This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
ABC News medical editor touts power of communication during health crisis
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
SAN FRANCISCO — Full transparency and valid, scientific information are necessary when communicating with the populace and gaining its trust in a public health crisis, according to a presentation during the special plenary session at ID Week 2013.
Richard Besser, MD, spoke on the importance of communication when dealing with an emerging infectious disease outbreak or any public health crisis. Besser is currently the chief health and medical editor at ABC News and served as acting director of the CDC from January to June 2009, during which time he led the CDC response to the H1N1 influenza pandemic.
Richard Besser
“I was able to see the power of communication during one of our nation’s most recent public health crises, and I’m convinced that you can do everything right in responding to an outbreak, but if you are not communicating well, then you will lose the trust of the public, you will lose trust of the academic and scientific community, and you will lose the trust of political leaders,” he said. “You will fail.”
Besser said he never had aspirations to be on television, but he realized that much can be accomplished in health care through behavior change, which requires communication.
“What I’m trying to do is practice public health from behind the camera at ABC News,” Besser said, adding that he takes topics that are seen in the media, including celebrity health news, and translates them into a scientific health message that the general public can understand.
Besser concluded his presentation by advising the audience to find the time or conquer their fear of dealing with the media for the greater good of public health.
“The next time the press calls with a question, you should talk with them. It is an opportunity to reach 5 million, maybe 10 million, people with a message and improve health for many,” he said.
For more information:
Besser R. Special plenary session. Presented at: ID Week 2013; Oct. 2-6, 2013; San Francisco.
Disclosure: Besser reports no relevant financial disclosures.