As the state’s borders reopened and COVID-19 entered the community. Queensland Health was proactive in planning for the next stage of its COVID-19 pandemic response. Articulous was engaged to assist in managing public-facing and internal communications to ensure a successful transition into the next phase of the COVID-19 Health System Response Plan.
Articulous provided a strong and reputable team of communication experts who delivered high quality materials to extremely tight deadlines. Liaising closely with Queensland Health stakeholders, Articulous ensured every need was captured through engagement and co-design. The resulting COVID-Ready campaign aimed to reassure Queenslanders of the health system’s COVID-19 preparedness and empowered them to do the same.
Articulous developed a comprehensive communications and engagement strategy, based on the COVID-19 Health System Response Plan, and delivered a suite of communication materials to encourage COVID preparedness for all Queenslanders, educate and inform Queenslanders about the health system’s COVID-19 processes, build confidence in the Queensland Health system, demonstrate the health system’s action, and support health system staff as they transition into the next phase.
Project objectives
- Communicate to Queenslanders the need to be proactive about looking after their health, including by engaging with primary health, before COVID-19 entered the community
- Communicate to Queenslanders about what to do if they contract COVID-19
- Reassure Queenslanders that they could attend any Queensland public hospital for assistance if they were unwell with COVID-19, and that there were multiple pathways for assistance available, including primary care
- Detail Queensland’s COVID-19 Health System Response Plan and provide evidence to the community of the health system’s readiness and capacity to deal with COVID19 outbreaks
- Provide communication support to the staff across the system including hospital and health services to assist in managing outbreaks and COVID-19 cases.
Outcomes
The materials delivered by Articulous, in collaboration with Queensland Health stakeholders, including but not limited to hospital and health systems, public health networks and consumer representatives, provided Queenslanders with easy access to crucial information as the state moved into the next phase of it’s COVID-19 response plan.
It also provided clinical staff, including general practitioners, with support as they prepared their practices for COVID-19 entering the community.
Finally, the Be COVID Kind campaign promoted necessary discourse around behaviours towards others in our community as we continue to live through the pandemic, including hospitality and retail staff, health workers, and those who tested positive to COVID-19.
Queensland Health and its many stakeholders were grateful to Articulous for delivering such a comprehensive range of materials in easy to read, yet detailed language. Articulous has been acknowledged for its ability to deliver the COVID-Ready suite to an extremely tight deadline.
The project won the national 2022 EMPA Australia Award for Emergency Communications in Readiness & Resilience.
