Health Risk: Communicating What You Don’t Know

Health Risk: Communicating What You Don’t Know

Health Risk: Communicating What You Don’t Know

A deeper look into the CDC Clear Communication Index

When communicating health information, people need to know what scientists and health and safety experts know and, as importantly, what they don’t know. New discoveries happen, and the circumstances that affect health can change too, which means our knowledge and understanding of the actions that protect and promote health may shift. Acknowledging what we don’t know helps people make informed decisions when research results in new information and health recommendations. This openness to admitting what we don’t know and what we’re doing to learn more is key to maintaining our organization’s credibility and the public’s trust.

In Part A of the Clear Communication Index you can find more details on why your materials should explain what authoritative sources, subject matter experts, and agency spokespersons know and don’t know about a risk. Here’s an example of a message that states the unknown and what is being done to find out:

“Right now, we do not know what is making people sick. State and local public health partners are continuing laboratory surveillance through PulseNet to identify additional ill persons and possible sources of this outbreak.”

For more examples and information, please visit our Clear Communication Index site

Health Risk: Communicating What You Don’t Know