Comunicação Para a Saúde em Tempos de Pandemia: A Perspetiva dos Utentes do Serviço Nacional de Saúde

Andreia Garcia; Mafalda Eiró-Gomes

doi:10.17231/comsoc.40(2021).3250

Authors

Andreia Garcia Escola Superior de Comunicação Social, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portug https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4116-5667
Mafalda Eiró-Gomes Escola Superior de Comunicação Social, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5542-6995

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17231/comsoc.40(2021).3250

Keywords:

communication for health, primary health care, health center clusters

Abstract

The covid-19 disease, caused by infection with the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has introduced numerous global health communication challenges. The need for behavioral change, such as mask-wearing, hand washing, or social distancing, has become imperative to prevent the spread of this disease. Primary health care, due to its population coverage throughout the Portuguese territory and almost free of charge, plays a central role in health care provision, being the preferred contact between people and health services. The main objective of this study was to analyze, from the perspective of users of the Portuguese national health service (NHS; Serviço Nacional de Saúde, SNS), the contribution of the health center clusters, institutions responsible for primary health care in health communication regarding covid-19. Data were collected by online questionnaire from 904 users of the national health service residing in the 18 districts of Portugal between December 2020 and January 2021. Our research confirmed that health center clusters were the source of information the least sought after by users to learn about covid-19. Participants in this study also revealed that they had not received any information about the new coronavirus from their health center (80%), although they wished to have been contacted, preferably by email (87.2%), phone/mobile (36.5%), or mail (20.2%).

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Author Biographies

Andreia Garcia, Escola Superior de Comunicação Social, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portug

Andreia Garcia has a degree in business communication from the School of Social Communication of Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon and a master’s degree in health communication from the Medical School of the University of Lisbon. She holds a PhD in communication sciences at the University Institute of Lisbon and is an invited professor in Strategy in Public Relations and Relationship with the Media in the School of Social Communication of Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon. She has worked in communication agencies for more than 17 years as a specialist consultant in the health sector. She is the founder and general director of the company Miligrama Comunicação em Saúde.

Mafalda Eiró-Gomes, Escola Superior de Comunicação Social, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

Mafalda Eiró-Gomes holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in communication sciences from NOVA University of Lisbon. Coordinating Professor of Pragmatics and Public Relations at the School of Social Communication, Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon, where she has been lecturing since 1991. Communication consultant, pro bono, of several civil society organizations.

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