Health Communication: An Overview
Health communication refers to the generation and dissemination of health-related information and its effects on different publics including individuals, community groups and institutions. It includes strategic communication of evidence-based health information for prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment to professional and non-professional audiences. While most communication in public health is purposive, much learning and consequent behavior in health is also influenced by the incidental exposure to health information in a variety of channels including the mass media, advertising, the World Wide Web and from health professionals. Last, public health communication also includes the creation and communication of information through media advocacy to influence public opinion and public policy and to mobilize the community. Health communication materials and technology must support the public, patients and their families and medical teams to ensure access to individualized, high quality, validated information.
Health communication refers to the generation and dissemination of health-related information and its effects on different publics including individuals, community groups and institutions. It includes strategic communication of evidence-based health information for prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment to professional and non-professional audiences. While most communication in public health is purposive, much learning and consequent behavior in health is also influenced by the incidental exposure to health information in a variety of channels including the mass media, advertising, the World Wide Web and from health professionals. Last, public health communication also includes the creation and communication of information through media advocacy to influence public opinion and public policy and to mobilize the community. Health communication materials and technology must support the public, patients and their families and medical teams to ensure access to individualized, high quality, validated information.
Due to the diversity of applications, the benefits of health communication are also broad. Individuals can benefit from effective health communication through raised awareness of health risks and solutions, increased ability to seek support from other individuals or institutions, and through changed attitudes and beliefs surrounding health behaviors. Communication plays a crucial role in prevention, detection, treatment, and survivorship or end of life stages for serious diseases such as cancer [1]. Healthcare providers benefit from improved interaction with patients, who are better able to participate in decision-making processes. Health systems can benefit from effective communication through more appropriate use of services and channels. The community can see a benefit in increased activism among stakeholders, promotion of health-supporting changes to the community structure, and changed social norms that are health-promoting [2].
Health communication, as a field, is attracting increasing attention in line with the recognition that communication plays a critical role in health promotion and disease prevention, in improving quality of health care and health outcomes, in influencing public opinion about health policies, in mobilizing the publics and the community around issues of public health in both normal and crisis periods, and in the public health mission of safeguarding the health of the nation. Recent crises such as 9/11, the anthrax attacks and natural disasters, such as hurricanes and the tsunami, have heightened awareness of the criticality of effective public health communication.
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