188899 Ten years of health communication policy and practice

Monday, October 27, 2008: 8:50 AM

Vicki Freimuth, PhD , Department of Speech Communication and Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Judith McDivitt, PhD , Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta;, GA
     
During the last 10 years, health communication professionals have made substantial contributions to improving the public's health through accomplishments in theory development, research, practice, policy, education, and capacity development. During this time, theories, principles, and practices of effective health communication have been widely adopted in developing messages, strategies, and campaigns conducted in multiple settings and at multiple levels (local to national). The evaluation of communication efforts and campaigns, such as the VERB campaign for youth has provided valuable lessons on how to conduct effective health communication. Communication objectives were included for the first time in the Federal Healthy People 2010 Objectives, and progress has been made toward meeting the objectives. The Institute on Medicine has published reports focusing on the role of health communication in behavior change, health communication for diverse populations, and health literacy. This presentation will highlight major accomplishments in the last ten years in public health communication policy and practice, and discuss opportunities and challenges for the next 10 years.

Learning Objectives:
1. List major accomplishment in health communication policy and practice in the last ten years 2. Describe opportunities and challenges for health communication policy and practice in the future

Keywords: Health Communications, Practice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was the director of CDC's Office on Health Communication, which guided CDC's health communication practice activities. From that vantage, I learned about all major health communication policy initiatives throughout the country. I currently am a professor conducting research that informs health communication policy and practice.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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