Enhancing accessibility of crisis communication to people in vulnerable circumstances

In the event of an epidemic or pandemic, people in vulnerable circumstances face difficulties in accessing information and may be less well informed than the rest of the population. As part of a national action–research project aimed at producing practice-based evidence to improve national communication products, we conducted a study in the French-speaking regions of Belgium to explore the barriers faced by socioeconomically disadvantaged groups in accessing health- and prevention-related information. Particular attention was paid to the form of the message and the channels of communication. Our objective was to co-construct recommendations for developing more inclusive communication strategies at times of complex health crises. In the context of a sequential mixed-methods research design, 48 professionals or volunteers engaged with vulnerable groups were consulted through an online survey. This was followed by two round-table discussions, which further gathered the representatives of 11 of these organizations. We then interviewed 58 representatives of the target population through eight focus-group discussions. Through an iterative and inductive process of analysis, four categories of barriers were identified that need to be addressed if access to information is to be facilitated for people in vulnerable circumstances: (i) the complexity of the messages, (ii) the excessive amount of information, (iii) the disempowering impact of the information, and (iv) the digital divide. Preferred communication products and strategies are discussed alongside several recommendations, which echo some of the key principles of health promotion.