H1N1 Swine Flu Threat
During this current H1N1 pandemic in the US experts reliably estimate that:
- 30–50% of the U.S. population will get sick.
- That’s 60-120 million people.
- At least half of them will seek medical care.
- 1.8 million Americans could be hospitalized with about half dying under a worst-case scenario.
- 300,000 patients will require intensive care (ICUs).
- Children and pregnant women are more vulnerable to this strain of H1N1.
The H1N1 vaccine and good personal and public hygiene will protect millions and could cut these statistics by 50%!
This according to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).
Yet only 35% of parents polled in October 2009 said that they intend to have their child vaccinated. Click here to see polling data.
Clearly just “telling” people what to do does not work in this day and age.
The need for a new approach to H1N1 messaging
The H1N1 pandemic has created confusion and concern, and people are making decisions based on less than good information. The situation requires people to think more like scientists every day, but most messages about H1N1 don’t support that. To think like a scientist, we need clear information – the facts, the history, the data. We need to know something about how health systems work, and we need the skills to assess the evidence and the skills to weigh options.
In How To Think Like a Scientist: H1N1 (copyright), we take the mystery out of public health advisories and recommendations.
The video introduces vital health concepts –
- What is a virus?
- How does it spread?
- What’s the role of public health surveillance in protecting me and my family?
The problem with most H1N1 Swine Flu messages is that there’s plenty of advice and recommendations, but not enough clear, understandable, trustworthy evidence or good reasons presented to support for those recommendations. Often when experts try to communicate more than bare bones information, it quickly gets too complicated. And talking heads, no matter how expert, don’t get people’s attention and teach for action.
“How To Think Like a Scientist: H1N1” is an excellent tool to communicate important information about H1N1 to your audiences quickly and confidently.
Health Literacy
It is well documented that for millions of adults in the United States, most health information – pamphlets, fact sheets, websites – is hard to read and to use. The information doesn’t motivate people to take action to improve their health and safety, because it is either:
- too complex and too technical
- watered down and overly simplistic
- not engaging
Low health literacy, often called a “silent killer”, is a major public health issue in the US (Institute of Medicine, 2004; Zarcadoolas, Pleasant & Greer, 2006)
Click here to read an excerpt from the book.
Over 20 years of research shows that almost half of adults do not understand basic health information. Astoundingly less than 20% of the population has basic science literacy (National Science Foundation). Too often when writers simplify the language of health, they eliminate most of the science. We believe a major reformulation of health messaging is required, if we are all to reach Healthy People 2010 goals.
How To Health Literacy creates timely, clear, easy to understand videos and other online and print health education tools for a wide range of audiences. Our H1N1 video takes critically important science building blocks related to H1N1 and viruses and makes the information clear and understandable.
Licensing and Use
How To Think Like a Scientist: H1N1 can be licensed for streaming on your website or downloading on demand.
How To Health Literacy can also:
- create original videos for your specific health communication needs,
- support multiple language/literacy needs, and
- provide consultation on updating current materials or reformulating communication strategies.
Please contact us for more information. We offer discounted rates to public health agencies, health care providers and not-for-profits.
The Animator
Daniel McCool graduated from Pratt Institute in 2006 with a BFA in Animation. He has worked on programs for A&E and Nick Jr, most recently on Nick JR’s “Wonder Pets”. He is currently working on an internet cartoon series planning to launch in early 2010 and plays music frequently with his hometown Delaware band.