used for EID Communication Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 April 2015

Anat Gesser-Edelsburg ,
Nathan Stolero ,
Emilio Mordini ,
Matthew Billingsley ,
James J. James  and
Manfred S. Green
Anat Gesser-Edelsburg*
Affiliation:
School of Public Health, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
Nathan Stolero
Affiliation:
Department of Communication, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Emilio Mordini
Affiliation:
Responsible Technology SAS, Paris, France
Matthew Billingsley
Affiliation:
BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, London, United Kingdom
James J. James
Affiliation:
American Medical Association Center for Public Health Preparedness and Disaster Response, Chicago, IL
Manfred S. Green
Affiliation:
School of Public Health, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Anat Gesser-Edelsburg, PhD, Head of Health Promotion Department, School of Public Health, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel (e-mail: [email protected]).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective

This year alone has seen outbreaks of epidemics such as Ebola, Chikungunya, and many other emerging infectious diseases (EIDs). We must look to the responses of recent outbreaks to help guide our strategies in current and future outbreaks or we risk repeating the same mistakes. The objective of this paper was to conduct a systematic literature review of the methodology used by studies that examined EID communication during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic outbreak through different communication channels or by analyzing contents and strategies.

Methods

This was a systematic review of the literature (n=61) studying risk communication strategies of H1N1 influenza, published between 2009 and 2013, and retrieved from searches of computerized databases, hand searches, and authoritative texts by use of specific search criteria. Searches were followed by review, categorization, and mixed qualitative and quantitative content analysis.

Results

Of 41 articles that used quantitative methods, most used surveys (n=35); some employed content analyses (n=4) and controlled trials (n=2). The 16 articles that employed qualitative methods relied on content analyses (n=10), semi-structured interviews (n=2) and focus groups (n=4). Four more articles used mixed-methods or nonstandard methods. Seven different topic categories were found: risk perception and effects on behaviors, framing the risk in the media, public concerns, trust, optimistic bias, uncertainty, and evaluating risk communication.

Conclusions

Up until 2013, studies tended to be descriptive and quantitative rather than discursive and qualitative and to focus on the role of the media as representing information and not as a medium for actual communication with the public. Several studies from 2012, and increasingly more in 2013, addressed issues of discourse and framing and the complexity of risk communication with the public. Formative evaluations that use recommendations from past research when designing communication campaigns from the first stages of crises are recommended. Research should employ diverse triangulation processes based on representatives from different stakeholders. Further studies should address the potential offered by social media to create dialogue with individuals and the public at large. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:199-206)

Keywords

risk communicationH1N1 pandemic outbreakinfluenzaframing riskliterature review
Type
Systematic Reviews
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , April 2015 , pp. 199 - 206
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Poland, GA. The 2009-2010 influenza pandemic: effects on pandemic and seasonal vaccine uptake and lessons learned for seasonal vaccination campaigns. Vaccine. 2010;28(suppl 4):D3-13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. Rubin, GJ, Amlot, R, Page, L, et al. Public perceptions, anxiety, and behaviour change in relation to the swine flu outbreak: cross sectional telephone survey. BMJ. 2009;339:b2651.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3. CDC. CDC estimates of 2009 H1N1 influenza cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the United States, April 2009-April 10, 2010. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/estimates_2009_h1n1.htm.Google Scholar
4. Covello, VT. Best practices in public health risk and crisis communication. J Health Commun. 2003;8:5-8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5. Freimuth, V, Linnan, H, Potter, P. Communicating the threat of emerging infections to the public. Emerg Infect Dis. 2000;6:337-347.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. Holmes, BJ, Henrich, N, Hancock, S, et al. Communicating with the public during health crises: experts’ experiences and opinions. J Risk Res. 2009;12(6):793-807.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7. Sandman, P. Understanding the risk: What frightens rarely kills. Nieman Reports. 2007;Spring:59-66.Google Scholar
8. Gesser-Edelsburg, A, Mordini, E, James, JJ, et al. Risk communication recommendations and implementation during emerging infectious diseases: a case study of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic [epub ahead of print]. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2014 Apr 15:1-12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9. Falagas, ME, Kiriaze, IJ. Reaction to the threat of influenza pandemic: the mass media and the public. Crit Care. 2006;10(2):408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10. Roche, J, Muskatvitch, M. Limited precision in print media communication of West Nile virus risks. Sci Commun. 2003;24:353-365.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11. Crosier, A, McVey, D, French, J. ‘By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail’: lessons from the 2009 H1N1 ‘swine flu’ pandemic [Epub ahead of print]. Eur J Public Health. 2014 Aug 14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12. Barrelet, C, Bourrier, M, Burton-Jeangros, C, et al. Unresolved issues in risk communication research: the case of the H1N1 pandemic (2009-2011). Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2013;7(suppl 2):114-119.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13. Cvetkovich, G, Winter, PL. Social trust and the management of risks to threatened and endangered species. Presented at: The Annual Meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis; December 2-5, 2001, 2001; Seattle, WA.Google Scholar
14. Covello, VT, Peters, RG, Wojtecki, JG, et al. Risk communication, the West Nile virus epidemic, and bioterrorism: responding to the communication challenges posed by the intentional or unintentional release of a pathogen in an urban setting. J Urban Health. 2001;78(2):382-391.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15. Frewer, L, Hunt, S, Brennan, M, et al. The views of scientific experts on how the public conceptualize uncertainty. J Risk Res. 2003;6:75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16. Leslie, M. Fear and coughing in Toronto: SARS and the uses of risk. Can J Commun. 2006;31:367-389.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17. Velan, B, Kaplan, G, Ziv, A, et al. Major motives in non-acceptance of A/H1N1 flu vaccination: the weight of rational assessment. Vaccine. 2011;29(6):1173-1179.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18. Fischhoff, B. Risk perception and communication unplugged: Twenty years of process. Risk Anal. 1995;15(2):137-145.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19. Powell, D, Leiss, W. Mad Cows and Mother’s Milk: The Perils of Poor Risk Communication. McGill Queens University Press; 1997.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20. Alaszewski, A. Risk communication: identifying the importance of social context. Health Risk Soc. 2005;7:101-105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21. Slovic, P, Finucane, M, Peters, E, et al. Risk as analysis and risk as feelings: some thoughts about affect, reason, risk and rationality. Risk Anal. 2004;24(2):1-1.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22. Hek, G, Langton, H, Blunden, G. Systematically searching and reviewing literature. Nurs Res. 2000;7:40-57.Google Scholar
23. Martenson, EK, Fagerskiold, AM. A review of children’s decision-making competence in health care. J Clin Nurs. 2008;17(23):3131-3141.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24. Oleinik, A. Mixing quantitative and qualitative content analysis: triangulation at work. Qual Quant. 2011;45(4):859-873.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25. Anikeeva, O, Braunack-Mayer, A, Rogers, W. Requiring influenza vaccination for health care workers. Am J Public Health. 2009;99(1):24-29.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26. Dearinger, AT, Howard, A, Ingram, R, et al. Communication efforts among local health departments and health care professionals during the 2009 H1N1 outbreak. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2011;17(1):45-51.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27. Klein, KR, Cohen, H, Baseluos, C, et al. H1N1: communication patterns among emergency department staff during the H1N1 outbreak, April 2009. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2010;25(04):296-301.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28. Staes, CJ, Wuthrich, A, Gesteland, P, et al. Public health communication with frontline clinicians during the first wave of the 2009 influenza pandemic. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2011;17(1):36-44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29. Vaux, S, Noel, D, Fonteneau, L, et al. Influenza vaccination coverage of healthcare workers and residents and their determinants in nursing homes for elderly people in France: a cross-sectional survey. BMC Public Health. 2010;10:159.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30. Virseda, S, Restrepo, MA, Arranz, E, et al. Seasonal and Pandemic A (H1N1) 2009 influenza vaccination coverage and attitudes among health-care workers in a Spanish University Hospital. Vaccine. 2010;28(30):4751-4757.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31. Jung, M, Lin, L, Viswanath, K. Associations between health communication behaviors, neighborhood social capital, vaccine knowledge, and parents’ H1N1 vaccination of their children. Vaccine. 2013;31(42):4860-4866.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
32. Stockwell, MS, Kharbanda, EO, Martinez, RA, et al. Text4Health: impact of text message reminder-recalls for pediatric and adolescent immunizations. Am J Public Health. 2012;102(2):e15-e21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
33. Yang, ZJ. Too scared or too capable? Why do college students stay away from the H1N1 vaccine? Risk Anal. 2012;32(10):1703-1716.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
34. Galarce, EM, Minsky, S, Viswanath, K. Socioeconomic status, demographics, beliefs and A(H1N1) vaccine uptake in the United States. Vaccine. 2011;29(32):5284-5289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
35. Allen Catellier, JR, Yang, ZJ. Trust and affect: how do they impact risk information seeking in a health context? J Risk Res. 2012;15(8):1-15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
36. Burnett, M, Genao, I, Wong, WF. Race, culture, and trust: why should I take a shot if I’m not sick? Ethn Dis. 2005;15(2 Suppl 3):S3-13-S13-16.Google Scholar
37. Walter, D, Bohmer, M, Reiter, S, et al. Risk perception and information-seeking behaviour during the 2009/10 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 pandemic in Germany. Euro Surveill. 2012;17(13).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
38. Bults, M, Beaujean, DJ, de Zwart, O, et al. Perceived risk, anxiety, and behavioural responses of the general public during the early phase of the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic in the Netherlands: results of three consecutive online surveys. BMC Public Health. 2011;11:2.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
39. John, R, Cheney, MK. Resistance to influenza vaccination: psychographics, audience segments, and potential promotions to increase vaccination. Soc Mar Q. 2008;14(2):67-90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
40. Johnson, DR, Nichol, KL, Lipczynski, K. Barriers to adult immunization. Am J Med. 2008;121(7 suppl 2):S28-S35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
41. Seale, H, Heywood, AE, McLaws, ML, et al. Why do I need it? I am not at risk! Public perceptions towards the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccine. BMC Infect Dis. 2010;10:99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
42. Hollmeyer, HG, Hayden, F, Poland, G, et al. Influenza vaccination of health care workers in hospitals--a review of studies on attitudes and predictors. Vaccine. 2009;27(30):3935-3944.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
43. Lee, ST, Basnyat, I. From press release to news: mapping the framing of the 2009 H1N1 a influenza pandemic. Health Commun. 2012;28(2):119-132.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
44. Pellegrino, E, Martino, G, Balli, M, et al. Mass communication during the “H1N1 flu”. Ann Ig. 2012;24(2):105-112.Google ScholarPubMed
45. Liuccio, M, Amorese, V, Miconi, A, et al. “New” virus and “old” risks. Reflections on H1N1 pandemic in the newspapers in Italy, France and UK [in Italian]. Clinica Ter. 2012;163(5):e339-e348.Google ScholarPubMed
46. Sandell, T, Sebar, B, Harris, N. Framing risk: communication messages in the Australian and Swedish print media surrounding the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Scand J Public Health. 2013;41(8):860-865.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
47. Holland, K, Blood, RW, Imison, M, et al. Risk, expert uncertainty, and Australian news media: public and private faces of expert opinion during the 2009 swine flu pandemic. J Risk Res. 2012;15(6):657-671.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
48. Fogarty, AS, Holland, K, Imison, M, et al. Communicating uncertainty--how Australian television reported H1N1 risk in 2009: a content analysis. BMC Public Health. 2011;11:181.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
49. Henrich, N, Holmes, B. What the public was saying about the H1N1 vaccine: perceptions and issues discussed in on-line comments during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. PLoS One. 2011;6(4): e18479.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
50. Luoma‐aho, V, Tirkkonen, P, Vos, M. Monitoring the issue arenas of the swine‐flu discussion. J Commun Manage. 2013;17(3):239-251.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
51. Kostkova, P, Fowler, D, Wiseman, S, et al. Major infection events over 5 years: how is media coverage influencing online information needs of health care professionals and the public? J Med Internet Res. 2013;15(7):e107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
52. Cho, H, Lee, JS, Lee, S. Optimistic bias about H1N1 Flu: testing the links between risk communication, optimistic bias, and self-protection behavior. Health Commun. 2012:1-13.Google ScholarPubMed
53. Kim, HK, Niederdeppe, J. Exploring optimistic bias and the integrative model of behavioral prediction in the context of a campus influenza outbreak. J Health Commun. 2013;18(2):206-222.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
54. Locatelli, SM, LaVela, SL, Hogan, TP, Kerr, AN, Weaver, FM. Communication and information sharing at VA facilities during the 2009 novel H1N1 influenza pandemic. Am J Infect Control. 2012;40(7):622-626.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
55. Gresham, L, Ramlawi, A, Briski, J, et al. Trust across borders: responding to 2009 H1N1 influenza in the Middle East. Biosecur Bioterror. 2009;7(4):399-404.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
56. Smith, EC, Burkle, FM Jr, Holman, PF, et al. Lessons from the front lines: the prehospital experience of the 2009 novel H1N1 outbreak in Victoria, Australia. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2009;3(suppl 2):S154-S159.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
57. Li, X, Guo, X, Li, B. Evaluation of health communication in Swine Flu 2009. J Int Commun. 2013;19(1):117-142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
58. Charania, NA, Tsuji, LJ. A community-based participatory approach and engagement process creates culturally appropriate and community informed pandemic plans after the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic: remote and isolated First Nations communities of sub-arctic Ontario, Canada. BMC Public Health. 2012;12:268.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
59. Blank, PR, Bonnelye, G, Ducastel, A, et al. Attitudes of the general public and general practitioners in five countries towards pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccines during season 2009/2010. PLoS One. 2012;7(10):e45450.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
60. Matsui, D, Shigeta, M, Ozasa, K, et al. Factors associated with influenza vaccination status of residents of a rural community in Japan. BMC Public Health. 2011;11:149.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
61. Nhan, C, Laprise, R, Douville-Fradet, M, et al. Coordination and resource-related difficulties encountered by Quebec’s public health specialists and infectious diseases/medical microbiologists in the management of A (H1N1)--a mixed-method, exploratory survey. BMC Public Health. 2012;12:115.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
62. Gesser-Edelsburg, A. Strategies for communicating with the public effectively using websites and social media during emergencies and disease outbreaks. In: Green MS, Mordini E, eds. Internet-Based Intelligence for Public Health Emergencies & Disease Outbreak: Technical, Medical & Regulatory Issues. Amsterdam: IOS Press BV; 2013:73-83.Google Scholar
63. Hesse, BW, O’Connell, M, Augustson, EM, et al. Realizing the promise of Web 2.0: engaging community intelligence. J Health Commun. 2011;16(Suppl 1):10-31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
64. Cvetkovich, G, Lofstedt, RE. Social Trust and the Management of Risk. London: Earthscan Publications; 1999.Google Scholar
65. Earle, TC, Cvetkovich, G. Social Trust: Toward a Cosmopolitan Society. Praeger; 1995.Google Scholar
66. Lofstedt, RE. Risk Management in Post-Trust Societies London: Palgrave Macmillan; 2005.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
67. Moran-Ellis, J, Alexander, V, Cronin, A, et al. Triangulation and integration: processes, claims and implications. Qual Res. 2006;6(1):45-59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
68. Webler, T, Tuler, S. Fairness and competence in citizen participation: Theoretical reflections from a case study. Admin Soc. 2000;32(5):566-595.CrossRefGoogle Scholar