Le sfide per la comunicazione del rischio in ambito sanitario

Risk communication has often been understood as an instrument of persuasion, or as a transfer of information from an expert and authoritative source to lacking of scientific expertise individuals. The rise of multiple risk cultures, developed by various social groups and organizations, has made unidirectional communication models obsolete, urging a new approach. Negotiation and an open, bidirectional exchange of information between various actors are at the core of such an idea, with the aim to establish mutual trust between citizens and institutions as well as to build an informed and aware public, enabling it to take best decisions autonomously. The here presented paper mainly considers the Italian case in the framework of risk cultures’ changing scenario, also taking into account the related implications on the way health organizations will confront themselves with new risk communication issues and challenges. The paper also consider the need of a paradigm shift for healthcare risk communication in the light of growing conflicts on health issues, providing some suggestion about possible measures to be undertaken in the Italian contest.