Winner of PRSA Health Academy/Quinnipiac University Paper Competition Discusses Public Communication Around H1N1 Flu

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Public meetings are an effective way to disseminate accurate information to the public about communicable diseases, such as the H1N1 influenza virus, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Missouri and the Northern Kentucky Health Department. The study will be presented at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Health Academy Conference, April 14-16 in Chicago. The conference theme is "Effective Communication in an Era of Health Care Transformation: Practical Strategies to Navigate Change."

“The Health Academy annual gathering is an ideal opportunity for public relations researchers to share their insights with practitioners and to encourage a greater dialogue between those in the field and those in academia.”

“Public meetings are an understudied public relations tactic for communicating with members of the public, including health professionals, about emerging diseases, such as H1N1 influenza,” said María E. Len-Ríos, Ph.D., assistant professor of strategic communication, University of Missouri School of Journalism. “Our study demonstrates that these meetings present significant opportunities for dispelling rumors, accurately communicating risk and quelling unrealistic fears.”

Dr. Len-Ríos co-authored the paper, “Public Meetings as a Venue to Engage in Dialogue With the Public About Swine Flu Risk and Vaccinations,” with Missouri School of Journalism graduate student Bokyung Kim; Emily Gresham Wherle, public information manager, Northern Kentucky Health Department; and Dr. Steven Katkowsy, district director of health, Northern Kentucky Health Department.

The paper is the winner of the second annual PRSA Health Academy/Quinnipiac University Paper Competition, which is designed to encourage research that enhances the practice of health care public relations. Held in conjunction with Quinnipiac University, the competition invites professors, doctoral students and doctoral candidates to submit papers on a variety of topics, including health care management, hospital public relations and pharmaceutical public relations.

“We appreciate the continued support of Quinnipiac University in sponsoring the paper competition for a second year,” said Paula L. Pedene, APR, 2010 PRSA Health Academy chair and public affairs officer, Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Phoenix, Ariz. “We are also thankful for the contributions of Dr. Len-Ríos and her colleagues to the body of public relations knowledge, and look forward to her presentation.”

“We began this competition last year to help health care public relations professionals bridge the gap between theory, research and practice,” said Kurt Wise, Ph.D., APR, chair, public relations department, Quinnipiac University and PRSA Health Academy Executive Committee member. “The Health Academy annual gathering is an ideal opportunity for public relations researchers to share their insights with practitioners and to encourage a greater dialogue between those in the field and those in academia.”

Full results of the study will be released by Dr. Len-Ríos at the conference. For more information, visit the Health Academy conference Web site.

About Quinnipiac University

Quinnipiac University is a private, coeducational university with more than 5,000 undergraduate and 2,000 graduate students. Quinnipiac is located in Hamden, Connecticut, 90 minutes from New York City and two hours from Boston.

About the PRSA Health Academy

The Health Academy is the largest Professional Interest Section within PRSA. Through the convergence of health care and public relations, the Academy promotes excellence in communications and an educational dialogue across the entire health care industry for the professional enhancement of its members.

About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

With more than 31,000 members, PRSA is the largest organization of public relations professionals and students. PRSA is comprised of 111 local Chapters organized into 10 geographic Districts; 16 Professional Interest Sections that focus on issues, trends and research relevant to specialized practice areas, such as technology, health care, financial communications, entertainment and sports, and travel tourism; and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which has more than 300 Chapters at colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. PRSA is headquartered in New York.