Chapter 10: Health Communication

How Do Patients & Providers Interact? Typical Patient-Provider Relational Types:  Machines-and-Mechanics  Children-Parents  Consumers  Partners

Patient-Provider Communication There are pros and cons to the ways in which patients and providers communication but there are also several variables that influence interaction including:  Age  Gender  Ethnicity  Education Level

Improving Communication & Developing Effective Patient-Provider Relationships 7 Principles of Effective Pt-Provider Relationships:  Patient Stories  Patient Expertise  Provider Expertise  Physical and Psychosocial Connections  Emotions  Reciprocity  Roles and Expectations

Five Benefits of Effective Patient- Provider Relationships Satisfaction  Key elements that impact satisfaction include: Empathy Perceived medical competence Balancing psychosocial and biomedical needs Continuity of patient-provider relationship Role expectations expressed by both parties Adherence to Treatments  Four components influence adherence: Education Establishing agreed expectations Establishing treatment options Expression of empathy and encouragement Physical and Psychological Health Malpractice Claims

Social Networks and Health Communication Family and friends have profound effects on health and lifestyle decisions. Often behaviors are shared and can positively or negatively impact one’s health. When health crises are faced, one’s social network also provides various forms of social support

Types of Social Support Action-Facilitating Support  Providing information or offering instrumental support which is performing tasks for others Nurturing Support  Helping people feel better about themselves and their issues including emotional and esteem support

Supportive Functions of Everyday Communication Six supportive functions of everyday relating and talk influence how/if support is enacted when needed:  Information  Perpetuation  Detection  Ventilation  Distraction  Regulation

Communication Privacy Management Theory (Petronio, 2002) When people share private health information with relational partners, they must create and manage privacy boundaries as a result. Of particular interest are issues of:  Self-disclosure  Ownership  Privacy boundaries  Permeability  Coordination  Boundary Turbulence

Additional Criteria that Impact Privacy Rules 5 criteria impact the development of privacy rule and boundaries:  Culture  Gender  Motivation  Context  Risks and Benefits

Media, Technology, and Health Entertainment Media  Portrayals of medicine, health, behaviors on television shows, etc. News and Health Media  TV, newspapers, magazines, and general health programming provide information that is both accurate and misleading Lifestyles  The promotion and portrayal of lifestyles in the media can create both positive and negative perceptions of health behaviors. Advertising Medications  Direct-to-consumer advertisement of medications also has positive and negative impacts on health perceptions, communication, and behavior.

Three Types of Direct-to- Consumer Advertisements of Medication Discussion of illness but no mention of the name of the drug Mention of the name of drug but no claims concerning its effectiveness Feature the name of the drug along with its uses and benefits (most common)

Health Communication & the Internet Searching for Information:  80% of Internet users have searched for health information online. Those most likely to search are: Women College Graduates Younger than 65 yrs. Old Coping and Support:  A key function of the Internet is that it provides additional ways to seek support online through support groups, chat rooms, and discussions