title: Key challenges and concepts in health risk communication: perspectives of agency practitioners.
abstract: The public demands that federal agencies provide information that is responsive to their fears and explains health risks clearly. In 1998 the Health Risk Communication Coordination Committee of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a federal public health agency, conducted three focus groups with agency staff to identify current knowledge and understanding of health risk communication (HRC); HRC issues, problems, and best practices; and most appropriate HRC training content. The results indicate a need for clearer communications with communities, greater sensitivity to community concerns and fears, more balanced media coverage, and more accuracy in reporting, among other findings.
authors.affiliation: Communications and Research Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. txt2@cdc.gov
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Tinker
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zook
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Chapel
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017144:Focus Groups; D006077:Government Agencies / Q000458:organization & administration; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008402:Mass Media; D011635:Public Health Administration; D011639:Public Opinion; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States