Häufig gestellte Fragen (FAQ) in der Risikokommunikation zu COVID-19: Erstellung und Bedeutung als interinstitutionelles Krisenreaktionsinstrument

In addition to the national pandemic plan to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is stipulated that the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) provides information on coronavirus SARS-CoV‑2 for the general population via a subpage of www.infektionsschutz.de. In particular, the informational material should contain answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) as well as behavioural recommendations for prevention. This article describes how information content is created ad hoc in the form of FAQ and why these FAQ are significant for crisis communication. The evolution of the FAQ from a simple information instrument to an inter-institutional rapid reaction tool in the context of risk communication on COVID-19 becomes clear. Close cooperation between the authorities is required to ensure that information is provided in a congruent and up-to-date manner. The work and coordination processes as well as various update procedures are presented. Theoretical implications for crisis communication and crisis management can be derived from the work processes described and assessed. These processes can be taken up by other institutions as examples of good practice and, if necessary, further developed and/or transferred to other contexts.