Role of Communication in Health Education

1. Role of Communication in Health Education Health communication is a useful tool of health education. Both individuals and the community are served through meaningful health communication that can increase appropriate use of and demand for health services, influence the public agenda, promote public policies and programmes, and bring positive change. The term communication is derived from the Latin word “communis” that means to form a common understanding, share facts, attitudes, or ideas and transmit or impart information. Health communication is the art and method used to inform, influence and motivate individuals or larger audiences about significant health issues based on scientific and ethical considerations. Health communication mainly aims for achieving four objectives: to be received, understood, accepted, and to influence action such as, a change of behaviour or belief. All kinds of health communication play an important role at every level of disease prevention and health promotion. Any significant social interaction can be described as ‘communication’, which is an important part of human life. Reading, writing, speaking, listening, seeing, creating images- all are some acts of communication. Communication can be conscious or unconscious, verbal or non-verbal. This includes gesture, expression, and body-language. Communication helps people in transferring facts, ideas, knowledge, emotions, skills, attitudes etc. to make informed decisions about various issues.

3. What is Health Communication? Health communication is the art and method used to inform, influence and motivate individuals or larger audiences about significant health issues based on scientific and ethical considerations. The study and use of communication strategies are included to inform and influence individual and community regarding their health and healthcare to enhance the quality of health decision making. As an essential part of efforts health communication improves both personal and public health. What are the Elements of Health Communication? For any effective health communication these following five elements are necessary- • Action-oriented • Recognise and generate awareness of the needs  • Converse knowledge, practices, and attitudes well • Improves people’s understanding of issues and help to change their health beliefs • Establishes sustainable relationship with health providers.

4. What is basic Objective of Health Communication? Irrespective of communication modes, the fundamental objectives of health communication are- create an understanding, generate acceptance, and make an influence on an action like a change in behaviour. What are the Roles of Health Communication in Health Education? • Improves knowledge, information, and awareness of a health problem, or its solution • Effects beliefs, perceptions, attitudes, and social norms regarding health • Creates effective action • Demonstrates skills related to health  • Displays the advantage of behavioural change • Increases suitable use and demand for health services • Strengthens knowledge, belief, behaviour, and attitudes • Disproves myths and misconceptions • Promotes a health issue or a population group.

5. What are the Advantages of Health Communication? Health communication effectively contributes to improved health outcomes for both individuals and the entire community. Effective health communication raises public awareness of health issues and solutions and provides necessary skills to reduce those risks. It can influence or strengthen noble health practices and attitudes, providing people with right information to make complex decisions, such as choosing health plans, care providers, treatments etc. Health communication also promotes social standards that improve health and quality of life. Most significantly, health communication increase appropriate use of and demand for health services. 

6. Key Points: • Health communication is the art and method used to inform, influence and motivate individuals or larger audiences about significant health issues based on scientific and ethical considerations. • Objectives of Health Communication • Create an understanding,  • Generate an acceptance, and • Make an influence on an action like a change in behaviour. 3. Five necessary elements- • Action-oriented • Recognise and generate awareness of the needs  • Converse knowledge, practices, and attitudes well • Improves people’s understanding of issues and help to change their health beliefs • Establishes sustainable relationship with health providers

7. Roles of Health Communication in Health Education • Improves knowledge, information, and awareness of a health problem, or its solution • Effects beliefs, perceptions, attitudes, and social norms regarding health • Creates effective action • Demonstrates skills related to health  • Displays the advantage of behavioural change • Increases suitable use and demand for health services • Strengthens knowledge, belief, behaviour, and attitudes • Disproves myths and misconceptions • Promotes a health issue or a population group. Published by Brainware University