Study of understanding communication under crisis conditions in Healthcare Managers (case study of COVID-19)

Abstract

Studying Understanding Communication in Crisis Situations among Healthcare Administrators (Case Study of COVID-19) as Survey Research aimed to explore the knowledge base and perceptions of healthcare administrators regarding the importance of communication in crisis situations, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data obtained from this study was used to develop future training curricula for high-level healthcare administrators under the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) in Thailand. The study sample consisted of 31 healthcare administrators who participated in a high-level training program between February 1 and March 10, 2020. Data analysis was conducted using statistical inference. The study found that most healthcare managers perceive that communicating risks during a crisis is the same as communicating risks in normal situations. Communication during a crisis cannot be prepared in advance, and communication during a crisis is one-way communication, and the principles of crisis communication are not yet fully understood. The area where healthcare managers lack knowledge is the principles of communicating risks during a crisis, managing incidents in communicating risks during a crisis, and the definition of communicating risks during a crisis. The study suggests that healthcare managers should develop their knowledge on crisis communication, particularly in incident management and communicating risks during a crisis, and include it in high-level healthcare management training programs in the future.