Every day, millions of Europeans make decisions about their health long before they enter a hospital. They decide whether to vaccinate their children. Whether to attend a screening programme. Whether to trust a new treatment. Whether to believe a headline, a social media post, a celebrity endorsement, or a piece of advice shared by a friend. In today’s information environment, health decisions are increasingly shaped not only by access to care but by access to trustworthy information. This reality places new responsibilities on healthcare institutions. It is no longer enough to deliver excellent care, conduct world-leading research and innovation, and educate the future generation of health professionals. We must also communicate. Few institutions are better placed to do so than university hospitals. Across Europe, university hospitals sit at a unique intersection of patient care, research, education, and innovation. Every day, their professionals treat patients, conduct clinical trials, publish scientific articles and train the next generation of healthcare workers. They witness first-hand the questions, concerns, hopes, and uncertainties that people bring to healthcare. And this breadth of expertise matters. At a time when misinformation can travel faster than evidence, society needs a trustworthy and accountable voice. University hospitals are among the few institutions capable of translating complex science into accessible information while remaining firmly grounded in evidence. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that communication can directly influence health outcomes. But the challenge did not end with the pandemic. Artificial intelligence, social media, growing information overload, and rapidly evolving scientific knowledge continue to transform the way citizens access and interpret health information. For this reason, for healthcare providers, communication is no longer an auxiliary function. International Congress on Health Communication This is why initiatives such as the International Congress on Health Communication (October 22–23, in Barcelona), organised by Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and supported by the European University Hospital Alliance, are increasingly important. Bringing together experts in healthcare, communication, journalism, patient engagement, and innovation, the congress explores how healthcare organisations can communicate more effectively in a world where trust is both fragile and essential. 📘 International Congress on Health Communication Registration is now open. More information about the programme, speakers, and registration details is available on the official congress website: International Congress on Health Communication A conversation with Fran Garcia Ahead of this year’s International Congress on Health Communication, we spoke with Fran Garcia, Director of Communication at Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, member of the EUHA Communications Network, and organiser of the congress. Q What makes the 3rd edition of the International Congress on Health Communication a relevant meeting point today? A This edition goes beyond the previous ones by focusing on health communication in real time. First of all, reaching a third edition means that we have established the congress as a reference point within the health communication ecosystem. As with every edition, we have worked to build on what we learned in the past and make the congress even more engaging and relevant. The most distinctive feature of this edition is that we will explore topics related to live communication in healthcare. We will revisit some of the themes from the first edition, but from the perspective of real-time communication. For example, we will hold two practical live sessions. One will focus on crisis communication, simulating a communication crisis and how it unfolds in real time. Another session will explore the use of artificial intelligence, simulating how AI tools are used in day-to-day healthcare communication. Over the course of the two days, we will also connect live with hospitals and WHO missions to show the audience how health communication takes place in different settings around the world. Patients’ voices will also be at the center of the discussion. We will hear how they use social media and live communication to raise awareness about health issues, become influential advocates, and engage with their communities. We will also speak with leading journalists, who play a key role in deciding which health stories become breaking news around the world. Finally, we will discuss television series that portray hospital settings and everyday clinical practice. Through practical examples, we will debate how fiction and reality television have succeeded—or failed—in accurately reflecting the realities of hospital life. Q What role can alliances such as EUHA play in strengthening health communication across Europe? A This congress, together with EUHA, can play a fundamental role in raising awareness about the importance of health communication. By supporting the congress, EUHA demonstrates that communication is a very important element of the day-to-day functioning of healthcare institutions. A Meeting Point for Europe’s Health Communicators These questions will be at the centre of discussions during the International Congress on Health Communication, taking place on 22-23 October 2026 in Barcelona, organised by Vall d’Hebron University Hospital. Under the theme “Communicating Health Live”, the congress will explore some of the most pressing issues facing health communicators today, including artificial intelligence, crisis communication, patient engagement, media relations, digital storytelling, and the challenge of communicating scientific uncertainty in a rapidly changing information landscape. EUHA is proud to support this initiative. Professionals from all EUHA member hospitals will contribute to the programme as speakers, moderators, and participants, demonstrating our members’ shared commitment to strengthening health communication and promoting trustworthy information for patients and citizens across Europe. As healthcare continues to evolve, communication can no longer be seen as an activity that only accompanies care, but rather as one that helps shape it. And university hospitals, with their unique combination of expertise, credibility and societal responsibility, have an important role to play in ensuring that accurate, understandable, and evidence-based health information reaches those who need it most.