Inclusive Crisis Communication in a Pandemic Context: A Rapid Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health Communication
• Health Disparities
• Information Science

Background:

• Crisis communication often fails to reach vulnerable groups, including non-native speakers, individuals with low literacy, low socioeconomic status, and sensory impairments.
• Ineffective outreach leads to information inequality and exacerbates societal and health costs during public health emergencies like pandemics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize evidence on strategies for enhancing inclusive pandemic-related crisis communication.
• To identify effective forms, channels, and outreach methods for diverse and underserved populations.

Main Methods:

• A rapid review methodology was employed, involving a comprehensive search, rigorous screening, and quality assessment of studies.
• Twelve comparative studies were included, with data analyzed and presented using structured narrative tables.

Main Results:

• Higher message frequency can decrease recall; audio-visual formats and tailored messages are effective under specific conditions.
• Primary healthcare practitioners are identified as the most trusted information sources across most citizen groups.
• Advance notification of exceptions to preventive measures enhances trust among citizens.

Conclusions:

• The review provides evidence to combat information inequality in COVID-19 crisis communication.
• Strategies focus on removing sensorial, linguistic, cultural, and textual barriers for minorities and underserved audiences.
• Effective communication outreach is crucial for mitigating the negative health and societal impacts of pandemics.