By Joenesha Hardman, Health Communications Specialist
The COVID-19 pandemic vividly underscored the critical role of public health communication in safeguarding community well-being. It also exposed vulnerabilities in how information, and misinformation, can shape public perception and behavior. As we move forward, a key challenge remains: how do we effectively communicate about health risks that are not widely understood by the broader public, yet can have profound impacts on patients and their families, particularly concerning long-term health or birth outcomes?
Our work at Karna often centers on precisely this question, particularly within the realm of maternal and child health. Take Cytomegalovirus (CMV), for instance. Despite being a common infection and a leading infectious cause of birth defects, a critical disconnect persists: its known clinical significance is often unmet by widespread public awareness or consistent discussion in prenatal care.
The Quiet Challenge of CMV in Prenatal Care
Recent clinician triads conducted by Karna, involving ob-gyns, nurse midwives, and pediatricians, shed light on why CMV often goes unmentioned in routine prenatal visits. This lack of discussion is especially notable given that congenital CMV (cCMV), an infection acquired by a baby before birth, can lead to serious, lifelong health issues including hearing loss and developmental delays. A primary that clinicians are not regularly discussing CMV with pregnant patients. This isn’t due to a lack of care, but rather a confluence of factors:
- Perceived Low Risk and Prevalence: Many clinicians noted they’ve only seen one or two cases of cCMV (congenital CMV) resulting in birth defects throughout their careers, leading to a perception of low individual risk.
- Absence of Prevention Recommendations: In the absence of a vaccine to protect against CMV, providers feel they lack concrete prevention strategies to offer beyond general hygiene advice. This can make a conversation about CMV seem less actionable and thus, less urgent.
- Time Constraints: With jam-packed appointment schedules, clinicians are constantly prioritizing topics, and CMV often takes a backseat to more commonly discussed infectious diseases or pregnancy complications.
Interestingly, our research also found that patients rarely bring up CMV themselves, with the exception of those working in healthcare or childcare professions. This indicates a significant gap in general public awareness that contributes to the cycle of non-discussion.
Shifting the Paradigm: Strategic Solutions for Public Health
These findings highlight a systemic challenge in communicating about “invisible” or under-prioritized health threats. To foster more proactive dialogue and increase awareness of conditions like CMV, even in the absence of a vaccine, we must consider strategic shifts in our public health communication approaches:
- Empower Patient Inquiry: Since often discuss CMV when patients ask, a crucial first step is to increase general population awareness about CMV and cCMV. Public awareness campaigns focusing on the risks during pregnancy and potential outcomes for infants can encourage pregnant individuals to initiate conversations with their providers.
- Equip Clinicians with Actionable Resources: Providers need more than just clinical data; they need practical tools that fit into their busy workflows. Such tools include information sheets for patients accompanied by clear guidance for clinicians on how to answer common questions and address patient concerns. These resources must be succinct, evidence-based, and easy to integrate into brief patient encounters.
- Leverage Trusted Networks: The triads reinforce that “go-to” trusted sources for education vary by clinician type. Public health agencies should partner with clinicians’ trusted sources (e.g., professional organizations, medical societies) to disseminate CMV information through established channels.
- Tailor Communication: provide information and data without fearmongering, consider low literacy levels, and be available in multiple languages. Providers’ preference for short videos, infographics, and QR codes over longer; text-heavy materials also point towards a patient’s need for engaging, digestible content.
The challenge of CMV communication mirrors broader issues in public health where perceived low risk, competing priorities, and a lack of clear interventions can lead to critical information gaps. By understanding the barriers from both the patient and provider perspectives, we can design more effective, integrated communication strategies. A proactive approach elevates awareness of specific health risks and strengthens the overall patient-provider communication ecosystem, fostering a culture where every health concern can be openly discussed and addressed.