Healthcare and the Media Elective

Catalog description

This class is designed to have students explore scenarios where products are being promoted to consumers with what seem to be ‘exaggerated and unsupported claims” and will provide students with an opportunity to compare fact to fiction. The format of the class will be primarily Team- Based Learning. Students will be divided into teams and given assignments. An example of an assignment is to first evaluate a specific news report, magazine article, advertisement, or combination of all (if the messages were the same), determine the message being conveyed, and compare the accuracy/validity of the story with what the literature tells us. The second part of the assignment is to create a ‘talking points’ document. This is the message we as healthcare providers would share with patients and customers who might be interested in using the product being promoted. It should include key talking points about why certain claims (if any) are accurate and why others are not. It should also list alternatives that have been validated through sound science. Each group will present their assigned topics on their assigned days and should be prepared to respond to questions from other students and the professor/faculty member. Emphasis will be placed on literature evaluation skills (both scientific and lay), communication skills (for healthcare providers and at the consumer level), and working in a group setting.