Introduction to Health Communication

Catalog description

Concerned with issues in the theory and practice of health communication. Topics include provider-patient communication; organizational communication in health care delivery systems; communication in community/consumer health education; information technologies in health communication; communication in support systems for the elderly, disabled, and terminally ill; and, communication training for health care professionals. Writing is integrated into this course in several ways. First, students will write regularly throughout the term. Course assignments will require that students engage with the content of the course while simultaneously attending to principles of writing. Second, we will devote class time to learning about writing via lectures, discussions, and activities. Writing topics will focus on macro, mezzo, and micro issues in writing including ideas, organization, paragraphs, sentences, and grammar. Third, students will produce several short and/or one longer piece of writing that comprises at least 10-15 pages of original writing. Fourth, students will revise and resubmit at least one writing assignment based on peer and/or instructor feedback. Fifth, as appropriate, students will provide their peers with feedback on writing assignments and will use the feedback from their peers for revisions .