EXSC 4250 - Health Communication

(3) Credit Hours
Prerequisite: EXSC 3000 and EXSC 3250
This course examines the fundamentals of health communication and the vital role that health communication plays in the success of new health care delivery structures. The course also examines the implementation of health care reform and the adoption of communication advances in prevention, health promotion, and emergency preparedness. The latest health communication innovations, tools, technologies, research and strategies will be explored. Throughout the course, students learn and practice the skills of citizen engagement with consumers, family members, providers, policy makers, researchers, and the public. These learned skills will build the foundation for improving and maintaining health and well-being through health communications. Specifically, students will: 1) Define strategies used in effective health communication across organizational and community-wide health promotion initiatives; 2) Apply behavioral theories to health communication campaigns; 3) Identify program needs, resources, methods and channels for specific health initiatives and objectives; 4) Utilize the health communications processes model to design and implement various health communication initiatives for health promotion; 5) Identify evaluation design strategies in the planning, implementation, and review of communication strategies; 6) Explain the role of policy and legislative processes in health education and communication; and 7) Integrate health literacy and concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion in communication messaging and campaigns.