Issues and trends in health communication

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Issues and Trends in Health Communication

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The environment for communicating about health has changed significantly

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These changes include dramatic increases in the number of communication channels

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and the number of health issues vying for public attention as well as consumerdemands for more and better quality health information,

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and the increasedsophistication of marketing and sales techniques, such as direct-to-consumer advertisingof prescription drugs and sales of medical devices and medications overthe Internet.

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The expansion of communication channels and health issues on thepublic agenda increases competition for people’s time and attention; at the sametime, people have more opportunities to select information based on their personalinterests and preferences.

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Communication occurs in a variety of contexts (for example, school, home, andwork); through a variety of channels (for example, interpersonal, small group,organizational, community, and mass media) with a variety of messages; and for avariety of reasons

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In such an environment, people do not pay attention to allcommunications they receive but selectively attend to and purposefully seek outinformation

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One of the main challenges in the design of effective health communication programs is to identify the optimal contexts, channels, content, andreasons that will motivate people to pay attention to and use health information

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A one-dimensional approach to health promotion, such as reliance on mass mediacampaigns or other single-component communication activities, has been shownto be insufficient to achieve program goals

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Successful health promotion effortsincreasingly rely on multidimensional interventions to reach diverse audiencesabout complex health concerns, and communication is integrated with other components, such as community-based programs, and improvements in services and the health delivery system

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Research showsthat health communication best supports health promotion when multiple communicationchannels are used to reach specific audience segments with informationthat is appropriate and relevant to them

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An important factor in the design ofmultidimensional programs is to allot sufficient time for planning, implementation,and evaluation and sufficient money to support the many elements of theprogram.

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Public-private partnerships and collaborations can leverage resources andhave theadded benefit of reducing message clutter and targeting health concerns that cannotbe fully addressed by public resources or market incentives alone

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Research indicates that effective health promotion and communication initiativesadopt an audience-centered perspective, which means that promotion and communicationactivities reflect audiences’ preferred formats, channels, and contexts

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An audience-centered perspective also reflects the realities of people’s everydaylives and their current practices, attitudes and beliefs, and lifestyles

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Targeting specific segments of a population and tailoring messages for individualuse are two methods to make health promotion activities relevant to audiences

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Interventions that account for the cultural practices and needs of specific populationshave shown some success

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Advances in medical and consumer health informatics are changing the deliveryof health information and services and are likely to have a growing impact on individualand community health

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The convergence of media (computers,telephones, television, radio, video, print, and audio) and the emergence of theInternet create a nearly ubiquitous networked communication infrastructure

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Compared to traditional mass media, interactive media may have several advantagesfor health communication efforts

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These advantages include

(1) improvedaccess to personalized health information,

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(2) access to health information, support,and services on demand,

(3) enhanced ability to distribute materials widelyand update content or functions rapidly,

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(4) just-in-time expert decision support,and (5) more choices for consumers

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Widespread availability and use of interactive health communication and telehealthapplications create at least two serious challenges

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One is related to therisks associated with consumers’ use of poor quality health information to makedecisions

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The other challenge is related to the protection of privacy and confidentiality ofpersonal health information

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DisparitiesOften people with the greatest health burdens have the least access to information,communication technologies, health care, and supporting social services

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Research indicates that even after targeted health communication interventions,low-education and low-income groups remain less knowledgeable and less likelyto change behavior than higher education and income groups, which creates aknowledge gap and leaves some people chronically uninformed

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Even with access to information and services, however, disparities may still existbecause many people lack health literacy

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OpportunitiesFor health communication to contribute to the improvement of personal andcommunity health during the first decade of the 21st century, stakeholders mustcollaborate on a range of activities.

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These activities include

(1) initiatives to builda robust health information system that provides equitable access

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(2) developmentof high-quality, audience-appropriate information and support services forspecific health problems and health-related decisions for all segments of the population,especially underserved persons,

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(3) training of health professionals in thescience of communication and the use of communication technologies,

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(4) evaluation of interventions, and

(5) promotion of a critical understanding andpractice of effective health communication.

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ADAPTED FROMHealthy People 2010: Objectives for Improving Health

Jimi KayodeJournalism DepartmentAdebola Adegunwa School of CommunicationsLagos State University