The role of the public in the management of public health risks (original) (raw)

Risk Communication: An Avenue for Public Involvement

Journal - American Water Works Association, 1988

Government agencies dealing with environmental issues have traditionally excluded the public from the regulatory decision-making process, opting instead to solicit public comment mainly after decisions have been made. Faced with increasing health threats from environmental contaminants and fearing a loss of control over decisions that affect their lives, the public is demanding to be involved throughout the regulatory process. Recent research on risk communication offers regulatory agencies a framework for developing new approaches to public involvement.

Public interpretation of risk information: decisions and action

CSS Risk and Resilience Report, 2015

This focus report explores the relationship between risk communication and public decision making regarding risk. This topic is of central interest to risk communicators given that the gap between risk messages and public behaviour is widely recognised, but nevertheless remains difficult to manage. Effectively communicating risk mitigation and hazard adaptation strategies to the at-risk public is a fundamental goal and role of risk management organisations globally. Appreciating why formal risk messages do not always result in the intended risk protective behaviour is therefore as important to the risk communicator as technical knowledge about risk, its probability of occurrence, and the consequences for society.

The Public Management of Risk: The Case for Deliberating among Worldviews

Review of Policy Research, 2009

This article argues that the public management of risk faces inherent "wicked issue" problems which are further accentuated in the context of the contemporary regulatory state. It is suggested that in order to overcome these limitations and inevitable trade-offs, there needs to be a more conscientious effort in setting out distinct components of any public management of risk, which should be considered and discussed through the lens of distinct worldviews contrasting interpretations and solutions, as well as potential "black-spots." It is only by acknowledging limitations of any one strategy and by considering plural solutions that there is less likelihood of disappointment when dealing with crises and disasters.

Risk communication in public health and health security

2018

Risk communication is a core capacity under the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Health Regulations (2005) and an important part of modern public health practice. However, while international legislative frameworks set the scope of risk communication, there is a demand for increasing and improving evidence and skills in risk communication research, policy and strategy development, evaluation of practice and sustainable capacity building. This cumulative habilitation describes the major contributions to the field of risk communication in public health and health security both at a thematic, content level of risk communication research policy and practice and at a broader methodological level. It introduces the new conceptual paradigm of risk communication that moves risk communication from being a technical capacity to convey health risk information to a targeted audience to a governance approach with three strategic axes of information (gathering, assessing and sharin...

Risk identification, assessment and management in public health practice: a practical approach in one public health department

Journal of Public Health, 2003

The continuing identification, assessment and management of risks are key themes for clinical governance. These themes are being integrated into both primary and secondary care practice; however, integration into public health practice appears much slower. This paper describes the recent approach that we have taken in Sheffield, and proposes a model for public health departments to identify, assess and manage risks, which complements other risk management processes and is transferable to other settings. It assumes that public health practice is not a risk-free activity and holds that the process of identifying, assessing and managing risks is a key component to raising standards.

Communication and Community Involvement to Support Risk Governance

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

In past years, communication activities have become increasingly important in the environment and health domain, considering the concurrent developments of social media and scientific citizenship that contributed changes in legislation and culture. Communication is particularly crucial where an environmental hazard is present, as in the case of high risk environmental and health risk areas. The project “International Center of Advanced Study in Environment, Ecosystem and Human Health” (CISAS), carried out by the Italian National Research Council, covers multiple research activities, from ecology to biology and medical sciences, from epidemiology to social sciences and communication. Three different studies based on human biomonitoring and a birth cohort study are currently in progress in the project locations, together with studies on the environmental fate of pollutants. A clear, accurate and respectful communication of study protocols and results represents a priority to produce c...

Improving society's management of risks - a statement of principles

2019

In 2018 a new collaborative initiative was launched by Atomium-EISD to encourage ways risk can be intelligently understood and managed. This collaboration seeks to foster greater public risk literacy, from its stronger forms of developing better statistical understanding to more basic abilities to recognize characteristics of both bad and good risk communication and research. The aim is to make an actionable impact on risk conversations in society, among thought-leaders and between decision-makers and to improve the quality of debate and decision making around risk issues. The ultimate aim is to free up societal resources which can then be used for the greater good of the public.

Management of risk in the public interest

Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 1991

There is no Canadian policy for the management of health and safety in the public interest. Both lives and resources are lost as a result. Limited life-saving resources ought to be spent efficiently in the public interest. If the life expectancy at birth is the measure of safety overall, then account must be given of the efficiency of any safety program, policy, project, or regulation in terms of the years of life in good health saved and the cost incurred. A comparison is made of 26 programs implemented in the United States, and it is shown that they collectively waste several thousand lives per year; 95 cents on the dollar is wasted. An absolute upper cost limit is established, which no life-saving program can exceed without consuming more human time than it returns. Some elements of a rational safety policy, and some concrete steps that ought to be taken now towards its implementation, are suggested. Key words: risk, management, public interest, health, safety, life, human develo...

Risk Communication and the Social Amplification of Public Sector Risk

Public Money and Management, 1998

Concerns exist within the public sector about the ability of organizations to communicate issues of risk. These concerns include: the nature and magnitude of risks; the vulnerability of those who may bear the consequences associated with an event; and the sense of helplessness felt by victim groups. Apart from the public sector's role as risk generator, regulator and communicator, it also has some responsibility for dealing with the consequences of a major catastrophic event through agencies such as health care and the emergency services. Under certain conditions, it is apparent that concerns over risk issues can escalate beyond a level expected by those charged with the management of that risk. Within this framework, the effective communication of risk and uncertainty is an integral, but often neglected, part of public sector activities. This article explores the process of risk communication and risk amplification and suggests a number of perspectives on policy development.