Introduction to Health Communication

Abstract

C hapter 1 introduces the reader to the concept of health communication and defines the basic terms in the field. The sections that follow distinguish health communication from other forms of information dissemination and describe who does it and who they do it to. The organization of the book is also outlined in this chapter. DEFINING COMMUNICATION AND HEALTH COMMUNICATION Communication refers to the transmission or exchange of information and implies the sharing of meaning among those who are communicating. Communication serves the purposes of: 1) initiating actions, 2) making known needs and requirements, 3) exchanging information, ideas, attitudes and beliefs, 4) engendering understanding, and/or 5) establishing and maintaining relations (U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2004). Communication, thus, plays an integral role in the delivery of healthcare and the promotion of health. According to Healthy People 2010 guidelines, health communication encompasses the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions that enhance health. It links the domains of communication and health. Health communication encompasses the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) with regard to health and 1 2 Chapter 1 healthcare. The field represents the interface between communication and health and is increasingly recognized as a necessary element for improving both personal and public health. Health communication can contribute to all aspects of disease prevention and health promotion. The most obvious application of health communication has been in these areas of health promotion and disease prevention. Research has uncovered improvement of interpersonal and group interactions in clinical situations (for example, between provider and patient, provider and provider, and among members of a healthcare team) through the training of health professionals and patients in effective communication skills. Virtually all Americans have been exposed to health messages through public education campaigns that seek to change the social climate in order to encourage healthy behaviors, create awareness, change attitudes, and motivate individuals to adopt recommended behaviors. Campaigns traditionally have relied on mass communication (such as public service announcements on billboards, radio, and television) and educational messages in printed materials (such as pamphlets) to deliver health messages. Other campaigns have integrated mass media with community-based programs and/or incorporated social marketing techniques. Increasingly, health improvement activities are taking advantage of digital technologies, such as CD-ROM and the World Wide Web, that can target audiences, tailor messages, and engage people in interactive, ongoing exchanges about health. As population-based approaches to health-care have become more common, the role of health communication has expanded. Community-centered prevention shifts attention from the individual to group-level change and emphasizes the empowerment of individuals and communities to effect change on multiple levels. Federal healthcare officials have emphasized the importance of health communication in addressing the nation's "leading health indicators''. These focus on key health improvement activities and are described in Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health (2004). Movement toward the achievement of these objectives depends to a great extent on effective health communication. The promotion of regular physical activity, healthy weight, good nutrition, and responsible sexual behavior all require a range of information, education, and advocacy efforts, as does the reduction of tobacco use, substance abuse, injuries, and violence. Effective counseling and patient education geared to behavior change require healthcare providers and patients to have good communication skills. Public information campaigns are used, for example, to promote increased fruit and vegetable consumption, higher rates of preventive screening, higher rates of clinical preventive services, and increased adoption of risk-reducing behaviors.