This project aimed to improve communication between medical experts and media practitioners in Malaysia about public health issues. A study was conducted through open-ended interviews with journalists and doctors to identify challenges they face in covering health topics. Key findings included medical news being oversimplified and facts not verified, as well as journalists facing word limits and medical jargon. Recommendations included media training for experts, using alternative media platforms, and establishing a science media center to disseminate research findings and translate recommendations into policy strategies. The project sought to understand communication hurdles and develop strategies to close existing gaps, but did not include measurements of impact.

1. Name : KENG TECK EE & DR NIRMALA BHOO-PATHY
Economy : MALAYSIA
Table 1: To be completed by each participating economies
No.
Title and Theme of
Assignment
Problem
Statement
Goals, Objectives
and Relevance
Methodology &
Coverage
Key Outcomes,
Benefits &
Weaknesses
Strategies Recommendations
Economy:
1 Title:
Effective
communication of
public health and
medicine through
media
Major Theme:
Science and the
Media
Minor Theme:
Public Health and
Medicine
Organizations
involved:
NST, MABIC, UM,
UKM, YSN-ASM
Poor
communication
between experts
and the media
practitioners in
highlighting
health issues to
the mass.
Goals:
Long term:
To increase and
improve the quality
of health news
coverage in local
media reporting.
Short term:
To best
communicate
scientific research
and results to the
media for the
benefit of the
public.
Objectives:
To understand and
address the
challenges and
hurdles scientists
and media
Modes of
communication:
Open-ended, non-
structured questions
Interviewer
administered
Coverage of
implementation:
Junior journalists,
doctors from
government and
private settings.
Evaluation method
to measure the
effectiveness of the
communication
It is a qualitative
study. No
measurement was
done.
Key outcomes:
Several issues
were identified.
Medical
practitioners felt
that medical and
public health news
are over-
simplified, and
facts were not
verified prior to
publication.
They also felt
media had some
sort of agenda in
their choice of
news coverage.
On the other
hand, journalists
justified they were
limited by column
Strategies:
Scientist needs
media training for
spokeperson.
given
Experts
accompanied the
spokeperson (e.g.
the Director
General or
President of
Association).
All issues can be
voiced expect
policy-related
issues.
Create awareness
about
Use alternative
Structured
questionnaire –
quantitative
studies
Various
stakeholders from
various levels of
management, age,
experience.
More resources of
time & money
Survey should be
done to collect
feedback from the
public.
Establish a team of
science
communicator,
supported by a PR

2. practitioners face
in covering health
issues and latest
developments in
the medicine field.
Relevance:
By understanding
and addressing the
challenges faced by
media and scientist
in communicating
medical and public
health issues, we
will be able to
come out with
strategies, aiming
to close the
communication gap
that currently exist.
space, and they
were confused by
use of medical
jargons. It was
against company’s
policy to get
medical
practitioners to
review accuracy of
news article prior
to publication.
Benefits:
Non applicable
Weaknesses:
Evaluation method
to measure
effectiveness of
survey captured.
Effective science
communication
metrics is not
defined.
Limitation in
coverage and
responses from
medical
researchers.
Lack of credentials
to support the
response
collection effort.
media i.e. social
media as a
watchdog as a
platform for
discussion/debate
agency.
Tested
communication
toolkit (model),
press release
checklist, and
media preparation
kit.

3. Table 2: To be completed by each participating economies
No.
Project Relevance to
effective science
communication Policy
Recommendation
Improvements in Science
Communication
Currently existing
policies/plans/frameworks
of Science Communication
Policy recommendations
on effective science
communication
Establishment and roles of
Science Media Center or
any institution
Economy:
2 Explain why your project
is relevant for
developing an effective
science communication
Policy Recommendation
in five sentences
1. Scientist and
journalist should
learn to
communicate health
and medical issues to
the public, to
educate them and to
prevent unwarranted
consequences such
as panic and stress.
2. Currently, there’s a
communication gap
between medical
experts and the
media in highlighting
health issues to the
public.
3. Through this study,
What are the
improvements in Science
Communication you can
show/measure from your
project?
Due to project objectives,
this project is not an active
intervention and not aimed
to show tangible
improvements.
What are the current
policies/plans/frameworks
of Science Communication in
your Economy?
Further substantiated by
ASM.
Input on policy
recommendations on
effective science
communication practices
in APEC economies
All research institutions
related to health must
have a public relation
office or technology
transfer office, to
communicate science and
its benefits.
Science communication
courses should be made
compulsory for all
researchers.
Journalist reporting
medical and health
matters should obtain
formal health
communication training.
For example, the National
Input on establishment
and roles of Science
Media Center or any
institution as an output of
the project
Recommendations for
policy and strategies can
be translated through this
Media Centre.
Media Centre should
explore infotainment
(sexy-fied) approach to
attract the mass public.
Media Centre should act
as one-stop information
hub to disseminate
medical research findings
from local and
international groups.
It must be made clear this
Media Centre will also

4. we learnt the
challenges and
hurdles faced by
scientists and media
practitioners in
communication of
health issues to the
mass.
4. These findings
enabled us to come
with strategies to
address the gap in
communication.
5. Implementation of
these strategies is
expected to increase
and to improve the
quality of news
coverage in
Malaysian media.
Cancer Institute (NCI) had
similar training on-going
for journalists.
Greater autonomy should
be given to subject matter
experts covered by code of
conducts or professional
bodies or by the
government; to
communicate to media
directly. Contexts,
conditions and limitations
of autonomy must be
defined.
Think tanks as neutral
intermediary organisation
to connect researchers,
expert, media and policy
maker.
spearhead other roles
(such as news coverage
lobbying and awareness
intervention) until strategy
units can function
independently and
sustainably.