Healthcare Reform: What Now for Communicators?

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August, 2010

Since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act almost five months ago, many of us have been focused on the complicated question of how the healthcare reform law will roll-out.

Recognizing the complexity involved with implementation, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has called for healthcare reform “to be as clear and transparent as possible." And since clear communication is part of the job description for healthcare communications professionals like us, it stands to reason that we have an important role to play in providing the clarity that is currently in high demand.

Given this challenge, below are some tips to help better understand, anticipate and facilitate the changes that lie ahead.

  • Read, Read, Read: Elements of the law are complex and still being interpreted. Take some time to sign up for RSS feeds and follow experts you admire via their blogs, Twitter or LinkedIn. Invest the time to attend briefings, meetings and conferences on topics like health information technology and comparative effectiveness. Also, bookmark a timeline of reform provisions from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
  • Consider the Other Side: We are often more effective when we understand various stakeholder perspectives. In this case, consider how health reform will impact industry, insurers, doctors, patients, advocates and the general public. Where do these players align? What do they fear most? Where do they stand to gain? Knowing the different perspectives gives you a competitive advantage for shaping your key message.
  • Get in on the Action: Reform initiatives have paved the way for existing and new entities to define payment mechanisms, future research agendas and establish new quality controls. To help shape these initiatives consider joining boards or coalitions, supporting demonstration projects, providing public testimony or developing policy positions on issues that are important to you. The federal government has established channels to help foster stakeholder involvement such as www.healthcare.gov.

Now is an exciting time for health communicators and we should not sit and wait to see “what happens.”  Rather, by understanding the issues and clearly communicating about them, we can effectively streamline and ultimately influence the implementation of reform measures that are important to our stakeholders.