National Health Communication Project
HEALTHCOMM is situated within the field of Health Communication, an interdisciplinary and expanding specialty in Spain and internationally. As part of the Digital Transition work program, the project aims to explore digital health communication through research studies and field interventions. It will leverage new technologies and data management to support educational and cybersecurity policies, and combat misinformation in digital media. Led by Professors Carlos Elias and Daniel Catalan and funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation in Spain, HEALTHCOMM brings together 30 scholars from 20 universities across 7 countries to advance health communication research, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era, from 2024 to 2028.
Objectives of the project
Generally, the project is aimed at providing implementable recommendations, based on clear new multi-source knowledge and understanding of the role that health communication plays in digital settings, with a special focus on disinformation (fake news), education and cybersecurity to improve health and digital literacy and fight against misleading communications about health.
Digital Health Engagement Analysis
Determine and analyse knowledge, public attitudes toward and behaviour relating to health information in the digital media, as well as the perceived quality of information.
Media Coverage in Health
Explore common journalistic patterns in the coverage of health by digital media, and examine the association between media coverage and knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in digital settings.
Cybersecurity and Health Policies
Explore national regulations and policies on cybersecurity against fake news and its impact on risk
perception and belief in fake news of health information in digital media.
Guidelines for Digital Health Communication
Make advanced insights about digital media and health reporting to deliver guidelines, schoolbooks
for secondary students, and recommendations identifying best practices in health communication
through digital settings.
Health Information Patterns
Uncover previously unknown/unnoticed common patterns of influence and unexpected differences in the public in relation to the use and consumption of health information in digital platforms, including the variance in the influence of cultural and socio-cognitive factors on the persuasiveness
Health Misinformation Analysis
Analyse the public discourse in the digital media about health and examine mis/disinformation (fake news) and misleading publications in social media.
Impact of Health Education
Assess the impact of education initiatives targeting journalists and other media professionals, as well
as secondary school students to improve health and digital literacy.
Network for Digital Health Communication
Establishment of the Network of Health Communication in Digital Settings to translate validation and
capitalize on the results through an extended platform of stakeholders for the digital coverage of
health-related topics.
Approach and Method
This project utilizes a mixed-method, multidisciplinary design to deliver qualitative and quantitative insights aimed at journalists, media experts, secondary school students, and the general public. The team will identify digital media channels (websites, media platforms, and social networks) used by these groups to access health-related information and analyze how this knowledge influences their beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors towards health.
Methods employed include:
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In-depth interviews and focus group discussions with public health experts, journalists, and the public to identify effective digital health communication strategies.
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A national survey across Spain.
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Content analysis of online media publications.
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Analysis of national cybersecurity and regulatory policies regarding health content in digital media.
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Implementation and evaluation of educational interventions for secondary school students, along with the development of guidelines for journalists and media experts.
