Cos 324

Types of potential interaction between mass communication and interpersonal communication

- Direct influence of mass media: Exposure to mass media -------> Attitudinal/behavioral change - Mediated influence: The role of IC as a mediator: Mass media messages influence the audience THROUGH interpersonal comm. & The diffusion of mass messages through interpersonal comm can facilitate mass media effects (in a positive way). - Moderated influence: The effect of mass media messages can vary according to interpersonal comm. & The effect of mass-mediated messages can be shifted as a function of interpersonal comm. People talk about a media campaign in a way that was not intended by the campaign creators. --> This could change the direction of the campaign effect (IC as a moderator).

Characteristics (advantages) of mass media as frequently used source/channel of health information

-Can define health and illness -Can inform, educate, entertain, motivate action, and build community on issues of public interests -Can provide detailed information about relevant products and services -Can reach a large audience -Effective mass communication can be achieved through a strategic blend and use of traditional and new media

Key Characteristics of Health Communication

-Strategic -Audience and media specific -Creative -Relationship building -Aimed at behavioral and social results -Evidence/ research based (also applied to strategic communication)

Healthcare public relations

-helps organizations and their publics discuss and eventually come to an agreement on ideas, recommended behaviors, products, or services related to individual/public health. -helps to provide information that helps individuals, stakeholders, and entire communities make the best possible decisions for themselves and their loved ones. -helps to create a public environment that could motivate people to develop a favorable attitude toward an organization and the organization's goal

Health Communication

A multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach to reach different audiences with the goal of influencing, engaging and supporting individuals, communities, and health professionals, special groups, policymakers, and the public to introduce, adopt or sustain a behavior, practice, or policy that will ultimately improve the individual, community, and public health outcomes. The study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individuals and community decisions that enhance health. The art and techniques of informing, influencing and motivating individual, institutional, and public audiences about important health issues. Its scope includes disease prevention, health promotion, healthcare policy, and business, as well as enhancement of the quality of life and health individuals within the community.

Examples of interpersonal communication in the health context (community dialogue, personal selling)

Community dialogue: a process that seeks to create a favorable environment in which communities feel comfortable putting forward their ideas and interests and providing input and opinions on specific topics. Personal selling: one-on-one engagement of intended audiences in their own spaces to sell or promote a product of service. E.G pharmaceutical sales representative who goes to physicians offices or patients home to present a new product

Understanding the partnership and competition between the public and private sectors in the current mass media environment (We have numerous channels to disseminate health information, including traditional mass media and new media. However, who else is using the same channels?• What are the critical roles of mass communication/mass media in creating a favorable health communication environment?)

Effective PR strategies can be utilized in healthcare setting for various organizations ranging from a local hospital and not-profit organizations to for-profit organizations. American Cancer Society The Annenberg Foundation Bloomberg Philanthropies Cancer Treatment Centers of America Prostate Cancer Foundation The Safeway Foundation Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Canadian Cancer Society Fox Family Cancer Research Trust International Development Bank Major League Baseball MasterCard Philips Saks Fifth Avenue Mass media can have an enormous impact on people's health behaviors especially in those cultures where TV and the Internet is prevalent. Mass media campaigns have proven their effectiveness in helping increase immunization rates, vaccination knowledge, cancer screenings, and awareness of risks associated with smoking.

What are the major channels used in Health communication?

Expert interpersonal sources (physicians and nurses), Non-expert interpersonal sources (family, friends), Traditional mass media (Tv, Magazines, Newspapers), New media and digital platforms (health websites),

The multifaceted and multidisciplinary nature of health communication

Health communication seeks to achieve attitudinal or behavioral change at different levels. Health communication uses a multifaceted approach that is grounded in various disciplines of social and behavioral science including (but not limited to) public health, medicine, communication, marketing, psychology, anthropology, and sociology. Health communication can reach its highest potential when it is discussed and applied within a team-oriented context that includes researchers and professionals from different sectors and disciplines.

Effective physician/ Provider-patient communication

It matters because it -enhances collaboration between the physicians and the patients. -facilities the problem-solving process -increases patient satisfaction with health care -increases patient compliance/adhere to treatment recommendations -Ultimately, patients' health outcomes A successful p-p communication In addition to all the outcomes mentioned above... Increases patient retention rates Reduces the number of malpractice lawsuits Can lower the likelihood of health providers': -Stress & burnout -Turnover -Leaving profession generally àIneffective p-p communications and unsatisfied patients can have a negative influence on providers' satisfaction (a vicious circle)

Different types of mass media

Mass media: Means of communication reaching large audience or percentages of a given population. Tools to reach as many people as possible. Channels that are counted as mass media - Television - Radio - Newspapers - Magazines - The Internet

Opportunities and concerns related to online health information -Healthcare consumerism -Empowered patients

Opportunities and threats related to the new technology -Broadened the traditional notion of expert knowledge (e.g., online health information) -Provided alternative or complementary platforms to traditional areas of interpersonal communication -Enabled the development of online communities that help people cope with specific health situations (e.g., online patient groups) -Quality of online health information: all sources of health information on the Internet equally trustable? -Misinformation/misperceptions are prevalent and widely distributed these days through mass media and new media channels (e.g., the link between vaccination and autism)

What is the new trend in physician/provider-patient relationship and what are the main reasons?)

Patients have become -more involved with their own care -more educated about health issues -active participants in health care decisions and policies Empowered patients New trend: Healthcare consumerism

Different perspectives on the size of mass communication effects (e.g., powerful media effects vs. minimal media effects) - mass media = means of communication that reach a large audience or percentages of a given population --> tools that reach as many people as possible - channels that are counted as mass media are: entertainment-oriented media (tv, radio) and information-oriented media (newspapers, magazines) which has high-reliability and in-depth coverage and the Internet ---> Lines between traditional mass media and new media = blurred

Perspectives on Mass communication: - Mass media messages dictates people's behavior directly (1900-1940) ---> Lasswell's propaganda technique in WW (1927) and Magic bullet theory model/Hypodermic needle model: These 2 theories suggest that the mass media could influence a very large group of people directly and uniformly by "shooting" or "injecting" them w/ certain messages designed to trigger a desired response --> ex: Hitler's monopolization of the mass media during WWII to unify the German public behind the nazi party Things that have "prompted" powerful impact of mass communication: - fast rise and popularization of mass media (radio & tv) - emergence of persuasion industries (advertising & propaganda) MINIMAL media effects: - Mass media only plays a small part in affecting people's behavior (1940-1970) -----> Interpersonal communication > mass media for voting decisions --> see Two-step flow (through opinion leaders) and Diffusion of Innovation for more on this (both = on a later card) Moderate--> Powerful Effects (1970-2010): - media effects can be strong, but are conditional: "It depends." ----> communication is a process!

Who are the senders and the receivers of Health Communication messages?

Senders: healthcare providers, government agencies, non-profit (or for profit) organizations, health educators, your mom/friends etc. Receives: Ourselves (individuals), Public (mass media), patients, communities.

Health literacy (what is it? How can we address health literacy issues?)

The ability to •Find health information and services •Communicate their needs and preferences and respond to information and services •Understand the choices, consequences and context of the information and services •Decide which information and services match their needs and preferences so they can act •Addressing health literacy issues is a key to increase effective p-p communications and to reduce health disparities among underserved populations

What are the social-level factors influencing the effect of health communication? -The socio-ecological model of public health -Social determinants of health

The effect of health communication on behavioral and social change are, in many cases, conditioned by the environment in which people live and work. The socio-ecological model: Individual (biological and psychological traits, knowledge, attitudes) Interpersonal (peers, family) Organizational (Social institutions, community) Cultural/Environmental (society, public policy) Social determinants of health: Socially determined factors that influence the health outcomes. E.G. Socioeconomic conditions, race, ethnicity, culture, a built environment that supports physical activity. (public park), neighborhoods with accessible and affordable nutritious food, clinical settings, etc. -Requires multiple levels of analysis & diverse methods -Dynamic interplay of environmental, social, and personal factors -Interdependencies between people & environments

Some key concepts/terms include- Two-step flow, Diffusion of innovation, Opinion leaders

Two-step flow: - Mass media messages often do NOT flow from media outlets directly to audience members, but travel via influential people who pass the info to others Diffusion of Innovation: seeks to explain how, why, and at what rate new ideas & technology spread - Adoption of a new idea/behavior/product (innovation) does not happen simultaneously. in a social system; rather it is a process whereby some people (opinion leaders) are more apt to adopt innovation than others - This theory has been used successfully in many fields (comm, agriculture, public health, social work, & marketing) Opinion leaders = they are the Innovators, Early Adopters, and some of the Early Majority in the Diffusion of Innovation model

Understand the dynamic of the interaction between mass communication and interpersonal communication (Can they work together? If so, how?)

Yes, it is important that they work together because mass media messages often travel via influential people who pass the info to others (Two-step flow). Messages on the mass media (health messages) can be disseminated people who are directly/indirectly exposed to the mass mediated message. And interpersonal comm generated by mass-mediated communication can influence social environment (public discussion), which can re-influence media coverage. In interpersonal comm: person A (sender) ------> person B (receiver) Mass comm (direct influence): Mass media ----------> mass audience Mass effects can be mediated by interpersonal comm: Mass media ---- interpersonal comm -----> mass audience

Barriers to effective physician-patient communication (why is it important?)

• Cultural and ethnic differences • Education level • Language barriers • Lack of understanding medical jargon • Age • Cognitive limitations • Disease-related stress • Power imbalance compared to health care providers