From fragmentation to de--fragmentation: a critical view about the role of public relations in healthcare

Resumo

Public relations (PR) in the healthcare domain can be defined as a disruptive force that contributes to the development of fragmented perceptions of health issues, disease prevention and treatment. This paper describes the so--called fragmentation of healthcare discourses and the role that PR plays in this process, with particular focus on diabetes as an exemplary case of information atomization. The paper also proposes the main principles guiding a de--fragmentation strategy, a kind of counter--practice that returns to the normative approach of PR as a mediation function between organizations’ interests and public expectations