A Conceptual Framework Of Integrated Crisis Communication In A Healthcare Environment: Literature Review

Abstract

Healthcare settings are prone to a crisis and proper communication is a potentially crucial life- saving intervention instead of an administrative one. Conventional methods of crisis communication are usually isolated which results in fragmented communication, loss of trust, and poor response which does not effectively respond to the complexity of healthcare emergencies. The presented literature review is a synthesis of the existing evidence, which offered a new Conceptual Framework of Integrated Crisis Communication (ICC) in healthcare. This framework is developed by combining three independent and yet dependent lenses, namely the management lens, operational coherence, and resilience; the mental health lens, psychological distress and trust- building; and the social service lens, which encompasses equity and community resilience. It was argued that there is a critical role of integration in these areas to respond. The ICC proposal has a dynamic Temporal Cycle (Preparedness, Response, Recovery, Learning) and an Integration Engine to synthesize the three lenses and a central Trust and Ethics Core.