Dialogical public relations and health communication: Training and research hospitals dialogical communication analysis

The dialogical public relations theory has evolved to become readily accessible through internet-based technological developments, facilitating communication in a dialog format between institutions and stakeholders in a fast and reliable manner. Thanks to internet-based technologies, research suggesting that the communication between organizations and stakeholders can be implemented as interactive communication, proportionate to interpersonal communication, continues to grow. One of the most significant technologies that organizations can use to establish interactive communication with their stakeholders is undoubtedly corporate websites. Engaging in dialogical communication with target audiences through corporate websites has been an inspiration for initial studies in the field. As a result of the study conducted by Kent and Taylor, it was demonstrated that it is possible to establish dialogical relationships through websites, outlining five dialogical communication principles. These dialogical communication principles, encompassing dialogical cycle, usability of information, interface convenience, visitor protection, and return visits, involve the design of web pages to facilitate dialog-based communication. Based on the five main dialogical principles and twenty sub-headings constituting the theoretical foundation of the study, the internet sites of the 104 Training and Research Hospitals, operating under the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey as of 2022, were analyzed through content analysis method. The examinations revealed that the public relations activities conducted by Training and Research Hospitals through their websites demonstrated a high level of compatibility with dialogical communication principles. The study is considered academically valuable in providing insights and serving as a reference for research in different sectors that address public relations activities on websites in terms of the dimension of dialogical communication principles. Keywords: Dialogical Communication, Public Relations, Health Communication, Hospital, Training and Research