Health Communication At a Glance

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Health Communication At a Glance

• October 28, 2008

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Introductions
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Types of health communication

• Persuasive or Behavioural Communications (which
  may employ social marketing strategies)
• Risk Communication
• Media Advocacy
• Entertainment Education
• Interactive Health Communication
• Communication for Social Change

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Definition of health communication

• The process of promoting health by disseminating
  messages through mass media, interpersonal
  channels and events.
• May include diverse activities such as
  clinician-patient interactions, classes,
  self-help groups, mailings, hotlines, mass media
  campaigns, events.
• Efforts can be directed toward individuals,
  networks, small groups, organizations,
  communities or entire nations.

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THCUs definition of health communication

• Where good health promotion and good
  communication practice meet.
• From Rootman and Hershfield, Health
  Communication Research Broadening the Scope.
  Health Communication. 6(1), 69-72. (1996)

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Comprehensive health communication campaigns (1)

• goal-oriented attempts to inform, persuade or
  motivate behaviour change
• ideally aimed at the individual, network,
  organizational and community/societal levels
• aimed at a relatively large, well-defined
  audience (i.e.,they are not interpersonal
  persuasion)
• provide non-commercial benefits to the individual
  and/or society

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Comprehensive health communication campaigns (2)

• occur during a given time period, which may range
  from a few weeks to many years
• are most effective when they include a
  combination of media, interpersonal and community
  events and,
• involve an organized set of communication
  activities.
• Based on Everett M. Rogers, and J. Douglas
  Storey, Communication Campaigns, in Charles R.
  Berger and Steven H. Chaffee (eds.), Handbook of
  Communication Science, Sage Newbury Park, CA,
  (1988).

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Final Decision   q  Use q  Lose q  Adapt
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Criteria 1 The message must get and maintain
attention added Aug 26/02

• If you dont capture and maintain attention, you
  cannot be effective!
• Different techniques will capture different
  audiences messages must always be tested.

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Ways to capture attention

• To make ads
• Attractive
• Interesting
• Entertaining
• Stimulating
• Use high quality creative (text, graphics,
  visuals)

• Consider using
• Parody
• Suspense
• Word play
• Sensuality
• Emotionally involving scenes
• Humour
• Vivid visuals
• Striking statements
• Lively language
• Fascinating facts
• Memorable slogans

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Criteria 2 Put strongest points at beginning of
message

• Position most critical information early in the
  message.
• Audiences who lose interest or become distracted
  will still process key points.

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Criteria 3 The message must be clear

• Can the audience identify the main message
  points?
• Now What
• So What
• What

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Elements that can help or hinder clarity

• language and reading level
• pace/speed
• amount of content
• statistics
• background (text, graphics, music, etc.) and
• repetition.

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Criteria 4 The action you are requesting is
reasonably easy (1)

• Sometimes behaviour takes too much effort and
  sacrifice.
• This can be overcome with easy and appealing baby
  steps.
• Per Wittes EPPM, likely to increase
  self-efficacy
• From Atkin, C. Theory and Principles of Media
  Health Campaigns. In Rice, R. Atkin, C. (Ed.).
  Public Communication Campaigns. 3rd Ed. 2001.

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Criteria 4 The action you are requesting is
reasonably easy (2)

• Be aware that target behaviours can be arranged
  along a continuum according to
• degree of time,
• effort,
• money,
• psychological, and
• social costs.

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Criteria 5 Make effective use of incentives

• Changing behaviour is more than just asking
• Must be a reason why they should care (So What)
• Different kinds of incentives
• Physical
• Economic
• Psychological
• Moral-Legal
• Social.
• For or against/Why or why not
• Severity and Susceptibility (Kim Witte, EPPM)

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Criteria 6 Provide good evidence for threats
and benefits (1)

• You must provide credible evidence that threats
  and benefits are real and likely.
• They must also be convinced that the behaviour
  you recommend will actually alleviate the threat
  discussed (I.e. Response Efficacy)

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Criteria 7 The messenger must be a credible
source

• The messenger is the model appearing in message
  who delivers information, demonstrates behavior,
  or provides a testimonial.
• The source messenger is helpful in
• attracting attention,
• personalizing by modeling actions and
  consequences, and
• making message memorable.
• Above information presented by Dr. Chuck Atkin at
  2000 Special Topics, THCU workshop).

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Typical categories of messengers

• Celebrity (famous athlete or entertainer)
• Public official (government leader or agency
  director)
• Expert specialist (doctor or researcher)
• Organization leader (hospital administrator or
  executive),
• Professional performer (standard spokesperson,
  attractive model, or character actor)
• Ordinary real person (blue-collar man or a
  middle-class woman)
• Specially experienced person (victim, survivor,
  or successful role model)
• Unique character (animated, anthropomorphic, or
  costumed).
• Above information presented by Dr. Chuck Atkin at
  2000 Special Topics, THCU workshop).

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Criteria 8 Messages must be believable

• Messages must be realistic.
• They should not make extreme claims or use
  extreme examples.
• Avoid highly dramatic episodes.
• Do not provide misleading information
• The audience must believe the information is
  accurate.

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Criteria 9 Use an appropriate tone (1)
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Criteria 10 Use an appropriate appeal (1)

• Rational
• Emotional
• Ethical
• Positive
• Negative

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Criteria 11 Do not harm the audience

• Message may unintentionally reach audiences it
  wasnt intended for.
• Therefore, developers must consider the views of
  anyone who might encounter the message.
• This is mainly a problem for negative messages
  that use threats or fear appeals.

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Criteria 12 Display identity throughout

• A campaign identity includes
• a mission,
• vision,
• a positioning statement/copy platform,
• a slogan,
• name,
• images,
• logo.
• Identity defines, distinguishes, and synergizes.

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Step Three

• Audience Analysis and Segmentation

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What do we need to know?

• There are many things we need to find out about
  our audience, if we want to change their
  behaviour
• Demographics
• Psychographics
• Behaviours and factors related to these

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Audience Analysis Questions
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The Segmentation Process

• Identify variables.
• Prioritize variables.
• Map out possibilities.
• Choose segments from possibilities
• Eliminate
• Rank order
• Combine where necessary/appropriate.

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USA Healthstyles

• Seven major healthstyles
• Physical Fantastics
• Active Attractives
• Tense But Trying
• Decent Dolittles
• Passively Healthy
• Hard-Living Hedonists
• Non-Interested Nihilists
• http//www.porternovelli.com/

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When do we have enough?

• When our picture is relatively complete.
• When our picture is valid (triangulate)
• When our picture is compelling

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Step 3 Audience Analysis Action Summary - Tips

• Use both existing and new data.
• Use both qualitative and quantitative data.
• Use a combination of inexpensive and more
  expensive means.
• Ensure that multiple data sources confirm the
  conclusions in your audience profile.

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Step 5 Objectives

• Identify the bottom-line changes you hope to
  accomplish as a result of your communication
  activities.

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The Four Levels

• Consider, for a moment, the following
• Do you believe that an individual can change
  his/her behaviour?
• Do you believe that an individuals behaviours
  are influenced by the social, workplace, and
  community networks to which they belong?
• Do you believe that the environments in which
  people eat, play, work and worship influence
  their behaviour?
• Do you believe that the laws and regulations of a
  society/community influence individual behaviour?

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The Four Levels (cont)

• If you believe these to be true, then you agree
  that there are multiple levels which influence
  health, all of which are important.
• Individuals
• Networks
• Organizations
• Communities/Societies

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Developing a Multi-Level Health Promotion Strategy
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Developing a Multi-Level Health Promotion
Strategy (2)
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Objectives Menu

• http//www.thcu.ca/infoandresources/resource_displ
  ay.cfm?resourceID54

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A Good Objective Is

• Communication-related.
• Outcome, rather than process-oriented.
• Aligned with a change process and the right
  level.
• Strategic.
• SMART

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Communication-Related

• Relates to an important program objective, which
  is appropriately addressed by communication.
• Describes an outcome which is realistic for
  communication, and for which you will be held
  accountable.

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Outcome-Oriented

• Describes a change (e.g use words like increase,
  decrease) rather than an action step.
• Identifies a specific audience (target group).
• Is a significant change, worthy of being an
  objective, which requires selection of vehicles
  and channels and careful sequencing, rather than
  simply being an action step. Example
  distributing information does not describe a
  significant change.

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Aligned with the change process and the right
level

• Is located with the right level of change (hint
  be guided by the ultimate change it addresses,
  not necessarily by the audience). Example
• If if addresses personal change, it affects
  individuals.
• If it addresses social influence, if works on
  informal social networks.
• If it addresses policies and procedures, it
  guides organizations.
• If it addresses laws and regulations, it
  influences governments of communities/societies
  of varying size.

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Selecting STRATEGIC communication objectives

• Create or look up a program logic model.
• Assess.
• areas of greatest public need and interest
• areas most related to your strengths
• areas most related to your mandate
• Pick priorities accordingly.

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SMART

• Is a SMART objective (specific, measurable,
  attainable, realistic, time-limited).

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Examples of awareness objectives for mass media

• Create recognition of a topic or practice.
• Convey the impression that the health problem is
  important.
• Impart simple forms of new information
• Trigger activation among favorably predisposed
  audiences.
• Foster compliance .
• Stimulate interpersonal communication
• Encourage further information-seeking.
• Sensitize individuals to future messages.
• Atkin, C. 2001. Impact of Public Service
  Advertising Research Evidence and Effective
  Strategies. Project conducted for Kaiser Family
  Foundation.

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Setting Realistic Objectives Tips

• Focus on mediating variables.
• Expect better results with pre-disposed
  audiences.
• Expect better results when trying to reinforce,
  rather than change behaviour
• Behaviour change is always difficult to
  accomplish through a comprehensive campaign.
• Success of behaviour change campaigns can depend
  on the type of behaviour you are trying to
  change.
• Behaviours are even harder to change with mass
  media alone.
• If you are setting mass media objectives,
  understand what objectives are realistic.

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Elements of a well-written outcome objective
Outcome (what)
Priority Population (who)
Conditions (when)
Criterion (how much)
A well-written objective
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Examples of outcome objectives in four components
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Resources

• Online videos about our resources
• http//www.thcu.ca/infoandresources/video.htm

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THCU on Health Communication

• Map of all health communication resources
  http//www.thcu.ca/infoandresources/health_comm_ma
  p.htm
• Developing health communication campaigns toolkit
• Buzz for Behaviour Change http//www.thcu.ca/infoa
  ndresources/publications/buzzarticlev1.02.pdf
• Audience profiles http//www.thcu.ca/infoandresour
  ces/audienceprofiles.htm
• Making the case (for health promotion
  initiatives)
• Strengthening personal presentations workbook
• Health communication message review criteria
• Interactive online campaign planner
  http//www.thcu.ca/infoandresources/ohc/myworkbook
  /login/login.asp
• Special update on risk communication
  http//www.thcu.ca/infoandresources/health_comm_ma
  p.htmrisk

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Health Communication resources Not ours, but
also good!

• HealthComm Key Searchable Database
  http//cfusion.sph.emory.edu/PHCI/Users/LogIn.cfm
  
• Free Range Thinking http//www.agoodmanonline.com
  /newsletter/index.html
• News and Views on Social Marketing and Social
  Change http//socialmarketing.blogs.com/r_craiig_l
  efebvres_social/2006/10/social_media_an.html

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THCUs Consultation Service

• Free to those working on Ontario-focused
  projects.
• Scope varies, depending on need
• short training sessions
• brief, one-time advice
• review your work or product
• hands-on assistance working through our step
  models
• links to other sources of information and
  resources.
• Consultation request form http//www.thcu.ca/consu
  ltation/request_form.htm
• Sample consultations http//www.thcu.ca/consultati
  on.htm

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Upon Request Workshops

• All of our workshops, are available upon request
  for groups as small as 30 and as large as 50.
• Any coalition or agency can partner with THCU to
  host a workshop in their community.
• We provide the facilitators at no cost and will
  work with you to help tailor, organize and
  promote the event.
• Service request form http//www.thcu.ca/consultati
  on/request_form.htm
• We require at least three months' notice to plan
  and deliver a workshop.

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Brought to you by THCU.

• Case Study Series
• Planning, evaluation, health communication
  http//www.thcu.ca/infoandresources.htm
• What Were Reading
• Recommended and summarized resources
  http//www.thcu.ca/infoandresources/WhatWe'reReadi
  ng.htm
• Literature search results
• Completed to support our client consultations
  http//www.thcu.ca/infoandresources/LitReviews.htm
  
• THCUs Online Learning Community
• Questions generated from our clients, answers
  generated by THCU and colleagues
  http//www.thcu.ca/blogs/lc/

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More by THCU

• Guide to French Language Resources
  http//www.thcu.ca/infoandresources/ressourcesenfr
  ancais.htm
• Changing Behaviours A Practical Framework
  http//www.thcu.ca/infoandresources/publications/C
  hangingBehavioursv4.3.nov30.2005.pdf
• Overview of Sustainability Workbook
  http//www.thcu.ca/infoandresources/sustainability
  _resources.htm

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THCU in collaboration with OHPRS

• Health Promotion 101
• This free, online course helps people familiarize
  themselves with essential health promotion
  concepts.
• http//www.ohprs.ca/hp101/main.htm
• Online Proposal Writing Course
• The purpose of this online course is to help both
  newbies and veterans prepare a coherent and
  effective proposal.
• http//www.thcu.ca/ohcc-thcu-proposal-w
  riting-course/
• Ontario Health Promotion Email Bulletin
• Information exchange among Ontario practitioners.
• Announcements and events distributed weekly.
• Feature articles are distributed every second
  week.
• The bulletins go out every Friday afternoon.
• www.ohpe.ca

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Brought to you by THCU

• Case study series Planning, evaluation, health
  communication
• What were reading Recommended and summarized
  resources
• Literature search results Conducted to support
  our client consultations
• THCUs online learning communityQuestions
  generated by our clients, answers generated by
  THCU
• http//www.thcu.ca/infoandresources.htm

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More by THCU

• Guide to French Language Resources
  http//www.thcu.ca/infoandresources/ressourcesenfr
  ancais.htm
• Changing Behaviours A Practical Framework
  http//www.thcu.ca/infoandresources/publications/C
  hangingBehavioursv4.3.nov30.2005.pdf
• Overview of Sustainability Workbook
  http//www.thcu.ca/infoandresources/sustainability
  _resources.htm

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THCU in collaboration with OHPRS

• Health Promotion 101
• This free, online course helps people familiarize
  themselves with essential health promotion
  concepts.
• http//www.ohprs.ca/hp101/main.htm
• Online Proposal Writing Course
• The purpose of this online course is to help both
  newbies and veterans prepare a coherent and
  effective proposal.
• http//www.thcu.ca/ohcc-thcu-proposal-w
  riting-course/
• Ontario Health Promotion Email Bulletin
• Information exchange among Ontario practitioners.
• Announcements and events distributed weekly.
• Feature articles are distributed every second
  week.
• The bulletins go out every Friday afternoon.
• www.ohpe.ca

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A big thank you to

• Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion
• Jodi Thesenvitz, Cathy Duerden, and Noelle Gadon
• Our workshop participants

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Disclaimer

• The Health Communication Unit and its resources
  and services are funded by the Ontario Ministry
  of Health Promotion. The opinions and conclusions
  expressed in this presentation are those of the
  author(s) and no official endorsement by the
  Ministry of Health Promotion is intended or
  should be inferred.