Document Type : Review paper
Author
Managing Director, Health Communication Media, Ahwaz, Iran
Abstract
Transformations in the healthcare system, the expansion of digital media, the increasing complexity of the communication environment, and the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic have underscored the necessity of redefining the role of communication in health governance and service delivery. The central problem of this research is to elucidate the position of public relations as an organizational actor within the architecture of health communication and to determine the components of its strategic role in Iran. This study was conducted using a review method, and the findings of domestic and international research in the fields of health public relations, health communication, strategic communication, stakeholder engagement, digital communication, internal organizational communication, risk communication, infodemic management, and trust in health organizations were analyzed and synthesized. The findings encompass the identification of eight interconnected components for the strategic role of public relations: audience identification and analysis, strategic communication management, stakeholder relationship management, media and digital communication, intra-organizational communication, risk and crisis communication, misinformation and infodemic management, and trust-building and social participation. A comparison of the findings with previous studies indicates that these components align with research evidence concerning the importance of audience-centeredness, participation, information quality, communication evaluation, team communication, infodemic management, and organizational trust. Accordingly, the conceptual framework of this article positions public relations as the coordinating link among the health organization, professionals, media, society, and other stakeholders. This framework is conceptual in nature, and field research and model testing are required for its empirical validation.
Keywords
Subjects
Sociology of Social Communication