A communication strategy was developed by The Consortium to Perform Human Biomonitoring on a European Scale (COPHES), as part of its objectives to develop a framework and protocols to enable the collection of comparable human biomonitoring data throughout Europe. The framework and protocols were tested in the pilot study DEMOCOPHES (Demonstration of a study to Coordinate and Perform Human biomonitoring on a European Scale). The aims of the communication strategy were to raise awareness of human biomonitoring, encourage participation in the study and to communicate the study results and their public health significance. It identified the audiences and key messages, documented the procedure for dissemination of results and was updated as the project progressed. A communication plan listed the tools and materials such as press releases, flyers, recruitment letters and information leaflets required for each audience with a time frame for releasing them. Public insight research was used to evaluate the recruitment material, and the feedback was used to improve the documents. Dissemination of results was coordinated in a step by step approach by the participating countries within DEMOCOPHES, taking into account specific national messages according to the needs of each country. Participants received individual results, unless they refused to be informed, along with guidance on what the results meant. The aggregate results and policy recommendations were then communicated to the general public and stakeholders, followed by dissemination at European level. Several lessons were learnt that may assist other future human biomonitoring studies. Recruitment took longer than anticipated and so social scientists, to help with community engagement, should be part of the research team from the start. As a European study, involving multiple countries, additional considerations were needed for the numerous organisations, different languages, cultures, policies and priorities. Therefore, communication documents should be seen as templates with essential information clearly indicated and the option for each country to tailor the material to reflect these differences. Future studies should consider setting up multidisciplinary networks of medical professionals and communication experts, and holding training workshops to discuss the interpretation of results and risk communication. Publicity and wide dissemination of the results helped to raise awareness of human biomonitoring to the general public, policy makers and other key stakeholders. Effective and timely communication, at all stages of a study, is essential if the potential of human biomonitoring research to improve public health is to be realised.

BiPRO GmbH Munich Germany

Centre de Recherche Public Gabriel Lippmann Belvaux Luxembourg

Environmental Health Center Cluj Romania

Environmental Health Science International Hulst The Netherlands

Environmental Toxicology Centro Nacional de Sanidad Ambiental Instituto de Salud Carlos 3 Majadahonda Madrid Spain

Federal Environment Agency Berlin Germany

Federal Public Service Health Food Chain Safety and Environment Brussels Belgium

Flemish Institute for Technological Research Environmental Risk and Health Unit Belgium

Flemish Institute for Technological Research Environmental Risk and Health Unit Belgium; University of Antwerp Belgium

Hainaut Vigilance Sanitaire and Hygiene Publique in Hainaut Mons Belgium

Health Service Executive Dublin Ireland

Independent TV Director and Communications Consultant Barcelona Spain

Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance Institute of the Ruhr Universitat Bochum Bochum Germany

Institute of Preventive Medicine Lisbon Faculty of Medicine Portugal

Jožef Stefan Institute Ljubljana Slovenia

Karolinska Institute Stockholm Sweden

Laboratoire National de Santé Dudelange Luxembourg

Larnaca General Hospital Ministry of Health Republic of Cyprus

National Institute of Environmental Health Budapest Hungary

National Institute of Public Health Prague Czech Republic

Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine Łódź Poland

Provincial Institute for Hygiene Kronenburgstraat 45 2000 Antwerp Belgium

Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic Bratislava Slovakia

Public Health England Centre for Radiation Chemical and Environmental Hazards Chilton Didcot South Oxfordshire OX10 8BW United Kingdom

State General Laboratory Ministry of Health Republic of Cyprus

University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark

University of Leuven Leuven Belgium

Citace poskytuje Crossref.org

User-Centred Design of a Final Results Report for Participants in Multi-Sensor Personal Air Pollution Exposure Monitoring Campaigns