Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives
UP FRONTVolume 2, Number 1 Vol. 2, Num 1: Contents | Editorial | Up Front | Abstracts From this Issue | From
Other Sources | Upcoming Events and
Conferences | Publications | Call
for Papers | Prescriptions | Call
for Information | From This Issue We begin this volume with an article that challenges the current "ways of knowing." Although traditional in nature, the author raises valid questions worthy of publication as a lead article in the Journal. There are three barriers to the timely public dissemination of medical information: journal editorial policy concerning the dissemination of research findings, the news embargo, and the peer review process. The author suggests that after the peer review process is complete, publicly funded research should be available to any interested member of the public. In addition, there should be a "fast track" system for peer review. Dr. Wilkes challenges the usefulness of medical news embargoes and propsoses a group composed of members representing researchers editors, journalists, governments, and consumers for the purpose of improving the dissemination process. Wilkes, M. S., Public dissemination of medical research. In an effort to increase interactivity of this journal, with access in an on-line version, web version, and print, we have begun to offer feedback to certain articles. Given the nature of this original article, a written response from Neruosurgery's M. Apuzzo and managing editor S. Lenier follows in the forum section. A study examined the immediate and delayed effects of media literacy training on third-grade children's perceptions of alcohol advertising, alcohol norms, expectancies for drinking, and behaviors toward alcohol. Immediate effects increased children's understanding of persuasive intent, made them view characters as less similar to people they know in real life and less desirable, made them less likely to want to be like the characters, less likely to expect positive consequences from drinking alcohol, and less likely to choose an alcohol related product. The training was more effective when alcohol-specific and was more effective for girls than for boys. Austin, E. W., Media literacy training on children's decision making about alcohol. A symmetrical and integrated framework for nutrition communication was developed, based on a review of the communication components of three nutrition projects in Africa. The community-based framework emphasizes the importance of folk media as both a formative and summative tool for planning, implementing and evaluating nutrition communication programs specifically within the African context. Pratt, C. B., Silva-Barbeau, I., Pratt, C. A., Nutrition Communication in Sub-Saharan Africa. A study comparing communication problems experienced by elderly and non-elderly hospital patients found no significant differences between the two groups in terms of either the number or nature of problems reported. The authors conclude that the patients' perspectives provide important information for improving hospital quality of care. Charles C. Goldsmith LJ et al., 1996. Provider-Patient Communication Among Elderly and Non-elderly Patients in Canadian Hospitals: A National Survey, Health communication 8 (3) : 281-302. A comparison of two studies using alternative approaches to teaching adolescent boys about testicular cancer and testicular self-exam found that trained male peers and adults were equally successful. The most effective teaching formats combined curricular and audiovisual materials. Best DL, David SW et al., 1996. Testicular Center Education: A Comparison of Teaching Methods, Am. J. of Health Behavior 20 (4) : 229-241. A report issued last month by the Institute of Medicine calls for a multitude of improvements in the evalution of federally funded research and demonstration projects for telemedicine. Telemedicine is the remote diagnosis and treatment of disease through new technology. It includes such things as monitoring heart pacemakers over the phone, transmitting x-rays digitally, or performing telesurgery via interactive video and robots. The report calls for more attention to be given the economic angles as telemedicine could reduce travel costs for patients. Further research is needed to look at whether the savings offset the loss in personal contact between doctors and patients. For more information about new guidlines for assessing fledgling projects, Telemedicine: A Guide to Assessing Telecommunications in Health Care, can be reached at http://www2.nas.edu/whatsnew/ . Upcoming Events and Conferences The Health Communication Institute will be held for the second year in Brussels, Belgium in the summer of 1997. The first session runs from June 30 to July 12 and includes five courses: Epidemiology & Biostatistics: Interpreting the Medical Literature, Program Evaluation: Research Methods, Negotiation and Professional Communication, Strategic Communication: The WHO Healthy Cities Program, and Strategies in Crisis Communication. The second session runs from July 14 to July 27 and offers four courses: Advanced Methods in Health Communication Research, Seminar in Leadership, Lobbying and Policymaking, and Training Methods for Health Communication Professionals. All courses are four credit courses. For more information call Emerson-Tufts Department of Health Communication at (617) 824-7831 or fax to (617) 824-8912. Email at healthcom@emerson.edu. You can also visit the Health Communication web site at: http://www.emerson.edu/acadepts/cs/healthcom The American Medical Association is sponsoring the 17th Annual Medical Communications and Health Reporting Conference. The conference will be on April 3-6, 1997 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. It is designed for medical professionals who communicate complex medical and health care information to the public. Workshops are offered at an introductory and more advanced level in writing, presenting, learning to read TelePrompTer, Packaging news stories, and speechmaking essentials including delivery, use of visuals, fielding questions and how to book speaking engagements. For more information contact Jill Stewart, AMA, 515 N. State St., Chicago, IL 60610 or fax to: 312/464-5843. Internet, Multi-Media and Related IT, will be held on April 14-15, 1997 at St. Catherine's College, Oxford. The conference is sponsored by the ESRC Media Economnics Program and Chapman and Hall. This conference for practitioners, policy-makers and academics focuses on the business, regulatory, and social implications of the internet and related IT. Contact Paul Anand, Wolfson College, Oxford, OX26UD, United Kingdom. Fax at 011-44-1865-874127. The third annual conference Partnerships for Networked Consumer Health Information, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will be April 14-16, 1997 at the Georgetown University Conference Center. It will be held in conjunction with the second annual conference The Emerging Health Information Infrastructure (HIIÕ97), sponsored by the Friends of the National Library of Medicine (FNLM), on April 13-15. Partnerships Ô97 will include sessions on changing roles of doctors and patients, evaluation, and legislative and policy issues. Featured speakers include Dr. Molly Coye, Vice President of Healthdesk, and Dr. Tom Ferguson, of the Harvard Medical SchoolÕs Center for Clinical computing. For further information about both conferences, contact FNLM, (202) 462-0992 ext. 56. The Health Communication Unit, Centre for Health Promotion, and University of Toronto, together with the Emerson-Tufts Program in Health Communication and the University of Kentucky Department of Communication, are pleased to present the 7th Annual Conference in Health Communication. The Health Communication Unit and its partners see the event as an exciting opportunity for health communication researchers and practitioners to come together to discuss, debate and devise effective, ethical, and practical approaches to health communication. The conference is on April 24 and 25, 1997. It addresses practical strategies for health communication that impact and relate to health promotion and disease prevention. For more information contact The Health Communication Unit at the Centre for Health Promotion, The Banting Institute, University of Toronto, 100 College St., Rm. 213, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1L5. Contact by phone at: (416) 978-0522 or fax: (416) 971-2443. Email: hc.unit@utoronto.ca and their web site is at www.utoronto.ca/chp/hcu . The fifth Conference on Distance Learning In Public Health will be held at the Hyatt Regency Tampa in Tampa, Florida on April 30 through May 2, 1997. The conference is sponsored by Association of Schools of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Public Health Training Network. Conference program offers plenary sessions, individualized pre-meetings for state DLC's and newcomers, networking opportunities, concurrent workshops, and Solutions '97, a state-of-the-art interactive demonstration area. For more information and registration materials, contact Andrew MacCachran - ASPH, at (202) 296-1250, email at dlcinfo@asph.org , or on the web, http://www.asph.org/dlc.htm . The 3rd annual Innovations In Social Marketing Conference will be held from noon on Sunday, May 18 to Monday afternoon, May 19 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel in Boston, MA. The theme of this year's conference is 'Cutting Edge Issues in Social Marketing Research and Practice.' The conference will bring together the world's leading social marketing authorities from the field and academe who will share ideas, theories, methods and findings. For more information contact Dana L. Alden, Chair, Department of Marketing, University of Hawaii, 2404 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822, Phone: (808) 956-8565, Fax: (808) 956-9886, or Email: alden@busadm.cba.hawaii.edu . See Call For Papers for more information about paper submission. The Seventh Annual National Conference on Social Marketing in Public Health will be held from June 25-28, 1997 in Clearwater Beach, FL. The Preconference offers an introduction to theory and practice for those who are new to the field. The Main Conference will offer presentations on current research, exemplary programs, work in progress, and case studies. Health communication specialists, health education specialists, public health practitioners and planners, academicians, and researchers will be in attendance. For more information call Ginger Phillips, MED, Department of Community and Family Health, college of Public Health - MDC 56, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa FL 33612-3805. Call at 888-USF-COPH, press "2" for Continuing Education, fax at 813-974-5172, or email at gphillip@com1.med.usf.edu . For submission information, see Call for Papers section. The National Institute of Mental Health's Depression Awareness, Recognition, and Treatment (D/ART) Program announces the availability of an educational video and workshop guide: Depression: A Changing Perspective...Reaching Out. The 15 minute video is part of an educational package for community non-broadcast use, and is designed to educate a variety of audiences about clinical depression and the barriers which keep depressed people from seeking treatment. For more information or to order the video and educational guide, contact Professional Media Services, 2274 Washington Street, Newton Lower Falls, MA 02162. Phone: 617-969-7322, Fax: 617-969-8033. The Center for Communication Programs at The Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health published Population Reports, Helping the News Media Cover Family Planning. This report discusses how to build a news media relations program, tell the family planning story, prepare material for each medium, and develop materials that interest journalists. The authors point out that support from senior management, a well-defined strategy and continuous monitoring are the requisites of a successful news media relations program. For more information or to order Population Reports contact Population Information Program, The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 111 Market Place, Suite 310, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA. The fax number is: (410) 659-6266. You can also E-mail at PopRepts@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu . The International Food Information Council Foundation has published a report on diet, nutrition and food safety issues as they are discussed in the media. A study was done to analyze where the American public gets their information about food and nutrition. It specifically measures the amount of coverage that important nutrition topics get from the media. Media sources studied include newspapers, news wires, magazines, national television news programs, local television news and talk shows. To receive this publication write to: 1100 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 430 Washington, D. C., 20036. Or call: (202) 296-6540. You can visit their web site at: http://ificinfo.health.org . Medicine on the Net is a monthly newsletter published by COR Healthcare Resources in Santa Barbara, CA, (805) 564-2177, http://www.mednet-i.com . The yearly subscription rate is $87. Readers include physicians, nurses, medical librarians, educators, and other professionals in the healthcare field. Medicine on the Net cites medical and health resources available on the Internet, and also addresses issues such as e-mail communications among doctors and patients, privacy, the quality of on-line content, and getting professionals wired. Parrott RL and Condit CM eds. 1996. Evaluating Women's Health Messages: A Resource Book. Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage. This book analyzes how the mass media deal with women's health issues such as abortion, pregnancy, contraception, childbirth, smoking, and menstruation. For each issue, the authors examine both the scientific knowledge base and the popular media's treatment of the topic. Center for Environmental Communication, Rutgers University (1996) published Planning Successful Risk Communication, a training module for agency managers and staff. It includes a 30 minute video, 20 copies of a risk communiction training brochure, facilitator materials, and participant guide. The cost is $100.00. You may order from the Center for Environmental communication, Cook College/Rutgers University, PO Box 231, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0231; (908) 932-8795; FAX (908) 932-7815; Email cec@aesop.rutgers.edu . U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance - United States, 1995, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 45, No. SS-4, September 27, 1996. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance system reports on six high-risk behaviors that contribute to unintentional and intentional injuries, tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, sexual behaviors, unhealthy dietary patterns, and physical inactivity. This report summarizes results from a national survey, 35 state surveys, and 16 local surveys in 1995. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine, from the report of the Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine, Washington, D.C., Government Printing Office, 1997. This report provides recommendations for improving the quality, comparability, and usefulness of cost-effectiveness analysis for different health and medical interventions. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (1996) finished the NHLBI Marketing Research Study on the Formatting, Dissemination, and Use of Clinical Practice Guidelines by Physicians. This three-part study examined physicians' reactions to and use of NHLBI's clinical practice guidelines and makes recommendations for improving the design and dissemination of the guidelines. Contact NHLBI Information Center, PO Box 30105, Bethesda, MD 20824. The 1997 Innovations In Social Marketing Conference is issuing this Call for Papers. Special session proposals and individual competitive session presentations are welcomed. Proposals for special sessions must include abstracts for each participant. Preference will be given to presentations that test or apply concepts in an empirical manner and produce generalizable results that advance social marketing theory and practice. Potential paper topics include but are not limited to:
Submissions should consist of a 3-5 page abstract. All abstracts will be blind peer reviewed by a team of one academic and one practitioner. The deadline for abstract submission is Friday, February 28, 1997. Please send abstracts to: Professor Dana L. Alden, Chair, Department of Marketing, University of Hawaii, 2404 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822, Phone: (808) 956-8565, Fax: (808) 956-9886, Email: alden@busadm.cba.hawaii.edu Cardiovascular Health: Coming Together for the 21st Centruy - a National Conference, February 19-21, 1998, San Francisco, CA, is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health; California Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Coalition; Cardivoascular Disease Outreach, Resources and Epidemiology (CORE) Program. The Conference will include sections on innovations in health communicaiton to reach special populations, patients, and health professionals. For further information or an abstract form, contact Greg Oliva, CORE Program, Department of Health Services, MS-725, P.O. Box 942732, Sacramento, CA 94234-7320; mail goliva@hwl.cahwnet.gov . The Seventh Annual National Conference on Social Marketing In Public Health invites submissions to be considered for oral presentations and poster sessions. The content should demonstrate the application of social marketing strategies to health behavior change and improvement of public health practice. Abstracts may describe contributions to theory, completed work involving social marketing, work in progress, or proposed application of social marketing principles to critical health issues. For more information contact Ginger Phillips, MED, Coordinator, Outreach & Continuing Education, USF Health Sciences Center, Department of community & Family Health, College of Public Health - MDC 56, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa FL 33612-3805. Telephone 888-USF-COPH, press "2" to connect with Continuing Education; Fax 813-974-5172. Email gphillip@com1.med.usf.edu . The articles in this issue address three very different topics. From the nutrition communication in Sub-Saharan Africa to how alcohol education effects the thinking of elementary students, and barriers that block the public from receiving timely health information, this section identifies the key points of the articles for easy reference. Never before has the relationship between the lay press and the research community been so complex and intertwined. The result is that the public is often poorly served. Researchers blame the press claiming carelessness in reporting, overly competitive pressures that push for publication before the complexities of the research are understood, and the press' ignorance of the scientific process. For their part, journalists often accuse the medical community of a conspiracy of limiting access to research. Dr. Michael Wilkes, of UCLA's School of Medicine looks at barriers that serve to block the public from receiving timely health information. Dr. Wilkes concludes with the following recommendations:
As these are not without controversy, M. Apuzzo and S. Lenier offer advantages and disadvantages related to these suggestions. Dr. Wilkes' recommendations would allow us to get relevant health information in a more timely fashion. Researchers E. Austin and K Johnson would appreciate the quick dissemination of the value of early learning in children and implications for prevention education. They offer key prevention lessons:
Perhaps these prevention lessons would be useful to the communities of Sub-Saharan Africa where integrated frameworks for communicating effective nutrition practices are needed. C. B. Pratt, E. Silva-Barbeau, and C.A. Pratt propose several recommendations for educating citizens of African villages about nutrition:
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