Public health communication with big data: comparison of the United States versus the nordic region in the context of covid-19

In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, health authorities had to juggle a number of essential responsibilities, including the following: interpreting rapidly changing data; monitoring on-going research developments; and communicating critical information to the general public. The fact that the pandemic was affecting people all over the world added another layer of complexity to the situation, as it required public health professionals to communicate across regions with a diverse range of demographic audiences. Consequently, the risks associated with healthcare communications had significantly increased during the outbreak of the health crisis. Through a series of semi-structured in-depth interviews with practitioners involved in healthcare communications, this study investigates the case of public health-related big data from the United States as compared to countries in the Nordic region. To be more specific, the study focuses on (1) the challenges involved in healthcare communication; (2) communications approaches across the Nordics and the United States; and (3) the risks involved in communicating information derived from healthcare big data. This is done in order to gain an understanding of possible implications during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the findings, there are three fundamental aspects that are exclusive to communication in the healthcare industry: (1) big data, (2) the business context and operating environment, and (3) the healthcare communication development process itself. According to the findings, there are parallels between the Nordic countries and the United States in all three domains; however, the differences are most pronounced in the business operating environment. The conclusions offer relevant implications for public health decision-makers and policy-makers who are aiming to improve healthcare communications. This can be done by reducing the current exposure to risks in the dissemination of misinformation during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as by addressing future challenges in responding to similar global health crises.