2017 Volume 32 Issue 2 Pages 74-84
Risk communication (RC), which is the interactive exchange of information, is an effective crisis management measure for new influenza pandemics. The present study shed light on RC performed by infection control nurses (ICNs) during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and the types of routine ICN activities that were factors for promoting RC at the time of the outbreak.
A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among ICNs responsible for infection control at medical institutions designated for specified infectious diseases in 2009. Routine ICN activities that were associated with promoting RC upon outbreak of the pandemic were then subjected to multivariate analysis.
RC occurred at a rate of 13%-82% upon outbreak of the pandemic, which was inadequate. Investigation about information regarding anxiety or psychological stress and other such matters experienced by hospital staff tended to be insufficient. Meanwhile, routine ICN activities that promoted RC included full-time engagement, carrying cellular phones for round-the-clock emergency contact, assigning staff as contact points for representatives of national, municipal, and neighborhood day care centers, as well as subcontractors and running consultation activities for all members of the hospital staff. In addition to routine ICN activities, enhancing RC training for ICNs and assigning multiple ICNs to medical institutions are necessary to prepare for a new strain of influenza.
