Health Sciences: Health Communication

Collaborative investigation of the nature of health communication and an exploration of the ways in which health communication is intertwined with public health and health care. Prerequisites: HSCI 1100; minimum Sophomore standing.

Prereqs enforced by the system: HSCI 1100; Asynchronous ONL Course; Additional prereq: HSCI 1980 or BHSC 1980 or ENGL 1001; Open to degree and PACE students

This course will provide an overview of health communication theories and practices while exploring health communication as an emerging and exciting specialty in health sciences and communication studies. Students will gain skills in communicating health-related information to a variety of audiences, from individuals to populations, to motivate change. We will examine how to deliver health information effectively in a variety of contexts which include patient-provider and interpersonal relationships in addition to various forms of media. Through readings, online class discussions and activities and assignments, students will investigate the nature of health communication and explore the ways in which health communication is intertwined with public health and health care. There will be an option Monday morning live online session to discuss the upcoming week's material.

This course is entirely online and asynchronous (on your own time, no “real time” live sessions). While course material is theoretical, course assignments and discussions are designed for application to health communication as both a consumer and producer. As your professor, this topic is deeply personal as well as professional for me. I will incorporate many of my own experiences into this class as they pertain to the concepts we are discussing in class. The course may challenge the students to reconsider some students’ habits and ways of thinking about communication and provider-patient interactions. Some of the discussions and exercises that are designed to develop the students’ communication skills may push them to move out of their comfort zone and consider alternative ways of communicating. The course is broken into three parts: 1) Cultural, Economic and Political Issues/Public Discourse about Health Care in the USA, 2) Patient-Caregiver Communication/Patient-Centered Care & Communication, and 3) Public Health Campaigns.

Grades will be based on online discussion and participation, weekly assignments, short quizzes and video notes, and a final project.