Digital Health Communication : Issues and Perspectives

Following the 72nd ICA annual conference the CIMEOS laboratory of the University of Burgundy Franche-Comté will organize a post conference on « Digital Health Communication : Issues and Perspectives » from 31 May to 1^st of June 2022 in Dijon, France. All scholars whose work engages digital health communication are invited to submit extended abstracts (600 words) to be presented and discussed through several thematic panels looking into digital health topics such as : knowledge mediation, social online support, artificial intelligence, health controversies, health inequalities, fake news and misinformation, social media influencers.

In the last two decades, communicating (about) health and public health problems has been the subject of numerous works within the communication field. Furthermore, the development of digital technologies has led to numerous transformations and reconfigurations in terms of practices, devices, and actors. With the rise and expansion of the Internet and social networks, new forms, devices, actors have emerged. From patients and health professionals to society, passing through political and institutional discourses, media discourses and industry actors, communicating health has been largely affected by digital development, leading to new communication devices, new forms and processes of knowledge constitution, emergence and communication. The latest example of the global health crisis of COVID-19 has shown not only the importance of communication (whether in the form of scientific, public, institutional or lay discourse), but also the emergence of numerous discussion / controversy forms, tools and devices linked with digital issues. These new phenomena (leading among other things to the production of new knowledge and skills) require in-depth analysis mobilizing communication sciences.

The main objective of the “Digital Health Communication : issues and perspectives” ICA post conference is to firstly establish an overview and a state of art of the recent works within the communication sciences field drawing connections across national boundaries. Secondly, our post-conference aims to highlight and open space(s) for discussion about the advances and the contributions from the field in order to understand, (re)think but also inquire about digital health communication.

The post conference aims to specifically examine and provide group discussion about topics such as : discourses on digital health (health actors, institutional discourses, industry and private actors, media, social networks) ; knowledge mediation, social online support, artificial intelligence, health controversies, health inequalities, fake news and misinformation, social media influencers.

The panels will be preceded by a plenary session welcoming the following keynote speakers : Olivier GALIBERT – University of Burgundy, Benoît CORDELIER – University of Québec at Montréal, Jeff NIEDERDEPPE – Cornell University, May O LWIN – Nanyang Technological University.

This post conference has received endorsements from the ICA Health Communication Division, and the French Society of Information and Communication Sciences (SFSIC).

Call for extended abstracts

Following the ICA tradition, multiple methodologies are valued and works conducted from a wide range of paradigmatic perspectives are encouraged. The goal for extended abstracts is to present and discuss current research about digital health communication and should adhere to the following guidelines :

• Extended abstract should be between 400-600 words (excluding references, tables & figures), and should clearly state the contribution of the work to digital health communication.
• Research data should already be collected. Abstracts need to present some preliminary analyses to provide a first review of results. Theoretical or methodological extended abstracts are also acceptable ; authors should lay out the main arguments to be developed.
• Work should be unpublished and not presented at other conferences including at ICA Paris.

Please upload a single de-identified PDF file of your paper (including tables, figures, and references) by the deadline to : https://dhc22.sciencesconf.org

Deadlines

• Deadline for submission : 15 January 2022
• Applicants will hear by mid February 2022

Post-Conference Details

Following the 72nd ICA annual conference the CIMEOS laboratory of the University of Burgundy will organize a post conference on « Digital Health Communication » from 31 May to 1^st of June 2022 in Dijon, France. Scholars from all over the world are invited to submit extended abstracts for the thematic panels. The conference will be held in person and is open to everyone, but scholars who wish to present their works need to submit an extended abstract that will be double-peer reviewed.

To submit an abstract each author must create an account on the website.

Dijon is 1.5 hours away from Paris by high speed rail, a city of art and history, that has as well been awarded the UNESCO classification thanks to its rich tangible and intangible heritage, characterized by conviviality, commensality and the arts of the table.

Questions ? Please contact : Estera-Tabita Badau estera-tabita.badau@u-bourgogne.fr

Organizing Committee

Estera BADAU, University of Burgundy, CIMEOS

Olivier GALIBERT, University of Burgundy, CIMEOS

Cyril MASSELOT, University of Burgundy, CIMEOS

Evelyn Y HO, University of San Francisco

Iccha BASNYAT, George Mason University