Health Communication in the New Media Landscape » (New Edition)

Jerry Parker is the Associate Dean for Clinical Research and Development at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine. Parker is a Clinical Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Director of the Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (MARRTC) at MU. He has served as a member of the National Advisory Board for Arthritis and Musculorskeletal Diseases, and he is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Health Psychology). Parker has been awarded the Arthritis Health Professions Association (AHPA) Merit Award for Outstanding Scholarship, the Outstanding VA Research Psychologist Award from (APA Psychologists in Public Service), and the Outstanding VA Administrator Psychologist Award (APA Psychologists in Public Service).

Esther Thorson is Professor, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, and Director of Research for the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Dr. Thorson has published more than 100 scholarly pieces on the news effects, advertising, media economics, and health communication, and has edited six books. Recent selected articles include "Going beyond exposure to local news media: An information-processing examination of public perceptions of food safety" (Journal of Health Communication; in press); and "Promoting youth health by social empowerment: A media campaign targeting social capital" (Journal of Health Communication; in press).

"This is a timely discussion of using new information technologies and media for communicating diverse health information to diverse audiences. This book is useful, readable, current, well organized, and seems to be a unique contribution."

--Doody's

"In this volume there are examples of how advances in technology not only empower individuals in their interactions with a health system but also enable health professionals to better tailor their work and time for the benefit of patients and clients."

-Paul R. Gully, MB, ChB, FRCPC, FFPH,
World Health Organization, Geneva Switzerland (From the Foreword)

To date, little guidance exists for health care professionals who want and need new ways to communicate health information with each other, their patients, and the general public. To address this need, Health Communication in the New Media Landscape presents innovative, media-based methods of communication to graduate students, educators, health care professionals, public health officials, and communication experts.

Health Communication in the New Media Landscape demonstrates the extent to which modern, digital technology can serve as the most practical and efficient form of distributing health-related information. The authors are confident that, if implemented wisely, technology can and will transform the face of health communication as we know it.

This unique book addresses the following:

• The role technology can and will play in health communication
  
• How new media can be used to improve health literacy
  
• How patients can learn about health-related issues and health care
  
• New ways practitioners will be able to communicate with their patients
  
• How persons with chronic diseases learn about resources, support systems, and rehabilitation
  
• The impact of the new media landscape on health care providers, insurance companies, and health care policies
  

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Kathleen M Hunter, PhD, MS, RN(Walden University)
Description:This is a timely discussion of using new information technologies and media for communicating diverse health information to diverse audiences. The book begins by updating readers on the status and trends in health communication on a global scale, including the status of world health, emerging demographics, and trends in healthcare worldwide, as well as trends in health communication and media. The new media landscape is digital and changing constantly, requiring strategies for selecting the best media, learning to use the chosen medium, and helping health information consumers learn to optimize their use of these media. The last third of the book attempts to look into the future, addressing knowledge translation, evidence-based messages, envisioned international communication innovations, and how this new media landscape might affect healthcare around the world. The book uses tables and figures well, without being excessive. Chapters are of a reasonable length, with easily digested sections, and robust, contemporary resources. One noticeable negative of this book is the lack of registered nurses in the collection of contributors and the content. Registered nurses engage in health communications with healthcare consumers at all levels of health and illness, in diverse healthcare settings, and in myriad communities around the world. The absence of registered nurses as authors in this book indicates a lack of knowledge about healthcare professionals who engage in health knowledge communications.
Purpose:The editors intend this book to summarize the state of knowledge on how people interact with present and emerging communication systems. The focus is on communication of health information to the public, health consumers, and health professionals. The impact of communicated health information on individual and population health behaviors, healthcare providers, and health policy is a specific concern. The editors make an evidence-based, convincing argument for readers working with formal, planned health knowledge communication.
Audience:The editors refer to health professionals as their audience in the preface. This book is appropriate for practicing health professionals, not students, in any domain or discipline and for professionals involved with communication media of all types. Both editors have practice and research expertise supporting the idea, design, and development of this edited book.
Features:The book begins by setting a baseline of what we know today about health communications - the who, what, why, and how of disseminating health knowledge to individuals and to populations. Different authors present various perspectives on the concept of a new media landscape. The third section presents a variety of discussions on multiple possible directions for both the short-term and long-term future. Reader-friendly features include an easy-to-read font, simple headings within chapters, and understandable figures and tables. The third section not only attempts to predict directions for communications but provides useful pointers, guides, and suggestions for improving the effective use of various communication technologies. A significant gap in this otherwise useful and timely book is the absence of content by and about nurses and nursing involvement in health communications. This gap results in a solely medical focus on dissemination of health (illness-focused) knowledge.
Assessment:This book is useful, readable, current, well organized, and seems to be a unique contribution. The information presented here would be difficult and time consuming to gather on one's own. The compiled guidance for health professionals and communication professionals could facilitate more, and more effective, use of current and future communication technologies and practices.

1. Health Care and Rehabilitation in America, Jerry C. Parker and Eric Hart

2. Emerging Demographics and Health Care Trends

3. Communication Strategies for Reducing Racial and Cultural Disparities

4. Health Communication: Current Status and Challenge

5. Emerging Trends in the New Media Landscape

PART TWO: Health Communication in the New Media Landscape

6. Enhancing Consumer Involvement in Health Care

7. Delivering Self-management Strategies for Chronic Disease

8. Increasing Health-related Social Support

9. Promoting Health-related Advocacy

10. Improving Practitioner-Patient Communication

11. Increasing Health Literacy

12. Multimodal and Artificial Intelligence-based Techniques for Personalizing Health Communication

PART THREE: Future Directions

13. Making the Grade: Identification of Evidence-based Communication Messages

14. New Strategies for Knowledge Translation

15. International Innovations in Health Communication

16. New Media Implications for Health Care Research

17. New Media Implications for Health Care Policy

18. Health Communication: A Research Agenda