CRISIS COMMUNICATION IN HEALTH SYSTEMS’ CRISIS.

Crisis communication is generally considered as the type of communication used in case of emergencies, but it is often forgotten that their basic postulates should also be applied in long-term crises. The world has been in a "health crisis" for decades due to the financial crisis shaking health sectors. Many countries, even wealthier ones, cannot provide 21st century medicine due to the rising costs of health care services, including drug prices. This was not the case a few decades ago, especially in wealthier countries. It is therefore not surprising that people around the world are dissatisfied and worried about this crisis in health systems, generally perceived as ‘soon unsustainable’. An aging population in developed countries and a pension crisis exacerbates the health sectors crisis as both compete for the same political power and money. In many European countries, national health systems were developed to create social safety networks for all citizens. However, healthcare costs in Europe continue to rise in recent years, and to keep these costs sustainable, in addition to drug price controls, various payment and compensation systems are being introduced. The health systems’ crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic pointed to another factor in the management of already burdened systems. Namely, with the declaration of a pandemic, management systems had to rely on crisis management protocols, so different forms of crisis communication became a regular way of addressing the public. Crisis communication was used to inform the affected community, send the important messages and preventive measures, which, both patients and communities needed to maintain their daily activities. The recommendations for crisis communication in a pandemic, among others, include regular communication with media, focused messages, addressing target groups, announcements of future steps and plans, and several others. However, the most important lesson that the world should have learned from this pandemic crisis is the importance of clear, timely and targeted communication that sends messages meaningful to listeners. The health systems’ crisis is not exclusively related to the pandemic, it will continue, thus, it is necessary to direct the communication of health systems to use the postulates of crisis communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]