Examining Public Relations Practices Used in Hospitals Through Web Pages: Comparison of Public and Private Hospitals

Abstract

Objective: The main purpose of this study is to examine the public relations practices used in hospitals through web pages. Method: Public relations practice studies in the literature have been examined and a scale has been developed by using the deductive method. The developed scale was reviewed by academicians in the field while deciding its final form. The scale includes 9 areas of public relations practices and 39 sub-questions. In order to test the measurement table, a total of 1534 websites of public and private hospitals operating in Türkiye were examined using the full enumeration method. Results: The frequency analysis conducted revealed that the most commonly practiced public relations activities were media relations/publicity, corporate social responsibility, employee relations/corporate communication, and corporate identity and image. The activities found to be least frequently implemented were sponsorship, crisis and issue management, event management, lobbying, and financial relations. Conclusion: In conclusion, it can be stated that media relations activities were the most prevalent in healthcare institutions. As regards to the public relations practices; the public hospitals apply corporate social responsibility public relations the most while the private hospitals apply media relations/announcement the most, and finally the university hospitals apply employee member relations/corporate communication activities the most.

Keywords

• Public Relations
• Web-based Analysis
• Health Communication
• Digital Public Relations

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