CPT-32306 Health Communication and Innovation

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

CPT-12306 Introduction to Strategic Communication or CPT-23804 Introduction to Communication and Innovation Studies.

Contents:

Health promotion aims to enable individuals and communities to increase control over, and to improve their health. Communication is an important strategy in achieving this aim. This course focuses on communication in the context of efforts to prevent diseases, promote healthy practices and/or induce changes in physical, social and institutional environments that influence human health. The students will be introduced to different forms of communicative intervention relevant to achieving change in health environments and behaviour, as well to associated theories and research strategies. Key issues in the course will be the existing gap between intention and behaviour, the role of 'willingness' and 'ability' in changing health behaviour, the role of everyday communication, lifestyle campaigns and (social) media in shaping health behaviour, and the role of science, technology and innovation intermediation in supporting change in the health sector.

Learning outcomes:

At the end of this course students will have:
- developed cumulative knowledge regarding individual and collective health behaviour theories;
- knowledge of the basic principles underlying effective health communication;
- knowledge of state of the art theories related to health communication and innovation;
- insight in possibilities and barriers to change individual and collective health behaviour by means of communicative interventions;
- ability to evaluate and critically reflect on existing health communication interventions.

Activities:

The course consists of literature study, lectures, discussion groups, and home group assignments. For each lecture specific literature has to be studied. During the lectures the important concepts are explained and illustrated with practical examples. Lectures and literature study encompass 80 hours. In addition to the lectures, students will work in group sessions on assignments in which they have to apply the theoretical notions in the analysis of a health communication intervention, resulting in a critical reflection paper about the quality the communication strategies used. Group work encompasses an additional 88 hours.

Examination:

- critical reflection group paper on an existing health communication intervention (50%);
- written exam with multiple choice and open questions (50%).
Each component needs a minimum mark of 5.50 to pass.

Literature:

Participants study the literature provided in the reader. The reader will be available by MyPortal. For the group work, participants have to search additional literature.