Health Communication in COVID-19 Era: Experiences from the Italian VaccinarSì Network Websites

Antonella Arghittu, Marco Dettori, Emma Dempsey, Giovanna Deiana, Claudio Angelini, Angela Bechini, Caterina Bertoni, Sara Boccalini, Paolo Bonanni, Sandro Cinquetti, Fabrizio Chiesi, Maria Chironna, Claudio Costantino, Antonio Ferro, Daniel Fiacchini, Giancarlo Icardi, Andrea Poscia, Francesca Russo, Andrea Siddu, Antonietta Spadea, Laura Sticchi, Maria Triassi, Francesco Vitale and Paolo Castiglia
Additional contact information
Antonella Arghittu: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Marco Dettori: Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Emma Dempsey: University Hospital of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Giovanna Deiana: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Claudio Angelini: Regional Health Unit Marche, Prevention Department, Hygiene and Public Health Service, 60044 Fabriano, Italy
Angela Bechini: Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
Caterina Bertoni: Department of Prevention, Local Health Authority of Trento, Autonomous Province of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
Sara Boccalini: Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
Paolo Bonanni: Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
Sandro Cinquetti: Department of Prevention, Local Health Authority 1 Dolomiti, 32100 Belluno, Italy
Fabrizio Chiesi: Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
Maria Chironna: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Oncologia Umana, Università degli Studi di Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
Claudio Costantino: Department of Health Promotion, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties “G. D’Alessandro”, Section of Hygiene, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Antonio Ferro: Department of Prevention, Local Health Authority of Trento, Autonomous Province of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
Daniel Fiacchini: Regional Health Unit Marche, Prevention Department, Hygiene and Public Health Service, 60044 Fabriano, Italy
Giancarlo Icardi: Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, 16100 Genoa, Italy
Andrea Poscia: UOC ISP Prevention and Surveillance of Infectious and Chronic Diseases, Department of Prevention, Local Health Authority (ASUR-AV2), 60035 Jesi, Italy
Francesca Russo: Regional Directorate of Prevention, Food Safety, Veterinary Public Health, Regione del Veneto, 30123 Venice, Italy
Andrea Siddu: Ministero della Salute, Ufficio V Prevenzione delle Malattie Trasmissibili e Profilassi Internazionale, 00144 Roma, Italy
Antonietta Spadea: UOC Vaccinations, Department of Prevention, Local Health Authority Roma1, 00135 Rome, Italy
Laura Sticchi: Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, 16100 Genoa, Italy
Maria Triassi: Department of Public Health, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy
Francesco Vitale: Department of Health Promotion, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties “G. D’Alessandro”, Section of Hygiene, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Paolo Castiglia: University Hospital of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 11, 1-14

Abstract: In 2013, in a bid to combat Vaccine Hesitancy (VH) and provide information on vaccines by communicating with the general public and the health community (e.g., healthcare workers and public health operators), the Italian Society of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine (S.It.I.) published the national website “VaccinarSì”. The project was subsequently extended to ten Italian Regions. This led to the creation of the VaccinarSì Network, whose websites are publicly owned. The aim of this work was to present the framework of the websites of the VaccinarSì Network and to analyse user behaviour in the pre-COVID-19-era (dating from each website’s publication until 31 January 2020) and in the COVID-19-era (from 1 February 2020 to 31 January 2021). Some metrics such as the number of visits to the site (sessions, number of users and average session duration), user behaviour (pages viewed, bounce rate and organic search) and the session acquisition path (direct traffic, referrals and social traffic) were searched, extrapolated and processed with Google Analytics. Qualitative and normally distributed quantitative variables were summarised with their absolute (relative) frequencies and means. Statistical differences between the means of the two periods were evaluated through paired t -test. A two-tailed p -value less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. When the total values recorded over the period were compared, an overall increase in metrics was observed—the number of individual users, visits and individual pageviews rose in a statistically significant way. Our study aimed to highlight how combining disciplines such as health education and digital communication via Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) represents the best strategy to support citizens. This approach gives them the tools to become independent and responsible players that are capable of voluntarily and consciously choosing to adhere to vaccination programs. The VaccinarSì Network’s goal for the future is to reach an even wider audience. By building each user’s critical knowledge, this network enables users to be active components of a wider, more empowered community.

Keywords: health communication; e-health; vaccine hesitancy; website; VaccinarSì network (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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