OUTLINE COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY
Shared decision making implementation programme
1
Context:
Provide a bit of background to your project as a backdrop to the communication strategy. Outline who you are and what the project is trying to
achieve for your patients, health care professionals and the organisation.
2.
Objectives:
Your objectives should ensure that your communications strategy is project driven rather than communications driven. Your communications
activity is not an end in itself but should serve and hence be aligned with your implementation programme objectives. Ask yourself what you can
do within communications to help your project achieve its core objectives.
Examples might include:
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3.
To raise awareness and understanding of the positive changes and benefits that shared decision making will bring to patients, healthcare
professionals and the organisation.
To engage staff within the shared decision making implementation team/s and keep them up to speed with the project plans and progress
against them.
To encourage patients/public to get involved in the initiative and understand the benefits of shared decision making.
To manage expectations by providing a realistic view of the change and what will be happening and when.
To ensure that shared decision making is viewed as a resource that is supporting the transformation of services offered by the
organisation and that patient care and experience is improved.
To ensure communication is focused, consistent, timely and effective
Audiences
It might be useful to complete a stakeholder mapping exercise before you complete this section. You are aiming to identify those audiences with
whom you need to communicate to achieve your objectives.
Examples might include
 The core clinical team
 Current and future patients and their family and/or carers
 The wider clinical team
 Clinical staff across the organisation/patient pathway
 Middle management and support staff
 Executive Board
 Commissioners
3.
Key Messages
Messages may vary during the lifetime of the project (slippage, unexpected change) however strategic targeting and consistency are key to your
project’s promotion. Creating a comprehensive case covering all the key messages, and emphasising the different elements of the project for
different audiences is very important.
To maximise impact you should be able to summarise the project’s benefits in three brief, key points which can be constantly repeated.
Remember that storytelling is a powerful method of communication: use interesting narrative, human interest stories and arresting imagery. The
‘Ask Three Questions’ approach of the MAGIC project is a key example in shared decision making.
4.
Communication Tools and Activities Approaches
There are many different communication & social marketing techniques you could use, and learning from other parts of your organisation or
other projects can be really helpful in fast tracking your project communication strategy. Many people will be happy to share their literature and
experiences so it’s worth asking around. External organisations involved in the project (e.g. local authority, voluntary sector) may be prepared to
include items in newsletter, websites, meetings etc. Examples of some of the things you might consider include:
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Face-to-face: Key networks such as trust boards and sub-committees, local forums, user groups/public forums, Staff Side, team
meetings, conferences, seminars, presentations, inductions and training sessions.
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Print-based: General publications and communications produced by the organisation can advertise the project e.g. service brochures,
board papers, staff bulletins, annual reports, press releases, leaflets and posters.
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Electronic and audio-visual: Organisational websites, intranet, e.g. notice boards and news items, weekly/monthly e-mail bulletins.
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Information push – where users will get information directly through face to face presentations/briefings, newsletters, emails, guidance
documents.
5.
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Information pull – where users can go to a central source for more detailed information that is relevant to them in a particular area such
as local intranet and organisation website.
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Standardise formats/style – in order to foster a strong identity and image for the project, it may be worth developing a set of
standardised reporting tools for everyone to use The ‘Ask Three Questions’ format developed by the MAGIC programme is a great
example of this.
Resources & Timescales
Be clear about the resources you have dedicated to this work and the timescales you are seeking to meet. The key rules to observe are always
to deliver what you promise and never over promise. Use your resources and timescales to set legitimate levels of expectations - you may also
then wish to outline the case for increased dedicated resources.
6.
Evaluation & Amendment
It’s always a good idea to measure the success of any communication plan and its deliverables. For client surveys, use open questions with
appropriate prompts and benchmarks and, if possible, get someone independent to do the work. Consider and discuss the results carefully and
use them to amend your strategy.
Example questions you might consider asking are:
• What do you read/see/hear?
• What works/doesn’t work?
• What do you want to see more of?
• What information do you need that you are not currently supplied with?
• How often do you want us to communicate with you?
While drawing up your strategy, you should involve your team, and on a smaller scale, the entire organisation. Feed the communications strategy
into the project’s overall strategy to ensure maximum alignment and efficiency.
Target audience
Core clinical team
and support staff
Current and future patients
and their family and/or
carers
Clinical staff across the
organisation/ patient
pathway (wider team/s)
Middle management
(aligned to the core clinical
team and wider team/s)
Board/ Senior Management
Team
Commissioners
Associated organisationslocal authority, voluntary
sector etc.
Approach/Objectives
Action
Timings
Other Resources
Impact Strategy
http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/tools-and-resources/impact-toolkit/developing-plan/index.aspx
Social media toolkits
http://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/ToolsTemplates/SocialMediaToolkit_BM.pdf
Communication Strategy
http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/docs/6369.pdf
Communication Strategy and Stakeholder Analysis
http://www.knowhownonprofit.org/campaigns/communications/effective-communications-1/communications-strategy