Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives
UP FRONTVolume 2, Number 2 Vol. 2, Num 2: Contents | Editorial | Up Front | Abstracts From this Issue | From Other Sources | Upcoming Events and Conferences | Publications | Call for Papers | Prescriptions | Special Recognition | Call for Information From This Issue In support of our mission to promote the ethical research and practice of health communication to enhance the quality of life of individuals and communities throughout the world, this issue of the Journal begins with an article that provides an inductively derived communication theory of the role of shared ideology in Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) using grounded theory as its primary methodology. The findings suggest that shared ideology plays an important role in the A.A. recovery process through the use of various action/interaction strategies related to the principal tenets of the group. Each of these action/interaction strategies correspond to various stages in the alcoholic's recovery. The findings also suggest that these stages are part of a transactional system which helps the A.A. member maintain an active role in sobriety while simultaneously proselytizing new members to the A.A. world view. Wright, K. B. Shared Ideology in Alcoholics Anonymous: A Grounded Theory Approach. In 1994, as part of its continuing "America Responds to AIDS" campaign, the CDC launched an innovative, straightforward campaign comprised of nine public service announcements which advocate either condom use of sexually active young adults or sexual inactivity. This essay evaluates the persuasive appeals of the PSAs by utilizing Fisher's narrative theory. The authors argue the ads are likely to be effective because they are told in a story fashion and therefore will appeal to larger audiences. Also, the PSAs contain high narrative probability and narrative fidelity. Finally, because they provide "good reasons" they will find greater acceptance. However, because of the PSAs failure to adequately address competing narratives, as well as network hesitance to broadcast them during heavy viewing periods, their effectiveness will be lessened. Brinson, S. L., Brown, M. H., The AIDS Risk Narrative in the 1994 CDC Campaign. Community mobilization has been viewed as a useful and productive method to change perceptions and ultimately actions. Needs assessments are integral processes in community efforts, assessing strengths and weaknesses prior to the allocation of resources or efforts. In order to address both goals, an approach which represented The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's need for clear assessment and The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs' need for culturally appropriate strategies and methods was required. A communication process which honored both requirements and accomplished stated goals successfully, lead to the implementation of substance abuse prevention projects. McLean, S., A Communication Analysis of Community Mobilization on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. In the forum section, the relationship between health care
providers and their older adult patients are addressed. Stereotypes of
older adults by younger adults may be revealed through patronizing speech--or
elderspeak. Miscommunication problems stemming from stereotypes about
the elderly may hinder this relationship. Specific strategies based on
these stereotypes are often used by young healthcare providers when communicating
with older adults. As the population ages and the demand for health care
services increases, health care providers must improve their communicative
effectiveness with their older patients. Attention to the individual needs
of health care consumers, cognizance of age or role stereotyping, and
proper training of health care providers would increase communicative
effectiveness and enhance the patient/provider relationship. Bethea,
L. S., Balazs, A. L. Improving Inter-generational Health Care Communication.
Health care providers, particularly those in private family or pediatric practice, are failing to ask crucial questions that are recommended in preventive care screening guidelines for adolescents. They seem reluctant or ill-prepared to probe for the social and behavioral traits that underlie most teenage health problems. While lack of time may be partly to blame, private practice clinicians may have erroneous assumptions about the high-risk behaviors of the predominantly middle- and upper-middle class youth in their practices. Failure to ask the right screening questions means that crucial services are not offered. Blum, R. W., et al. 1996. Don't Ask, They Won't Tell: the Quality of Adolescent Health Screening in Five Practice Settings. Am. J. Public Health. 86 (12) 1767-1772. Improving physician communication skills can help reduce malpractice claims for primary care physicians. Lower claims were associated with longer visits, active listening, and the use of humor. However, there did not appear to be a correlation between the content of the conversation and malpractice claims. The authors conclude that the tone and process of communication may be more important than content, and that communication skills can be taught through continuing medical education. However, the same communication skills may not be appropriate for different medical specialty groups. Physician-Patient Communication: the Relationship with Malpractice Claims Among Primary Care Physicians and Surgeons. Levinson W. et al. 1997. JAMA 277 (7) 553-559. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), has established an internal working group called the Agency Roundtable on Child Health, that has been charged with developing a long-term strategy for addressing the special vulnerability of children from ATSDR's award-winning World Wide Web site on Childrens' Health. For more information, contact Dr. Rob Amler at (404) 639-0700. "CDC's Media Campaign Resource Center for Tobacco Control is now offering the "Youth, Truth and Humor" package, a set of youth-targeted television and radio spots from Massachusetts, Arizona, and Florida, and for which all talent costs for paid broadcast will be covered by the CDC. Public Service Announcement versions are also available. Call Todd Phillips at (301) 231-7537 for more information. The House Committee on appropriations has instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to initiate a public education campaign to foster more effective communication between consumers and physicians on Helicobacter pylori and its link to ulcer disease, which afflicts more than twenty-five million Americans, requiring more than one million hospitalizations annually. A National Institute of Health consensus panel in 1994 concluded that H. pylori is the major cause of peptic ulcer disease, not stress or diet as previously believed. Although gastroenterologists are well aware of this information, studies have confirmed that many primary care providers and most consumers remain unaware of these findings, and continue to prescribe and consume drug regimens designed to decrease gastric acid in instances where treatment with anti-microbial agents might be more appropriate. For more information, contact the CDC Office of Communication, MS D-42, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333. CDC's Office on Smoking and Health and SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Prevention will be releasing this July, "MediaSmart: Analyzing Tobacco and Alcohol Messages," a guide and video for educators and youth group leaders who work with middle school age youth (grade 6-9). The purpose of the program is to engage young people and their adult leaders in a critical analysis of the overt and hidden media messages that promote risk-taking behaviors, specifically tobacco and alcohol use. The program capitalizes on a growing media literacy movement. Individual copies of the MediaSmart kit can be obtained from the Office on Smoking and Health (770-488-5708 ext. 2) or email: ccdinfo@ccdodlem.cdc.gov. As a primary source for information regarding federal AIDS legislation and policy implementation, AIDS Action has initiated a weekly media update called AIDSfax. Every Monday, AIDSfax will feature the prior week's highlights in federal HIV/AIDS public policy. If you have any questions or comments please contact Jos´e Zuniga, Director of Public Affairs, or his assistant, Kurt Schade at AIDS Action / Public Affairs, 1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 700, Washington DC 20009. Phone 202-986-1300, fax 202-986-2345. The American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) Group Health Insurance Program is sponsoring MEDinfoLINE as an educational tool. MEDinfoLINE provides AARP members with general information about health related topics but should not be viewed as a substitute for the treatment, care, and advice you can receive from your personal physician. It can be used to learn more about a health matter before or after visiting a physician, get confidential information on sensitive matters, or how to take action toward preventive care. MEDinfoLINE is available 24 hours a day seven days a week and is completely confidential. The information has been written by a physician and is a few minutes in length. The cost is 95 cents per minute and a touch tone phone is required. To reach MEDinfoLINE, call 1-900-225-2222. For more information about the AARP and MEDinfoLINE, call 1-800-523-5800. The Kennedy Institute of Ethics is sponsoring Contemporary Challenges in Health Care Ethics, an intensive bioethics course from June 7-12, 1997 at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. This course provides a broad and intensive exploration of bioethics. Participants are introduced to the basics of ethical theory and methods, and key concepts are explored by examining challenging ethical topics facing those in health care. Topics include Ethics and the Health Care Professions, Methods of Ethical Decision-Making, Beneficence, Caring and the Good, Autonomy, Respect and Integrity, and Fairness and Equality in Health Care. For more information contact Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Box 571212, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057-1212. You may telephone at 202-687-6771, fax at 202-687-8089 or email KICOURSE@gunet.georgetown.edu. Finally, their web site address is http://guweb.georgetown.edu/kennedy/. The Association of American Colleges and Universities has
published their findings from the 1996 Surveys of Presidents and Chief
Academic Officers. The survey's focus was on issues relating to the health
of youth and HIV disease given increased attention in the curriculum.
Of more than 500 presidents responding, 71% rated such a study as "very
important" or "essential"; as did more than 60% of the almost 300 chief
academic officers who completed surveys. Of Presidents who completed surveys,
57% said they would welcome support to mount efforts to incorporate learning
about HIV in the curriculum. Of Academic officers who responded, 78% said
their institution has at least one course unit devoted to HIV while 20%
reported they have at least one full course devoted to HIV. For a more
detailed summary of findings write to Association of American Colleges
and Universities, 1818 R. Street NW, Washington, DC 20009, call 202-387-3760,
or fax 202-265-9532. Upcoming Events and Conferences The National Council for International Health's 24th Annual Conference will be held June 12-14, 1997 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. The conference serves as a forum for international health leaders and practitioners. At plenary meetings and forums, panel sessions and roundtable discussions, poster presentations and the annual film festival, participants share information, discuss new events, and network to enhance careers. For more information write NCIH Conference Department, 1701 K Street, NW Suite 600, Washington, DC 20006, or fax 202-833-0075. Association for Health Services Research's (AHSR) 14th Annual Meeting entitled "Issues & Answers for Improving Health in the 21 Century" will be held from June 15-17, 1997 at the Sheraton Chicago in Illinois. The conference includes day-long methods courses to permit in-depth instruction and discussion on state-of-the-art research methodologies. The three course offered are titled Advances in Methods for Monitoring Health Outcomes from the Patient Point-of-view, Current Methodological Issues in Economic Evaluation, and Risk Adjustment for Measuring Health Care Outcomes. For a more detailed agenda, consult AHSR's Website at http://www.ahsr.org in May. For more general information, contact Association for Health Services Research, 1130 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036. Call at 202-223-2477, or fax 202-835-8972. The 12th annual Interactive Healthcare 97 Conference and Exposition will be held from July 9-12, 1997 in Alexandria, Virginia. This years conference features Gallery '97, the largest collection of hands-on, health related interactive video and multimedia 'demonstrations ever assembled in one location. This conference deals with the educational use of interactive videodisk, CD-ROM, CD-i, and Internet applications for medicine, nursing, allied health, patient education, and health promotion. There will be more than 100 health-related interactive programs. For more information contact Stewart Publishing, Inc., 4706 Autumn Cove Ct., Alexandria, VA 22312. Voice mail 703-354-8155, fax 703-354-2177, email: StewartPub@aol.com, or visit their web site at http://www.interactive-healthcare.com. The World Federation of Public Health Associations is sponsoring "Health in Transition: Opportunities and Challenges," set for October 12-16, 1997 in Arusha, Tanzania. Participants will chart measures that are essential for improving global health during the 21st century. The deliberations will contribute to the World Health Organization's endeavor to renew and reformulate its Health-for-All strategy. For more information write WFPHA Secretariat, c/o American Public Health Association, 1015 15th St. NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005-2605. Phone 202-789-5696, fax 202-789-5661. The American Public Health Association (APHA) is holding its 125 Annual Meeting on November 8-9, 1997 in at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. This year's theme is "Communicating Public Health." Topics include but are not limited to: Maternal and Child Health, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Organization, Delivery and Financing of Medical Care Services, Population/Family Planning, and Reproductive Health. For more information contact Anna Keller, Meetings Coordinator, at 202-789-5670, or fax at 202-789-5661. You may also email her at: anna.keller@msmail.apha.org. The Netherlands Institute of Primary Health Care as World Health Organization Collaboration Centre for Primary Health Care, in cooperation with the Program in Communication & Medicine, Northwestern University Medical School, in Chicago, IL are hosting Communication in Health Care. This conference will be held from June 10-12, 1998 in the Free University, Amsterdam. Invited speakers will highlight aspects of doctor-patient communication in general practice, out patient communication in general practice, out patient and nursing care, communication training in medical schools, communication in vocational training and new trends in communication research. For more information contact Netherlands Institute of Primary Health Care, Peter Verhaak, Ph.D., P.O. Box 1568, 3500 BN UTRECHT, The Netherlands. Phone -31-30-2319946, fax -31-30-2319290 or email at p.verhaak@nivel.nl. See Call For Papers section for presentation information. The World Health Organization and its collaborating Centres for Safety Promotion and Injury Control are initiating the 4th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Control. The conference will be held from May 17-20, 1998 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The conference will highlight the specific developments and progress made in the various regions worldwide in accident and injury control programs. It will pinpoint the divergence as well as the similarities in the respective regions of the globe in terms of: the need for control programs, the approaches observed in injury control, the techniques applied and achievements in closing the gap between research and intervention. For more information contact Conference Secretariat for "Injury Prevention and Control," Van Namen & Westerlaken Congress, Organization Services, PO Box 1558, 6501 BN Nijmegen, The Netherlands. You may also fax to +31 24 323 4471. See the Call for Abstracts section for presentation information. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) publishes a newsletter entitled "NIDA Notes." This publication covers the areas of treatment and prevention research, epidemiology, neuroscience, behavioral research, health services research, and AIDS. NIDA Notes is intended to report on advances in the drug abuse field, identify resources, promote an exchange of information, and improve communication among clinicians, researchers, administrators, and policy makers. Example of article titles from the v11, issue include "Professional Exchanges Strengthen Drug Abuse Research, Prevention, and Treatment," "Anxiety and Stress Found to Promote Cocaine Use in Rats," and "Type A or B? Classification May Help in Treating Cocaine Abuse." To obtain a free subscription, contact NIDA Notes Subscriptions Department, R.O.W. Sciences, Inc., Suite 400, 1700 Research Blvd., Rockville, MD 20850-3142, fax: 301-294-5401. Health Administration Press released Engines of Empowerment: Using Information Technology To Create Healthy Communities and Challenge Public Policy. This book discusses how information technologies can be used to deliver community health services and improve the national standards of living. Highlights of this publication include: an overview of the possibilities and potential pitfalls of using information technology to deliver health care services, case studies of community information networks and how they can educate children, involve the elderly, and serve the disadvantaged, and recommendations for building a national information technology policy that encourages healthier communities. To order a copy of Engines of Empowerment (soft bound, 304 pages, Feb. 1996, ISBN 1-56793-038-7, order No. 0937, $36.00) or for more information, contact the Publications Service Center at 708-450-9952. COR Healthcare Resources sponsors Healthcare Marketing Abstracts, a monthly publication which gives an overview of trends and perspectives in the healthcare industry from a variety of reliable sources. Some sources include Modern Healthcare, The Journal of Outcomes Management, and Hospitals & Health Networks. Examples of article topics include: capitation, specialty networks, internet, Medicare marketing, oncology, pediatrics, community health, international marketing, and image campaigns. The cost is $96 for a years subscription. To order Health Care Marketing Abstracts or for more information write COR Healthcare Resources, P.O. Box 40959, Santa Barbara, CA 93140 or call 805-564-2177. Fax to 805-564-2146 or email to corinfo@corhealth.com. The UCLA Center for Communication Policy has published The
UCLA Television Violence Report, 1996. This report follows the 1995 report
about the state of television violence. The Center examined every series,
television movie, theatrical film and Saturday morning children's programming
on the broadcast network television. They also monitored every on-air
promotion and advertisement aired during this programming. This report
discusses a background of the study, findings in broadcast network television,
findings in other television media, and a conclusions and recommendations
section as well as an update on last years recommendations. Finally, it
discusses changes the networks have made and are in the process of making
as a result of last years findings. To order a copy of this study, write
the UCLA Store, The Book Zone, 308 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024
or call at 310-206-0788. The Netherlands Institute of Primary Health Care is sponsoring "Communication in Health Care," on June 10-12, 1998 in the Free University, Amsterdam. Abstracts are to be submitted before July 31, 1997. Topics of interest include: Provider - Patient Communication (doctor/patient, nurse/patient, other providers), Communication and Outcome (biological, medical, psychological, behavioral), Education (skills, computer-assisted instruction, training), and Methods (observation systems, computer-driven observation and conversation analysis). For more information contact Netherlands Institute of Primary Health Care, Peter Verhaak, Ph.D., P.O. Box 1568, 3500 BN UTRECHT, The Netherlands. You may call -31-30-2319946, fax -31-30-2319290 or email p.verhaak@nivel.nl. For more general information about the conference see the "Upcoming Conferences and Events Section" in the Up Front section of the Journal. The World Health Organization and its Collaborating Centres for Safety Promotion and Injury Control are initiating the 4th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Control, "Building partnerships for safety promotion and accident prevention." The conference will be held on May 17-20, 1998 in Rai Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Participants who wish to contribute to the conference with an oral presentation at one of the symposia, or by giving a poster or video presentation, are invited to submit an abstract. The abstract should provide relevant information on all parts of the presentation and be understandable on its own, without any background knowledge. Research results should not have been published earlier in international journals. For more information contact Conference Secretariat for "Injury Prevention and Control," Van Namen & Westerlaken Congress, Organization Services, PO Box 1558, 6501 BN Nijmegen, The Netherlands, or fax to +31 24 360 11 59. For more general information about the conference, see the "Upcoming Events and Conferences Section" in the Up Front section of the Journal. The Journal of Health Communication is requesting articles for a special issue to be published in early 1998 entitled "Communication Issues in Managed Care." Articles are welcome on topics such as community perspectives, technology perspectives, consumer health, telemedicine and managed care, privacy/confidentiality, practitioner/client communication in managed care etc. Please send complete articles by June 1, 1997 to Journal of Health Communication, Special Managed Care Issue, 100 Beacon Street, Boston MA, 02116. The packet should include contact information, the original article and 3 blind copies, and the abstract. All articles are subject to peer review and could be eligible for other future issues. For further queries write to the above address, call 617-824-7831, or JHC@emerson.edu. The Journal of Health Communication continues to welcome articles on topics such as practitioner/client relationships, family planning campaigns in both developed and less developed nations, ethical decision making, lobbying and advertising to influence health policy, social marketing, new technologies for health information dissemination, education campaigns, and international health issues. Please follow the same submission guidelines and contact information as above. For more specific submission information see the inside back cover of the Journal of Health Communication. The articles included in this issue of the Journal are consistent with our multidisciplinary approach to health communication. Grounded theory serves as the primary methodology for the development of an inductively derived communication theory of the role of shared ideology in Alcoholics Anonymous. Government sponsored PSAs created as part of its continuing "America Responds to AIDS" campaign are critiqued and recommendations are given for improvement. Community mobilization is offered as a useful and productive method to change perceptions and ultimately actions in the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Finally, the forum section concludes with a critique of communication between health care professionals and the elderly. The key points from each of these articles follow in this section. The purpose of the study on shared ideology in Alcoholics Anonymous was to develop an exploratory theory of the role shared ideology plays within the A.A. recovery process. Action/Interaction is key as Wright found through naming five categories and three subcategories which assisted A.A. members. Wright concludes with recommendations for future research on Alcoholics Anonymous.
Following the theoretical approach for Alcoholics Anonymous, the next essay links narrative theory to the CDC's America Responds to AIDS campaign. Brinson and Brown agree on specific recommendations for the creation and programming of AIDS risk narratives for the most positive impact on youth to help prevent the spread of HIV.
It is possible that carefully constructed PSAs may be of use in mobilizing a community to change perceptions and actions. McLean details the development of a communication process which lead to the implementation of substance abuse prevention projects. He concludes with these recommendations when trying to mobilize a community.
These recommendations can also be applied to improving relationships between health care professionals and their clients. In the Forum article, Bethea and Balazs emphasize the importance of paying attention to individual needs of health care consumers, cognizance of age or role stereotyping, and proper training of health care providers would increase communicative effectiveness and enhance the patient/provider relationship. They conclude with recommendations for improving health care communication with older adults.
We would like to congratulate K. Witte, K. Cameron, J. McKeon,
and J. Berkowitz for their article "Predicting Risk Behaviors: Development
and Validation of a Diagnostic Scale" which appeared in the Volume I,
Issue 4, Journal of Heath Communication . This article was honored at
the Speech Communication Association Convention in San Diego with the
1996 Applied Communication Division Distinguished Article Award. You are enthusiastically invited to suggest items for inclusion in "Up Front!" Please adhere to our guidelines by providing the following information:
Conferences (Completed) Name, location, and dates of conference; sponsoring institution(s), key themes, presentations, and recommendations; contact information for further information. |
