Development Of Risk Communication Research Articles

Risk Communication of Radiation Exposure for Diagnosis: A Questionnaire Survey

We investigated how a radiologic technologist explains to a patient about the risk of radiation exposure involved by the radiological examination. In this institutional review board-approved, cross-sectional study, an online questionnaire link was emailed to 650 radiological technologists who are members of the National Hospital Kanto Koshinetsu Radiological Technologist Association. The questions to survey risk communication included the ideal and reality explanation for radiation exposure to patients, the respondent's educational background, and years of experience. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and Bonferroni correction as a multiple comparison test. Among the 650 radiological technologists, 245 (37.7%) completed the online questionnaire. The most common response was to compare and convey the doses of radiation during examination and background radiation when asked by a patient about risk. In the cross-analysis, the Kruskal-Wallis test showed no significant difference in what was explained according to educational background. According to years of experience, a significant difference in the content was found about explanation of the risk to patients. We clarified the actual condition of risk communication related to the exposure in radiological examinations. In the future, development of risk communication is expected by improving the knowledge and information of "risk" and giving explanations requested by patients.

How risk decision-makers interpret and use flood forecast information: assessing the Mississippi River Outlook email product

While the National Weather Service and its River Forecast Centers and Weather Forecast Offices produce visuals, graphics, and outreach designed to support weather forecasts and warnings and inform decisions about natural resource management and emergency services, opportunities exist for risk communication scholarship to refine theory and promote best practices for communicating such information to the various stakeholders who need it. In September 2019, two focus groups were conducted with a sample (N = 14) of National Weather Service-Memphis’ core partners to gauge perceptions about how the Weather Forecast Office provides technical information about flood risk patterns, paying particular attention to evaluations of its Mississippi River Outlook product. Research findings demonstrated that core partners may benefit from targeting risk information depending on partners’ information needs and their technical knowledge/expertise. Similarly, the results suggested a need to offer context or interpretation for unique data points (e.g., gage tables, experimental forecasts, charts, and graphs) to successfully communicate important risk information and to clarify potential misunderstandings; this consideration was underscored by the finding that core partners tended to disseminate the Mississippi River Outlook product to others in the community (e.g., business owners; residents). These findings highlight the importance of audience testing in the development of risk communication and decision-making tools.

Climate Change Coverage in Indian Print Media: A Discourse Analysis

Climate change has attracted much political and media attention in recent years. While western media coverage of this issue has been well-documented, there is a paucity of media analysis for climate change coverage in developing economies. This paper examines the media discourse generated in India among three leading English-language dailies (with centrist and conservative news values) during globally prominent climate change events. A quantitative analysis shows a peak in coverage when the Fourth Assessment Report by the IPCC was released in February 2007, and when climate change crusaders won the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2007. A qualitative content analysis reveals that frames such as scientific certainty, energy challenge, social progress, public accountability and looming disaster are widely employed by the elite Indian press to raise relevant social, economic and political issues. Cross-cultural comparisons of media constructs, especially with Europe and America, help identify the further development of risk communication in this field. In a broader, global sense, this work can be tied in to the idea of the ‘climatic turn’ as suggested by European researchers with climate change evolving into a grand, transnational narrative.

Acute Respiratory Illness and Health-Seeking Behavior in Egyptian Villages: Enhancing Pandemic Preparedness by Understanding Local Realities

The emergence of influenza viruses has raised awareness worldwide about influenza pandemic risks. Pandemic preparedness emphasizes development of risk communication and surveillance systems. The objective was to explore community classification of Acute Respiratory Illness (ARI) and health-seeking behaviors. Twenty in-depth interviews and 18 focus group discussions were conducted with caretakers in Egypt. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the thematic analysis. ARI terminology contained few terms, usage of them was complex, and microorganism not part of illness explanation. Severe ARI was associated with social stigma. Homecare included extensive use of medications. In mild and severe ARI, health-seeking determinants varied. Classification of ARI parallels World Health Organization case definitions for ARI, facilitating risk communication. Homecare practices are social norms that can be expanded to include messages on ARI. Risk communication strategies and surveillance systems need to consider socio-cultural understanding of ARI.

Risk communication in the internet age: The rise of disorganized skepticism

Communicating risks has become a core ingredient in the regulatory functions of government, interest group advocacy, public health, and corporate relations. The channels of risk communication have grown in complexity along with the development and expansion of the Internet and the birth of personalized blogging. This paper discusses three stages in the development of risk communication as an area of study and research. It examines the way risk is framed in three channels of communication, newsprint, the Expanded Academic Index, and Google using the example of the controversial chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The paper concludes that the Internet, as illustrated by the Google search engine, has created more opportunities for citizen learning and expanded the breadth and channels of risk communication, while also providing new opportunities for stakeholders to influence the message. Democritization of information does not necessarily create greater concordance between the cultural and technical assessment of risk.

Policies in place throughout the world: action by the European Union

Policies in place throughout the world: action by the European Union

BRIDGING THE GAP FOR EFFECTIVE DISPERSANT DECISIONS THROUGH RISK COMMUNICATION

ABSTRACT Dispersant use has been the focus of many research studies over the last two decades. However, traditional research and communication efforts have been unable to successfully resolve decision-making concerns on the ecological effects and effectiveness of dispersant use. This paper describes an innovative project to address these concerns through the use of a theoretically based and empirically tested approach to effective risk communication development and evaluation. The study is founded on the premise that people's basic frames of reference, their previous knowledge on the subject, their set of values, and the format and structure of the new information will all contribute to their interpretation of the information. Only by taking these “mental models” into account can risk communication effectively supply people with the information they need to make informed, independent judgments. Using one-on-one interviews and written questionnaires, the individual perspectives of federal, state, and regional regulators and environmental and marine user groups were elicited relative to dispersant use and its risk. Their mental models were then compared to an expert decision model to identify topics to be addressed in issue papers.