In recent years health professionals have developed a growing appreciation of the critical role that communication plays in healthcare. The effective communication of information on medical conditions and healthy lifestyles has played an important part in the improvement of the health status of the American population. At the same time, it is hard to ignore the negative impact that ineffective communication can have within the healthcare arena. We only have to note the contribution of poor communication to malpractice suits, misdiagnoses, failures in patient compliance, and cross-cultural misunderstandings to see the role that communication plays. This recognition of the impactboth positive and negativeof communication in healthcare is generating growing interest in the field of health communication. -Basic theory and concepts underlying the health communication field -Real-world strategies for designing, implementing, and evaluating programs -Up-to-date coverage of print, broadcast, digital, and interactive health media -Profiles of target populations with specific health needs -Case examples illustrating what works and what doesn't -Sidebars, glossary, Web links, and other tools The benefits of good health communication are many, from better relationships between providers and patients to improved treatment compliance to reduced inequities of care. By combining comprehensive background with detailed applications, this uniquely practical reference serves professionals involved in health care marketing or administration, health communication specialists looking to adapt to emerging technologies or new audiences, and advocacy groups. It can also be a valuable classroom text for communications, public health, and related courses.

Reviews basic theory and concepts underlying the health communication field Offers real-world strategies for designing, implementing, and evaluating programs Provides up-to-date coverage of print, broadcast, digital, and interactive health media Case examples illustrate what works and what doesn't Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext

Richard K. Thomas, Ph.D., was trained as a medical sociologist and has been instrumental in the development of the field of health demography. He has taught courses in demography and applied demography and conducted numerous workshops on demographic data. He has authored more than 20 books on health/health care and demography and numerous articles for professional journals, newsletters, and magazines. He has conducted numerous workshops and made dozens of presentations on his research. He has received over two million dollars in NIH funding for demography-related research. He has served on the faculties of several universities and medical schools and is currently an affiliate faculty member at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and a research associate at the Social Science Research Center at Mississippi State University.

Inhalt
to Health Communication.- The Changing Sociocultural Context.- The Changing Healthcare Context.- The History of Health Communication.- Health Communication Audiences.- Understanding Health Behavior.- Understanding Communication.- Steps in the Health Communication Process.- Traditional Approaches to Health Communication.- Contemporary Approaches to Health Communication.- Case Studies in Health Communication.- Evaluating the Impact of Health Communication.- The Future of Health Communication.