Health Communication Commons^™

Reports And Commands: Deciphering A Health Exhibition Using The Speaking Mnemonic, David H. Lee

Publications and Research

The Amazing You exhibition at the Tampa Museum of Science and Industry had over 400 different multimedia health exhibits. Visitors walked through life stages, from conception through death, the exhibits at first showcasing developmental milestones, then diseases and chronic conditions associated with ageing. Museum executives described the exhibition as a public health intervention that stressed disease prevention, screening and behaviour change. This piece considers the question: What makes an exhibition be a health intervention? To describe complexities of the communication environment I use a mnemonic device called SPEAKING, an acronym for ‘Scene/Setting, Participants, Ends, Act Sequence, Key, Instrumentalites, Norms and …

Pattern Of Use Of Electronic Health Record (Ehr) Among The Chronically Ill: A Health Information National Trend Survey (Hints) Analysis, Rose Calixte, Sumaiya Islam, Zainab Toteh Osakwe, Argelis Rivera, Marlene Camacho-Rivera

Publications and Research

Effective patient–provider communication is a cornerstone of patient-centered care. Patient portals provide an effective method for secure communication between patients or their proxies and their health care providers. With greater acceptability of patient portals in private practices, patients have a unique opportunity to manage their health care needs. However, studies have shown that less than 50% of patients reported accessing the electronic health record (EHR) in a 12-month period. We used HINTS 5 cycle 1 and cycle 2 to assess disparities among US residents 18 and older with any chronic condition regarding the use of EHR for secure direct messaging …

The Nurse-Family Connection: Exploring Verbal And Nonverbal Immediacy, Kristen P. Treinen

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Immediacy is the key to developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, each relationship has a unique set of rules and patterns of communication that help maintain the trust and continue the process of relational development. What is not unique about interpersonal relationships is the foundation of trust, a bond, that can be established through the use of immediacy. This study examines not only if nurses believe effective communication with family members is necessary, but how and in what ways nurses have forged a care connection with family members using verbal and nonverbal immediacy.

Effects Of News And Threat Perceptions On Americans’ Covid-19 Precautionary Behaviors, Riva Tukachinsky Forster, Megan A. Vendemia

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Our study examines the relationship between news exposure at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, personal threat beliefs, beliefs about others’ threat perceptions, and participation in precautionary actions. A survey of 377 U.S . adults revealed a significant main effect of news exposure on various precautionary behaviors (e.g., facial mask wear, physical distancing). Personal threat beliefs and beliefs about others’ threat perceptions serve as unique mechanisms mediating the effect of news on specific CDC-recommended and less socially desirable actions. These findings can guide news sources covering health crises in a socially responsible manner.

The After-Visit Summary: An Opportunity For Technical Communicators, Drew Jordan

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The After-Visit Summary (AVS) is a document patients receive while being discharged from a medical appointment. In this paper, I explore the aspects of patient education materials (PEMs), health literacy, and plain language in respect to the AVS with research from the fields of technical communication, health communication, and medicine. The narrative included depicts my own personal experience with the document to emphasize my push for action. The main objective for this paper is to urge technical communication scholars to analyze the AVS and evaluate it for areas of improvement. A benefit to both patients and practitioners, optimizing the AVS …

Developing A Health Communication Campaign For Disposal Of Unused Opioid Medications, Kathleen L. Egan, Mark Wolfson, Kaylee M. Lukacena, Carina Mazariegos Zelaya, Monique S. Mcleary, Donald W. Helme

Communication Faculty Publications

Introduction

Communities throughout the United States have implemented medicine disposal programs to prevent diversion of unused opioid analgesics from homes but a general lack of awareness may contribute to low rates of utilization. The objective of this study was to develop and test community-based campaign messages promoting appropriate disposal of unused opioids at disposal programs.

Methods

In Fall 2019, 491 residents (79% female, 97% White, mean age: 40 years) of five rural, Appalachian counties (3 in Kentucky and 2 in North Carolina) completed a web-based, experimental survey. Participants were randomly exposed to two of four messages and rated each message …

What Are The Rhetorical Strategies And Consequences Of Food Labels Regarding Health, Lifestyle, And Ethics Of Consumers With Food-Related Diseases And Allergies?, Delaney Borchers

Master of Arts in Media and Communication Plan II Graduate Projects

In this study, it is investigated on how health, lifestyle and ethical factors of a consumer with a gluten-related disease and allergy influence their understanding and awareness of gluten-free food labels. This study was implemented through an online survey on a Facebook support group with a total of 195 respondents. The results show that consumers do have a strong awareness and understanding of the differences between certified gluten-free and non-certified gluten-free food labels. This indicates that having this strong awareness and understanding is influenced based upon a consumer’s health, lifestyle and ethical factors of following a gluten-free diet.

Barriers To Health: Understanding The Barriers Faced By Community Intervention Projects, Vera Landrum

Master's Theses

Health disparities affect significant portions of the population and are most often experienced by marginalized communities (Wilkin, 2013). Health disparities are also impacted by geographical location, and hunger often affects rural areas (Dutta, Anaele, & Jones, 2013; Rural Health Information Hub, 2017). This study aims to understand how nonprofit organizations focused on addressing food insecurity disseminate information to members of the local community and how the input of community members impacted the overall food insecurity campaign. This study was conducted by interviewing five nonprofit directors and conducting three focus groups with clients of the. aforementioned organizations. The author found that …

Appalachian Environmental Health Literacy: Building Knowledge And Skills To Protect Health, Anna G. Hoover, Annie Koempel, W. Jay Christian, Kimberly I. Tumlin, Kelly G. Pennell, Steven Evans, Malissa Mcalister, Lindell E. Ormsbee, Dawn Brewer

Journal of Appalachian Health

Environmental health literacy (EHL) is an emerging, multidisciplinary field that promotes understanding of how environmental exposures can affect human health. After discussing the regional relevance of environmental health knowledge and skills, this article describes three ongoing Appalachian projects that are focused on measuring and building EHL.

Communication Apprehension About Death, Religious Group Affiliation, And Religiosity: Predictors Of Organ And Body Donation Decisions, Heather J. Carmack, Jocelyn M. Degroot

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Communication willingness has previously been identified as an important communication factor in influencing individuals’ decisions to become an organ donor. Missing from this conversation is the role of communication apprehension about death and its impact on donation decisions. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between communication apprehension about death, religiosity, and religious affiliation, and donation decisions. Three hundred and thirty-three individuals participated in an online survey. Findings suggest that communication apprehension about death, especially communication avoidance about death, negatively impact donation decisions. Additionally, religiosity and affiliation with a specific religion also negatively impact donation decisions. These …

Medical Students' Experiences And Outcomes Using A Virtual Human Simulation To Improve Communication Skills: Mixed Methods Study, Timothy Guetterman, Rae Sakakibara, Srikar Baireddy, Frederick W. Kron, Mark W. Scerbo, James F. Cleary, Michael D. Fetters

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Attending to the wide range of communication behaviors that convey empathy is an important but often underemphasized concept to reduce errors in care, improve patient satisfaction, and improve cancer patient outcomes. A virtual human (VH)–based simulation, MPathic-VR, was developed to train health care providers in empathic communication with patients and in interprofessional settings and evaluated through a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: This mixed methods study aimed to investigate the differential effects of a VH-based simulation developed to train health care providers in empathic patient-provider and interprofessional communication.

Methods: We employed a mixed methods intervention design, involving a comparison of …

West Virginia’S Sugary Drink Tax: Examining Print Media Frames In Local News Sources, Lauri Andress, Ogaga Urhie, Christine Compton

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Framing is an important aspect of the policy process that helps the public and decision makers sort through and resolve highly charged claims about an issue. Through slight changes in the presentation of issues, a framing effect may alter public support. The way a proposed sugary drink tax is discussed in public discourse and by the media significantly influences policy acceptance. Given the public health significance of obesity and diabetes in West Virginia (WV) the study of media frames employed to represent a sugary drink tax policy is useful.

Methods: Using quantitative content analysis, this study assessed news articles—published …

Adding Soul To The Message: Applying African American Jeremiad Rhetoric As Culturally Competent Health Communication Online, Wilbert Francisco Laveist

English Theses & Dissertations

This study examines whether online health communications targeting African Americans could be more effective by structuring the message in the format of African American jeremiad rhetoric, a culturally unique version of the American jeremiad literary form. Health disparities (also known as health inequality) persist among African Americans despite increased health knowledge, improved communication practices, and access to health facts online. The problem is systemic, and thus a predictable outcome that requires change in societal structures that produce and maintain inequality. Individual behavior changes to improve health is also necessary. Information alone does not change behavior. Altering environmental factors is also …

Preparing Students For The Real World: Analyzing Public Relations (Pr) Education For Entry-Level Practice In The Health Industry, Olivia Maria Lason

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Public relations (PR) agencies are often called upon to service the needs of niche industry areas of practice. These areas include healthcare communication which generates over 15% of firm revenue alone. Agencies are also top-employers of PR graduates, yet literature shows students are not meeting the skills and abilities expected of an entry-level practitioner. This study examined whether entry-level foundational skills and abilities (FSAs) are taught to PR students interested in the health field. Through a content analysis of undergraduate health communication syllabi in PR programs, the study found most FSAs were addressed; however, some areas were lacking. As such, …

Rationale For A Media Literacy Intervention For Parents Of 5-10 Year Old Children, Emily Brogan-Freitas, Allie White, Hana Polizzotto, Faith Escalera, Lauren Graziani, Ashley Ima, Alex Stack

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Children use electronic screens at younger and younger ages, but there is nascent empirical research on how parental attitudes and beliefs interact with their children’s media habits and characteristics. This exploratory study attempted to better understand how parental critical thinking skills, perception of media risk, knowledge of media effects, and media self-efficacy influence parents’ mediation of children’s media use and children’s media exposure. An online survey was conducted in which parents of children ages 5-10 answered a series of questions about the aforementioned variables. We expect the results to indicate that critical thinking skills, mediation of children’s media use, perception …

Source Effects Of Health Information And Digital Health Literacy Among College Students: An Elaboration Likelihood Model Perspective, Julia Morton

LSU Master's Theses

While advertising and persuasion is a widely researched area in mass communication, the impact of health marketing on consumer behavior remains a relatively new arena. The complex health information landscape online is comprised of both public health organizations seeking to improve health behaviors as well as businesses seeking to sell their products or services. It is well documented in the communication literature that the source of information can impact the recipient in a multitude of ways. Digital health literacy is undoubtedly an essential skill for anyone interacting with health information online, spurring the question, do individuals with low and high …

Health Information Seeking As A Coping Strategy To Reduce The Stress Of Informal Caregivers Of Individuals With Alzheimer’S Disease And Other Forms Of Dementia, Nia Francis Mason

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between information seeking and the perceived stress levels of informal Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers. An additional component was added to determine whether health literacy and emotional state moderated the relationship.

The study involved conducting qualitative interviews followed by collecting survey data to answer the following research questions: 1) What motivating factors lead informal AD caregivers to seek out information? How do their information needs change? Why do informal caregivers choose to utilize certain resources more than others? Is there a correlation between information seeking and resulting stress levels? Does health literacy moderate the association between …

Multifaceted Contents And Techniques For Designing Health Communication Courses, Maria Brann, Laura Russell

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Health communication courses explore health phenomena from various angles. Whether focusing on interpersonal and organizational relationships or addressing community and national campaigns, instructors may choose from various contents to design these courses. This essay highlights critical questions, contents, and activities useful for instructors seeking information for designing health communication courses. Moreover, the authors reflect on sensitive issues unique to these courses that instructors should take into consideration when teaching.

All Good And Well?: The State Of Forensic Health And Wellness Scholarship, Carson S. Kay

Speaker & Gavel

Forensic educators and students face many competitive challenges while vying for trophies and titles. However, maintaining one’s health while preparing, traveling, and competing too often falls by the wayside. Although scholars have examined the health of forensic educators and students in the past, few current research agendas address the health concerns of the forensic community. With the exception of Carmack (2016) and her collaboration with Holm (2005, 2013, 2015), forensic scholars have not actively discussed how the activity affects student and educator wellbeing since 2004. Questions still remain regarding how the speech and debate community might feasibly promote a healthy …

Getting To The Heart Of It: Examining Intergenerational Sensemaking Of Heart Disease, Sarah R. Petitte

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Using Communicated Narrative Sense-Making Theory (Koenig Kellas, 2018), this study tested how grandchildren’s perceptions of risk and knowledge about heart disease in the family, as well as relational satisfaction, changed over the course of 3 weeks as a result of engaging in a storytelling experiment. Participants included 17 grandchild participants who interviewed their grandparents to tell stories about family heart health or discuss everyday events based on random assignment into a treatment or comparison group. Additionally, participants completed measures surrounding their knowledge of heart disease, relational satisfaction with their grandparent, and their perception of risk to develop heart disease in …

Efficacy Of Technology-Based And In-Person Health Education For Behavior Change In College-Aged Women, Madeline Bremel

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether an in-person or technology based bone health intervention improved bone health knowledge and behaviors in college-aged women. Methods: 30 college-aged women were randomly divided into three groups: personal intervention (n = 10), technological intervention (n = 10), and control (n = 10). Both intervention groups received identical information regarding the importance of bone health and the appropriate behaviors for maintaining strong bones including weight-bearing exercise, calcium consumption, and vitamin D consumption. The technology group received the information via an online video, and the personal group via a one-on-one …

Reducing Symptom Distress In Patients With Advanced Cancer Using An E-Alert System For Caregivers: Pooled Analysis Of Two Randomized Clinical Trials, David H. Gustafson, Lori L. Dubenske, Amy K. Atwood, Ming-Yuan Chih, Roberta A. Johnson, Fiona Mctavish, Andrew Quanbeck, Roger L. Brown, James F. Cleary, Dhavan Shah

Health and Clinical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Symptom distress in patients toward the end of life can change rapidly. Family caregivers have the potential to help patients manage those symptoms, as well as their own stress, if they are equipped with the proper resources. Electronic health (eHealth) systems may be able to provide those resources. Very sick patients may not be able to use such systems themselves to report their symptoms but family caregivers could.

Objective: The aim of this paper was to assess the effects on cancer patient symptom distress of an eHealth system that alerts clinicians to significant changes in the patient’s symptoms, as …

Listening To Unheard Voices: Nurses’ Communication Experiences With The Nrs Pain Scale, Matthew H. Barton, Kevin Stein

Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD

This study examines nurses’ experiences with the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). These responses characterize the communication trials that nurses face with pain diagnosis, pain management, and overall patient care. Interviews with 20 nurses reveal three themes: subject dissatisfaction, feeling limited, and subjective satisfaction. An analysis of these themes reveals the need for renewed discussion about the way pain is communicated and the challenging expectations nurses must regularly confront. Implications for listening to important, but often quiet, even silent, voices in pain management and clinical practice are discussed.

No Stigma, No Shame: Reducing The Stigma Of Mental Illness In College Freshmen Dorms, Ashley R. Reynolds

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

With a rise in college students who report symptoms of mental illness and the high number of college students who do not seek professional help because of the stigma of mental illness, it is evident that the stigma of mental illness on college campuses needs to be addressed. A health campaign that seeks to reduce the stigma of mental illness on campus was designed, implemented, evaluated. The Model of Stigma Communication, which explains how stigma is developed and reinforced, is a sound framework for exploring the stigma of mental illness and was used to guide the campaign. First, a survey …

Chronic Disease Management & Fitness Trackers Through The Lens Of The Health Belief Model & Diffusion Of Innovations Theory, Amanda Folk

Masters Essays

Chronic disease has become one of the leading causes of death in the United States. The purpose of this project is to understand the motivation behind health behaviors that individuals engage in to prevent, manage, or treat chronic diseases. By simultaneously examining chronic disease and fitness trackers through the Health Belief Model and The Diffusion of Innovations Theory, external factors are exposed that influence perceptions and lead to purchase decisions. Incorporating the cost-benefit analysis of the devices confirms that associated risks and questions of accuracy do not prevent product purchases or the belief that it can improve health. Moreover, the …

Brookings Supports Breastfeeding: Using Public Deliberation As A Community-Engaged Approach To Dissemination Of Research, Jenn Anderson, Rebecca A. Kuehl, Sara A. Mehltretter Drury, Lois Tschetter, Mary Schwaegerl, Julia Yoder, Heidi Gullickson, Jammison Lamp, Charlotte Bachman, Marilyn Hildreth

Communication Studies Publications

Empirical evidence demonstrates myriad benefits of breastfeeding for mother and child, along with benefits to businesses that support breastfeeding. Federal and state legislation requires workplace support for pumping and provides protections for public breastfeeding. Yet, many are unaware of these laws, and thus, support systems remain underdeveloped. We used a community-based approach to spread awareness about the evidence-based benefits of breastfeeding and breastfeeding support. We worked to improve breastfeeding support at the local hospital, among local employers, and throughout the broader community. Our coalition representing the hospital, the chamber of commerce, the university, and local lactation consultants used a public …

Child-Mediated Health Communication: A Conceptual Framework For Increasing Stroke Literacy In Hard To Reach Populations, Olajide Williams, Ellyn Leighton-Herrmann, Mindy F. Hecht, Alexandra Desorbo, William Gerin, Monique Hedmann, Rachel Shelton, Benjamin Tolchin, James Noble

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Effectively engaging economically-disadvantaged ethnic minority communities for promoting health has proved to be challenging for a variety of reasons, including factors related to healthcare access, literacy, inadequate or ineffective cultural appropriateness of materials, and the relatively low priority for health due to competing demands related to economic hardship. We have developed a framework of Child-Mediated Health Communication (CMHC), which focuses on children as channels for carrying out health promotion interventions to parents and other caregivers. CMHC is an innovative, alternative strategy for engaging this underserved population, where traditional methods of health promotion have not been successful. We discuss the theoretical …

Shhhuicide Stories: A Crip Critical Analysis Of Attempt Survivors' Narrations Of Suicidality, Emily Krebs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Estimations suggest that one person in the United States tries to take their own life every 38 seconds (Yeager & Roberts, 2015, p. 38), making suicide the 10th leading cause of death in the nation (AFSP, 2016). Despite the prevalence of this issue, communication surrounding suicidality remains scarce - as do concrete understandings of what causes the desire to die in the first place. Dominant understandings link suicidality to chemical/neurobiological issues in the brain (mental illnesses), but these claims have not yet been scientifically proven (Hjelmeland, Dieserud, Dyregrov, Knizek, & Leenaars, 2012) and, as this study suggests, biomedical aspects of …

Adherence And Uncertainty Management: A Test Of The Theory Of Motivated Information Management, Ryan Thiel

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study examined the main predictors of adherence to a health regimen by patients clinically diagnosed with a heart condition. The theory of motivated information management was used to illuminate salient variables including uncertainty, emotion(s), outcome expectancies, and efficacy assessments. A total of 76 participants completed an online survey, asking about variables related to the theory of motivated information management, adherence, and quality of communication between patient and physician. All together, 90.8% of patients reported properly adhering to their health regimen. The results further indicated that participants had overall low levels of uncertainty regarding their health regimen, and reported positive …

Trans/Formations: A Photovoice Assessment Of Transgender People’S Wellness, E. Ricky Hill

Communication ETDs

The purpose of this study is to identify and understand ways transgender and gender non-conforming people living in Albuquerque, New Mexico are communicating about and understanding their health and wellness needs and the health and wellness needs of their community. Partnering with the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico, I used a community-based participatory approach to work on a Photovoice project that identified health and wellness related needs as defined by the community. Emergent themes identified by the participants highlighted various challenges and strengths to health and wellness for transgender and gender non-conforming people. I identify five core cultural premises …