Social Media for Health Communication: Implementation Issues and Challenges for Italian Public Health Authorities

The aim of this chapter is to highlight the current issues and the challenging process of the adoption of social media by Italian local health authorities (ASL). After a literature review of the role of social media for health organizations, we focused our attention on how social network sites are modifying health communication and relations with citizens in Italy. We conducted an exploratory study articulated in three stages: after mapping the presence of local health authorities on the most popular social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube), we carried out a content analysis to describe the prevalent kinds of messages published in the official Facebook timelines. In the third phase, using several interviews with healthcare directors and communications managers, we investigated implementation issues, managerial implications, and constraints that influence proper use of these participative platforms by Italian public health organizations. Limitations and further steps of the research are discussed.