Methodology for organizing information and communication support of programs in the public health system: conceptual principles and a unified basic model

Abstract

Purpose. Information and communication (IC) support is recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the ten Essential Public Health Operations, yet in Ukraine it remains methodologically underdeveloped, organizationally fragmented and resourceconstrained. These weaknesses were starkly exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when contradictory official messaging, the absence of crisis communication protocols and extremely low vaccine acceptance (5.1–10.8% among certain categories of health workers in Odesa Oblast in early 2021) demonstrated the human and institutional cost of communication gaps. The adoption of the Law of Ukraine “On the Public Health System” (2022), which legally enshrined the communication function, together with the information challenges of wartime, further intensified the need for a coherent, evidence-based methodology. This study aimed to substantiate the conceptual and operational principles and to develop a unified basic methodology for organizing IC support of public health programs in Ukraine, with particular attention to vulnerable populations. Materials and Methods. A complex of complementary methods was applied: bibliosemantic analysis for source selection; structural-logical analysis and generalization for constructing the methodological framework; comparative analysis of business and medico-social communication models; and a two-stage expert assessment (n = 20) in which eleven principles were rated against six criteria (significance, communication effectiveness, practical feasibility, durability of effect, resource availability, scalability) on a ten-point scale. The empirical foundation was a 2020 cross-sectional mixed-methods study conducted at the Odesa Regional Public Health Center across four districts and the city of Odesa, combining situational analysis, direct observation, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. Statistical processing included descriptive statistics and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC); the significance level was p < 0.05. Results. A two-level architecture of the methodology was substantiated. At the strategic level, seven foundational principles were developed – systemic approach, evidence-based decision-making, audience orientation, standardization, integration of communication channels, strategic orientation, and continuity of monitoring and improvement – each covering a distinct, non-reducible methodological dimension and forming an invariant conceptual core. At the operational level, eleven principles were systematized and classified by priority into three groups: critically important (ethics, feedback and adaptation, participatory engagement, coherent communication), necessary (cultural sensitivity, inclusiveness, technological adoption), and additional (personalization, flexibility, rationality and expediency). The empirical study confirmed pronounced age-related differentiation of health information sources: among persons aged 18–35 the Internet and social media dominate (52.6%), whereas among those aged 60 and older television prevails (43.6%), with radio second (21.6%), and medical institutions remaining a relatively stable source across all age groups (11.5–17.7%). These findings directly justify the principles of channel integration and audience orientation. The approach was practically tested within a COVID-19 vaccination promotion campaign in Odesa Oblast, which used a differentiated, multi-channel architecture. Experts also identified key implementation barriers – resource-related, institutional-managerial and sociocultural. Conclusions. The developed unified basic methodology constitutes a holistic conceptual framework that integrates conceptual principles, functional implementation blocks, a four-stage operational cycle and a system of professional competencies into a single coherent structure, grounded in both international experience and national empirical evidence. It is recommended for implementation by the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, regional centers for disease control and prevention, non-governmental organizations and higher education institutions.