During public health emergencies, healthcare organizations face a shift in communication needs driven by the urgency of the situation. The shift requires a change in messaging in a way that can remain timely and accurate throughout the emergency lifecycle.
The best use of email in public health emergencies lies in its ability to balance immediacy with thoroughness. It facilitates quick dissemination of precise scientific updates to healthcare professionals and public health officials, empowering them to make informed decisions in real time. Equally necessary, email can include attachments, hyperlinks, and graphics, delivering multilayered information that supports complex response actions.
Yet, as noted in a letter published in Health Research Policy and Systems looking at communicatin during the COVID-19 pandemic, “much health communication… has been designed to persuade people more than to inform them.” Messages like “masks save lives” sought to compel compliance rather than explain the justification behind mandates. Email provides a unique opportunity to correct this imbalance by enabling health authorities to share candid evidence.
An email alert might link to the latest epidemiological maps, laboratory testing guidelines, or official case definitions, providing recipients with a centralized hub of knowledge essential to their frontline roles. Using curated and updated email distribution lists allows public health leaders to target communication precisely.
Complementing email with other channels like text messaging and emergency phone calls creates a resilient communication network, where email workflows afford in-depth content, while push alerts handle brief, urgent notifications. The use of HIPAA compliant secure email systems specifically allows confidential patient data and outbreak information to be shared responsibly.
Communication must help everyone understand what is happening, what risks are present, what protective actions are needed, and where help can be found. An analysis published in the Journal of Global Infectious Diseases stresses, “One of the vital components to take a beating in case of public health emergencies is ‘Communication.’ Public health emergencies invariably involve some forms of communication failure. This failure in communication not only contributes to the disruption of other essential services but also gives rise to false and unwarranted alarm sending panic button rolling.”
An effective emergency communication approach recognizes that people under stress may face barriers like panic, information overload, and reduced attention. Therefore, messages must be simple, concise, and delivered with calm authority to cut through fear and misinformation.
Technologically, emergency communication must be redundant and multifaceted to address varied access and preferences. A well-prepared communication plan includes updated contact databases and predefined protocols for issuing warnings, updates, and instructions. Centralized coordination prevents overlapping messages or conflicting advice which can cause dangerous confusion.
A Health Security study notes, “Effective, accessible, and appropriate communication plays an important role in whether populations trust government entities, including public health authorities, and the extent to which people follow their recommendations.” Email acts as a structured medium for the inclusion of comprehensive data, links to resources, and attachments that provide deeper insights to patients and other stakeholders.
For example, during an outbreak, healthcare organizations can use email to send alerts about new cases and share updated treatment protocols. The capabilities are especially useful when traditional communication methods are overwhelmed or ineffective due to the volume of information being generated.
Emergency services and public health agencies often do not have teams continuously monitoring inboxes to capture and respond to urgent incoming messages immediately. This delay can jeopardize response times. Recipients may not see emails promptly if their devices are off, if they're overwhelmed with irrelevant messages, or if email alerts are disabled. Therefore, relying solely on email in an emergency risks messages being missed or read too late to be effective.
According to guidance from Chapter 6 of Evidence-Based Practice for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, “Inclusion of electronic messaging channels (e.g., email) is recommended as part of state, local, tribal, and territorial public health agencies’ multipronged approach for communicating public health alerts and guidance with technical audiences in preparation for and in response to public health emergencies.”
Not all populations have equal access to electronic mail or the technical literacy to navigate email systems quickly under stress. Vulnerable groups such as the elderly, low-income individuals, or those in remote areas may face digital divides that limit their reception of email alerts.
The chapter shows that “electronic messaging systems such as email, fax, and text messaging are effective communication channels for increasing technical audiences’ awareness of public health alerts and guidance during a public health emergency,” but effectiveness depends on context and design.
The guidance stresses the need to “establish vetting processes in advance of public health emergencies and coordinate with response partners on messaging to prevent information overload, duplication of effort, and conflicting recommendations” and to “develop distribution lists in advance of public health emergencies, and ensure that contact information is kept up to date.” Text messaging, automated calls, sirens, public broadcasts, and community outreach often provide more immediate and accessible channels than email.
See also: HIPAA Compliant Email: The Definitive Guide (2025 Update)
HIPAA compliant email services incorporate specific features such as encryption of emails both in transit and at rest. Regular email services, on the other hand, typically lack these robust security features and do not offer the same level of protection for sensitive health information.
A public health emergency is generally defined as a situation that poses an immediate threat to the health and safety of a community or population. This can include outbreaks of infectious diseases (like COVID-19 or Ebola), natural disasters (such as hurricanes or earthquakes), bioterrorism incidents, or other events that disrupt normal healthcare operations and require urgent response efforts.
Public emergency communications are primarily governed by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, which authorizes federal support for emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. Additional guidance comes from the Homeland Security Act and the Communications Act.