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Public Health Communications Homepage

Module 1: Introduction to Public Health Communications

Competency covered in this module: 

• Apply theory and strategy-based communication principles across different settings and audiences.
• Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors.

Module 1: Lesson 1: Why Public Health Communications?

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Define public health communications and other related concepts.
• Discuss the importance of public health communications for public health workers.
  

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• About Health Communication
• What is Health Marketing?
• Public Health Communication
• Importance of Communication in Public Health
• Health Communication Basics

• Discussion Forum 1. A petition to strengthen public health communications (300 mins)

Module 1: Lesson 2: Communication Strategies and Principles

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Describe the different communication theories and principles.
• Analyze the importance of considering different communication theories and principles in public health communication.
  
• Assess how using different communication strategies can be more effective for specific audiences in a public health context.

• Nursing Communication and Educational Technology
• 10 Strategies for Effective Health Communication
• WHO Strategic Communications Framework For Effective Communications
• Health Communication Strategies as Gateway to Effective Health Promotion and Well-being.

• Quiz: Module 1

• Asynchronous Learning Activity 1: Assessing strategies and principles of effective vaccine communication (300 mins)

Module 2: Ethics and Public Health Communcations

Competency covered in this module: 

• Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content.
• Apply legal and ethical principles to the use of information technology and resources in public health settings.
  

Module 2: Lesson 1: Cultural Competence

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Summarize the definition and core principles of cultural competence.
• Exemplify how cultural competence can improve public health communications.
  
• Explain the strategies and processes for communicating effectively with culturally diverse audiences.
  

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• General principles of practice and cultural competence
• Cultural Competence In Health And Human Services
• Communication in the Real World: 8.4 Intercultural Communication Competence
• Enhancing FDA’s Reach to Minorities and Under-Represented Groups through Training: Developing Culturally Competent Health Education Materials
• Culturally Competent Outreach: Applying Social Marketing Techniques
• Communicating COVID-19 health information to culturally and linguistically diverse communities: insights from a participatory research collaboration

• Discussion Forum 2. Case Studies in Cultural Competence (300 mins)

Module 2: Lesson 2: Ethical considerations for Communicators

• Important Laws and Regulations in Health Informatics
• Health Information Privacy Laws in the Digital Age: HIPAA Doesn't Apply
• Federal Public Health Laws Supporting Data Use and Sharing
• Ethical Issues in Health Promotion and Communication Interventions
• Ethical Considerations for Digitally Targeted Public Health Interventions
• Ethical sharing of health data in online platforms - which values should be considered?
• Ethical Issues in Health Promotion and Communication Interventions

• Disease surveillance data sharing for public health: the next ethical frontiers

• Quiz: Module 2

• Asynchronous Learning Activity 2: Assessing strategies and principles of effective public health communication (300 mins)

Module 3: Information Technologies for Public Health Communications

Competency covered in this module: 

• Describe how the public health information infrastructure is used to collect, process, maintain, and disseminate data.
• Discuss the influences of social, organizational, and individual factors on the use of information technology by end-users.
  

Module 3: Lesson 1: Public Health Information Systems

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Describe the key components of public health information infrastructure for data collection, management, and dissemination.
• Evaluate how the key components of public health information infrastructure can be strengthened for improved public healthcare services.
  

• Key elements of a health information system
• Identification of the essential components of quality in the data collection process for public health information systems
• Strengthening health information systems
• Measure Evaluation’s Health Information System Strengthening Model
• Routine Health Information System (RHIS) improvements for strengthened health system management

• Discussion Forum 3: Strengthening public health information infrastructure/system (300 mins)

Module 3: Lesson 2: Digital Health Literacy

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Describe the common concepts and models of digital health literacy.
• Differentiate the concepts of health literacy and digital health literacy.
  
• Analyze the impact of social, organizational, and individual factors in the use of information technology by end-users.
  
• Illustrate how the ICT user experience can be enhanced to cater for different levels of digital health literacy to help address public health challenges and barriers for a stronger public health care delivery.

• Digital health literacy: how new skills can help improve health, equity and sustainability
• The e-health literacy framework: A conceptual framework for characterizing e-health users and their interaction with e-health systems
• Health Literacy in Web-Based Health Information Environments: Systematic Review of Concepts, Definitions, and Operationalization for Measurement
• Association Between Health Literacy,eHealth Literacy, and Health Outcomes Among Patients With Long-Term Conditions
• Barriers to the acceptance of electronic medical records by physicians from systematic review to taxonomy and interventions
• Barriers in Adoption of Health Information Technology in Developing Societies
• WHO guideline recommendations on digital interventions for health system strengthening

• Proposing a Transactional Model of eHealth Literacy: Concept Analysis

• Quiz: Module 3

• Asynchronous Learning Activity 3: Addressing public health challenges and barriers through ICT and Digital Health Literacy (300mins)

Module 4: Critical and Creative Thinking for Public Health Communications

Competency covered in this module: 

• Interpret information for professional, non-professional, and community audiences.
  
• Use current technology to communicate effectively.
• Use informatics methods and resources as strategic tools to promote public health.
  
• Use informatics and communication methods to advocate for community public health programs and policies.
  

Module 4: Lesson 1: Critical Thinking

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Explore the strategies for interpreting information for professional, non-professional and community audiences in public health.
• Use the appropriate strategies to transfer and translate information for improved health outcomes.
  

• Evidence Transfer: Ensuring end-users are aware of, have access to, and understand the evidence.
• Improving knowledge translation for increased engagement and impact in healthcare
• The effectiveness of knowledge translation strategies used in public health: a systematic review
• Knowledge Translation Strategies for Different Target Audiences

• Discussion Forum 4: Utilizing appropriate strategies to transfer and to translate information for improved health outcomes (300 mins)

Module 4: Lesson 2: Creative Communications

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Examine the various technology trends and expectations to follow for effective communication.
• Provide examples of the application of current technologies for effective and creative communication.
  
• Discuss how visual design concepts (print or video) enable effective communication.
  
• Apply the ICT methods and visual design principles in advocating for public health programs and policies.
  

• The Role of Social Media in Health Care: A Public Health Perspective
• Health communication in the age of COVID: BC’s response
• 5 Ways Technology Has Changed the Communication Field
• Social Media in Public Health: Strategies to Distill, Package, and Disseminate Public Health Research
• Tactics to apply to make your communications understandable
• United Nations COVID-19 Response Creative Content Hub.
• The Art of Effective Visual Communication
• Use Design and Layout Effectively
• Visual Design Basics

• Quiz: Module 4

• Asynchronous Learning Activity 4: Advocating public health programs and policies through the use of ICT methods and visual design principles. (300 mins)

Module 5: Influencing Communities Through Public Health Communications

Competency covered in this module: 

• Describe how societal, organizational, and individual factors influence and are influenced by public health communications.
• Mobilize individuals and communities by using appropriate media, community resources, and social marketing techniques.

Module 5: Lesson 1: Society and Public Health Communications

• Effective health communication – a key factor in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic
• Communicating to Advance the Public's Health
• Translating the Link between Social Identity and Health Behavior into Effective Health Communication Strategies: An Experimental Application Using Anti-Smoking Advertisements
• Factors affecting the implementation of childhood vaccination communication strategies in Nigeria: a qualitative study

• Discussion Forum 5: Factors influencing public health communications (300 minutes)

Module 5: Lesson 2: Community Mobilization

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Recognise the features of community outreach and mobilization and mass media programmes.
• Give examples of social marketing techniques and how they can be applied in a public health context.
  
• Assess the strategies for mobilizing effective community outreach media programmes.
  

• Strategies Guided by Best Practice for Community Mobilization
• Concept analysis of community health outreach
• Mass Media Health Communication Campaigns Combined with Health-Related Product Distribution A Community Guide Systematic Review
• Strategies: Health Communication
• Strategy 8. Social Marketing
• Community Mobilization: A Community-Wide Approach to Promoting Adolescent Sexual Health
• Social marketing guide for public health programme managers and practitioners

• Quiz: Module 5

• Asynchronous Learning Activity 5: Factors influencing public health communications (300 minutes)

Module 6: Effective Public Health Communications

Competency covered in this module: 

• Communicate effectively with individuals, families, groups, communities, and colleagues.
• Demonstrate effective written and oral skills for communicating with different audiences in the context of professional public health activities.
  
• Communicate audience-appropriate public health content, both in writing and through oral presentation.
  
• Apply theory and strategy-based communication principles across different settings and audiences.
  
• Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors.
  

Module 6: Lesson 1: What is Effective Communication?

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the definition of effective communication.
• Differentiate the characteristics of effective communication against the barriers to effective communication.
  

• Better Communication for Better Public Health: Perspectives From an Interdisciplinary Training Program
• Health Education, Advocacy and Community Mobilisation
• Effective Oral and Written Communication
• WHO Strategic Communications Framework for effective communications
• Non-verbal barriers to effective intercultural communication

• Discussion Forum 6: Barriers and facilitators of effective communication (300 minutes)

Module 6: Lesson 2: Written and Oral Communication Skills

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Differentiate written communication from oral communication.
• Practice written and oral communication skills (with attention to grammar, consistent style, clarity, brevity, objectivity, organization, and structure) in delivering professional public health content and activities.

• Effective Oral and Written Communication
• Health literacy – Written communication
• Effective Communication: Barriers and Strategies
• Communicating in a Crisis

• Asynchronous Learning Activity 6: Communicating to the editor for journal article review (300 mins)

Module 6: Lesson 3: Tailoring Public Health Messages for the Audience

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Identify the best practices to adapt messages to audiences on communication campaigns.
• Analyze the different characteristics that should be considered when communicating audience-appropriate public content (i.e. literacy, technical expertise, cultural diversity, bias, jargon, etc.).
  
• Evaluate how existing public health communications campaigns adapted their messages for different audiences.
  
• Construct written/oral public health content that is audience-specific and appropriate based on both audience evaluation and strategy-based communication principles.
  

• 4 Research Methods for Audience Analysis
• 5.1 Why Conduct an Audience Analysis
• 5.2 Three Types of Audience Analysis
• Unit 5: Analyzing your Audience
• WHO Strategic Communications Framework for effective communication

• Quiz: Module 6

• Discussion Forum 7: A critical audio podcast of a public health communication campaign (300 mins)

Final Exam

• Final Exam

Course and Self Evaluation & Certificate

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• Course Evaluation
• Self Evaluation

Course Activities