Health Communication Overview

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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 incidental exposure to health information from a variety of channels, including:

the mass media
advertising
the World Wide Web
health professionals

Lastly, public health communication 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, as well as patients, their families, and their 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
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. This is in line with the recognition that communication plays a critical role in:

health promotion and disease prevention
improving quality of health care and health outcomes
influencing public opinion about health policies
mobilizing the public and the community around issues of public health in both normal and crisis periods
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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