Promoting Your Public Report: A Hands-on Guide

Note: Customize this Email message, particularly the text in brackets, to fit your local circumstances, priorities, or perspective of the stakeholder to whom it will be sent, and helpful materials that you might develop (e.g., list of questions and suggested answers). Go to Toolkit Resources 3c, 3e, and 4b for templates for newsletter articles and possible key messages.

Dear [name],

On [date], the [collaborative name] will publicly release the [public report name]. This Email is to assist you, as our partner in coordinated communication, to promote the report to your audiences at the right time. Below is a timeline and six suggested steps to take. Also in this Email are a few template materials to help make this process as easy as possible for you or your communication team.

Timing and Suggested Steps (leading up to and including when the report becomes public):

1. [DATE RANGE]. Use the key messages (attached) as the basis for your communication.
2. [DATE RANGE]. Include articles in internal newsletter(s) to your board/clinical staff/employees about your involvement in creating the [public report name] as part of your commitment to improving health care quality in the region. Pull from the list of Questions & Answers (attached) for content. Don't forget to mention the report release date, which will be [Month ##.]
3. [DATE RANGE]. Include articles in external newsletter(s) to your patients/members/community about your involvement in creating the [public report name] as part of your commitment to improving health and health care quality in the region. Include the report release date of [Month ##], plus the [collaborative name]'s Web address ([add URL here]) for questions.
4. [X days before report release] Share the list of Questions & Answers with internal clinical staff /employee leaders so that they can respond to questions about the report. Refer questions to the [collaborative name] by Emailing [EMAIL ADDRESS HERE] or calling [(###) ###-####].
5. [DAY of REPORT RELEASE] Email an announcement (attached) to your board/clinical staff/employees about the report along with the link to the report, which will be [URL here].
6. [DAY OF REPORT RELEASE] Link the report Web site to your intranet and public Web site.

Materials for Your Use (each is attached to this Email)

1. Key Messages. (Document is intended as a resource for internal use.) These messages were refined by communication experts from many stakeholders, and approved by the [collaborative name] Board, as a foundation for coordinated communication about the report.
2. Questions & Answers. (Document is intended as a resource for internal use.) This list was refined by a multistakeholder team of communication experts. Pull from the content for your communication efforts.
3. Text for Email or Newsletter Announcement. (Customize text before sending it.) Use this to announce by Email, newsletters, intranet, and Web that the report is available to the public.

By all of us taking a coordinated approach, we will increase the number of people who are aware of the report, which is the first step toward using it for more informed health care decisionmaking. Thank you for your willingness to do your part in promoting the report. Please let us know if you have any questions.

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