Health information is now ubiquitous. However, its quality varies greatly, ranging from rigorous scientific insights to false, misleading, and overall poor-quality information. These developments have thrust established actors across the healthcare system – from healthcare settings such as hospitals to government agencies, research institutions, and international bodies – into a pivotal role. They are tasked not only with disseminating credible, evidence-based messages but also with safeguarding public trust and fostering resilience against false and misleading information. Sara Rubinelli’s publication “Institutional Health Communication in the Information Age” addresses these pressing demands and provides a roadmap for empowering institutions to craft communication practices that are as scientifically robust as they are socially transformative.

The book integrates perspectives from multiple disciplines, including health communication, behavioral sciences, social marketing, political science, media studies, and rhetorical theory. It is structured around seven sections, each addressing a critical aspect of institutional health communication, including the translation of complex scientific knowledge into accessible and actionable messages, the intersection of politics, public health and the media, building trust, and the role of online creators. Each section is enriched with fictionalized examples based on real-world practices.

“The writing of this book has helped me realize that institutions face major difficulties today, but we do have the instruments to address them. In research, we do not always have to invent something new. Instead, we should support institutions in implementing the valuable strategies we already have,” says Sara Rubinelli, Professor of Health Sciences with a focus on Health Communication at the University of Lucerne.

The book is part of the Cambridge Elements – Health Communication series. The series brings together a wide range of disciplines that converge on the study of communication in health settings. Each element examines a key topic in health communication and is crafted by experts in their respective disciplines. Sara Rubinelli’s book is the fifth contribution to the series.

Sara Rubinelli 
Institutional Health Communication in the Information Age
Series “Cambridge Elements – Health Communication” (Series Editor: Louise Cummings)
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2026
Open Access (publisher’s website)

Cambridge Elements –  Health Communication» Series