Incorporating Human Factors into a Healthcare System’s Covid-19 Communication Strategy

The COVID-19 era has been an age of change for healthcare systems worldwide. At the beginning of the pandemic in particular, there was a huge need to rapidly communicate new and constantly changing information with critical safety implications. Previously successful communication strategies were not adequate for this unprecedented challenge. At MedStar Health, the Quality & Safety team led a unique partnership between human factors experts, clinical teams, and the communications department to develop a three-pronged strategy for effective communication during the pandemic. This strategy incorporated the following components: 1) Using human factors and usability concepts to distill complex clinical information into easy-to-understand infographics for frontline associates; 2) Creating regular, succinct messaging to distribute the information and provide frequent updates throughout the healthcare system; and 3) Designing and maintaining a usable webpage where associates could access up-to-date information relevant to their specialty at any time, on or off the hospital network. This strategy, which was dynamic and adapted to user feedback, was supported by associates as a streamlined method for communicating important information throughout the pandemic.