Health Communication

Objectives:  

1. Recognize multiple aspects of health communication.

2. Understand the importance of health communication, including the concept of health literacy and health education.

3. Understand the context of health institutions and services in the Portuguese Health System and in the world, including the differences between the public health area, primary health care and hospital health care.

4. Identify major sources of health information, including scientific journals, health organizations and online resources.

5. Critically assess the quality of scientific evidence and non-evidence-based information.

6. Know the most relevant public health concepts in health risk communication.

7. Discuss communication strategies used in health promotion and disease prevention campaigns.

8. Know basic principles of risk communication and communication in crisis situations in health emergencies.

9. Discuss the potential of new digital technologies for health communication. 

Syllabus to be addressed in the course:

1. Introductory concepts about public health, health services and health communication. Strategic health communication.

2. The Portuguese Health System and the National Health Service. Relevant international organizations in healthcare.

3. Main sources of health information. 

4. Health misinformation. How to identify false information and how to combat misinformation. Health misinformation in digital media.

5. The impact of marketing on health. Introduction to the concept of social marketing.

6. Approach to health topics in Portuguese media. Health news in Portugal.

7. The importance of clear language and information visualization.

8. Health communication planning. Communicate in different contexts: health promotion, risk communication and crisis communication.

9. New technologies in health communication. How to critically use artificial intelligence. 

Evaluation  

Evaluation is continuous and includes the following components, with respective weightings:

Response to multiple-choice questions at the beginning and/or end of each session, individually 15%

Written individual work (reflection about specific topic) 20%

Group work presentation 25%

Written test with multiple-choice and developmental questions (season of second assessment elements) 40%