Text box 3 Public communications — reflections and lessons learned from VCH

Clinicians at VCH identified strategies that would be required for public education about triage. These included discussing the changes on the local radio and television station, as well as direct conversations with relevant stakeholders.

Clinicians considered creating a video demonstrating the triage process, to be displayed in the ED, however, the costs involved were prohibitive. Rather, a series of poster infographics in local language were developed that aimed to communicate triage principles (Fig. 2).

A local designer was commissioned to produce three different versions of the poster. The brief was to provide a visual representation of the triage process, using graphics to support the text.

Posters were initially produced in English. They were then reviewed and approved by the Ministry of Health and translated into Bislama and French (both national languages). The multilingual approach was used to ensure all community members could easily interpret the information.

The posters are now displayed in VCH’s reception area. They appear in a prominent position, so that all patients presenting for care can rapidly digest the information.