Communication Ecology: Using a New Method to Guide Health Policies in an Information-Rich Environment

Vaccine hesitancy poses a threat to public health and financial recovery from COVID-19 and, according to some, is likely to determine the human and financial costs of this and future pandemics. To this end, identifying and mapping online and offline information resources that encourage hesitancy is paramount to improving the effectiveness and resilience of the healthcare system. In fact, any effective future preparedness plan will have to account for the fragmented and blurry media environment which has produced this 'infodemic.' With an interdisciplinary team that includes a health communication expert and a data scientist, and is informed by our ongoing work on the spread of misinformation and social network analysis, the current proposal advances a novel method to determine which interpersonal and mediated information resources are most influential in shaping vaccine-related decisions. Unlike past studies which focus narrowly on the reliability of single messages or unique information platforms, such as particular news channels, this study analyzes the interactions among the broad range of information sources which form an individual's communication ecology. To do so, we utilize a probability sample of Illinois residence and map their networks of online and offline information consumption. Ultimately, the key objectives are to: 1) develop and put into practice a novel method that offers a more valid analysis of the myriad communication factors which explain vaccine hesitancy; 2) assess the interaction effects of online and offline information resources; and 3) produce an "Information Policy Plan" to inform future pandemic preparedness.