X.5.PK.1. Toward integrated public health services: bridging behavioural insights, risk communication and AI
Abstract
Relevance, goals and added value: Public health systems face pressure from behavioral challenges, health misinformation, digital transformation, and emergency preparedness demands. Yet, behavioral science, risk communication, information management and community engagement are too often developed in parallel rather than through coordinated action. This PechaKucha workshop presents the Behavioral Sciences, Health Communication and Community Engagement Working Group (GT-3C), a multidisciplinary advisory structure within the Portuguese public health system. GT-3C provides a shared governance model for connecting behavioural insights, communication, information management and community engagement across public health functions. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to: (1) identify practical interfaces between behavioural science, communication, infodemic management and community engagement; (2) recognize governance mechanisms that can reduce fragmentation between these functions; and (3) assess how elements of the GT-3C model could be adapted to their own organizations and public health systems. The added value lies in examining shared priorities, workflows, feedback mechanisms and decision-making arrangements required to make them operate as an integrated public health capability. Coherence between presentations: The three presentations address complementary components of the GT-3C model: information management and artificial intelligence, behavioural approaches to risk and crisis communication, and community engagement for behaviour change. Each presentation will follow a common visual structure: the public health challenge, the approach adopted, a practical output and one transferable implementation lesson. This shared structure will allow participants to compare the three areas and understand how they contribute to a connected process.
Description of workshop format and interaction: Each presentation will consist of 15 visual slides (00:03:45 per presentation; 00:11:15 in total). A brief visual introduction by the moderator will present the GT-3C model and invite participants to consider where fragmentation between these functions occurs in their own settings. The presentations will then provide three complementary perspectives on the model. Approximately 13 minutes will be reserved for an interactive exercise, discussion and synthesis. Participants will vote to identify where integration most frequently fails in their settings: detecting information and behavioural signals, translating evidence into communication, connecting communication with community engagement, or feeding community insights back into decision-making. The moderator will invite concise contributions from participants, including brief examples and proposed solutions. The moderator will conclude by connecting the discussion to the GT-3C experience and summarizing three transferable principles for developing more integrated public health capabilities.
Key messages: • Integrating behavioural insights, communication and AI enables more effective, trusted and adaptive public health responses.
• Coordinated, participatory and evidence-based approaches are essential to address misinformation and support sustainable behaviour change.
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BibTeX
@article{divisionofliteracy2026x5pk1,
title = {{X.5.PK.1. Toward integrated public health services: bridging behavioural insights, risk communication and AI}},
author = {Division of Literacy, Health and Well-being - Directorate-General of Health (Portugal) and Gisela Leiras and Duarte Brito},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.692},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.692},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - X.5.PK.1. Toward integrated public health services: bridging behavioural insights, risk communication and AI
AU - Division of Literacy, Health and Well-being - Directorate-General of Health (Portugal)
AU - Gisela Leiras
AU - Duarte Brito
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.692
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.692
AB - Relevance, goals and added value: Public health systems face pressure from behavioral challenges, health misinformation, digital transformation, and emergency preparedness demands. Yet, behavioral science, risk communication, information management and community engagement are too often developed in parallel rather than through coordinated action. This PechaKucha workshop presents the Behavioral Sciences, Health Communication and Community Engagement Working Group (GT-3C), a multidisciplinary advisory structure within the Portuguese public health system. GT-3C provides a shared governance model for connecting behavioural insights, communication, information management and community engagement across public health functions. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to: (1) identify practical interfaces between behavioural science, communication, infodemic management and community engagement; (2) recognize governance mechanisms that can reduce fragmentation between these functions; and (3) assess how elements of the GT-3C model could be adapted to their own organizations and public health systems. The added value lies in examining shared priorities, workflows, feedback mechanisms and decision-making arrangements required to make them operate as an integrated public health capability. Coherence between presentations: The three presentations address complementary components of the GT-3C model: information management and artificial intelligence, behavioural approaches to risk and crisis communication, and community engagement for behaviour change. Each presentation will follow a common visual structure: the public health challenge, the approach adopted, a practical output and one transferable implementation lesson. This shared structure will allow participants to compare the three areas and understand how they contribute to a connected process. Description of workshop format and interaction: Each presentation will consist of 15 visual slides (00:03:45 per presentation; 00:11:15 in total). A brief visual introduction by the moderator will present the GT-3C model and invite participants to consider where fragmentation between these functions occurs in their own settings. The presentations will then provide three complementary perspectives on the model. Approximately 13 minutes will be reserved for an interactive exercise, discussion and synthesis. Participants will vote to identify where integration most frequently fails in their settings: detecting information and behavioural signals, translating evidence into communication, connecting communication with community engagement, or feeding community insights back into decision-making. The moderator will invite concise contributions from participants, including brief examples and proposed solutions. The moderator will conclude by connecting the discussion to the GT-3C experience and summarizing three transferable principles for developing more integrated public health capabilities. Key messages: • Integrating behavioural insights, communication and AI enables more effective, trusted and adaptive public health responses. • Coordinated, participatory and evidence-based approaches are essential to address misinformation and support sustainable behaviour change.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -