Table 4.

Communication considerations for preventive care during COVID-19.

1. Use accurate, truthful, and transparent messages: • Communicate uncertainty clearly and openly • Don't exaggerate, and do not over- or under-reassure individuals • Lay out risks and potential consequences with an appropriate tone • Be specific: provide numbers and context, where possible

2.Use messaging that provokes positive (self-worth, self-care), not negative (fear, shame) emotions

3.Understand your audience (class, age, risk, communication style), engage individual perspectives, and tailor the message to reach them

4.Acknowledge emotions; provide information empathically

5.Respect people's self-determination to make their own cancer screening decisions

6.Be aware of questions, knowledge gaps, and misinformation in your community (e.g., monitor social media) and be able to counter and correct myths