Health Communication

Health communication is an area of study that investigates the many ways human and mediated communication influence health care and health promotion. Gathering relevant diagnostic information from health care consumers, doctors, nurses, and other health care providers depends on their abilities to communicate effectively; ask pertinent questions about patient symptoms, behaviors, and lifestyle factors; interpret patient responses; and probe for more detailed information. Consumers depend on their abilities to communicate with heath care providers to seek help, identify health problems, interpret health recommendations and treatment strategies, and negotiate their way through the often complex modern health care systems.

Within these health care/promotion delivery systems, communication is the glue that holds together all the diverse, yet interdependent, health care professionals and providers, guiding activities to promote health. ...