Content Analysis in the Research Field of Strategic Health Communication

Abstract

Abstract: Health Communication refers to “any type of human communication whose content is concerned with health” while strategic communication can be defined as “the purposeful, normative use of communication functions and discourse processes by organizations to accomplish their missions, visions, and core values”. The main characteristic of strategic communication is the communicator: an organization (in the broadest understanding) operating in the fields of management, marketing, public relations, technical communication, political communication, and information/social marketing campaigns. Strategic health communication can entail for example health campaigns and public service announcements (PSAs), public relations by health organizations and pharmaceutical companies, health policies and lobbying for health issues as well as advertisements of prescription and non-prescription drugs.