The field of communications is increasingly recognized as a powerful tool in addressing the world’s most imperative public health challenges. Effective communication in health campaigns can inform, empower, or persuade individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles as well as foster public debate and policy change.Featuring a full chapter on informatics, this book is devoted to the competencies in health communication and informatics recommended by the Association of Schools of Public Health. With chapter contributions from some of the leading experts in public health informatics and epidemiology, health communication and evaluation, Essentials of Public Health Communications introduces concepts and examples that will prepare students to enter a local health department, community organization or government agency, and contribute to health communication research, patient counseling, materials design, program management and media relations. Written specifically for student use, this book presumes no prior knowledge of the health communication or the informatics fields. Concepts are presented in clear, jargon free language, with terms defined throughout.Key Features:• Rather than simply presenting theories and cases, this text emphasizes the framework and methods, breaking down complex tasks into steps for mastery. • Simplifies key concepts in public health informatics, and how data are transformed into useful information and effective presentations. • Examines how health communication is actively being used by the leading public health agencies and organizations today. • A companion website provides a complete package of instructor resources including sample syllabi and curriculum guides for two semesters of instruction, as well as small scale research projects. • Includes suggested health communication projects that can be implemented at an academic institution, or small scale community level, to enable hands-on learning.

SectionI Overview
Chapter1 Introduction to Public Health Communication & Informatics
Chapter2 A Public Health Communication Planning Framework
Chapter3 Informatics and Public Health
SectionII Informing & Educating People about Health Issues
Chapter4 Understanding and Reporting the Science
Chapter5 "What" to Communicate? Understanding Population Health
Chapter6 Communicating for Policy and Advocacy
Chapter7 Speaking to the Public: Health Literacy & Numeracy
SectionIII Being Persuasive: Influencing People to Adopt Healthy Behavior
Chapter8 Persuasive Health Communications: The Role of Theory
Chapter9 Formative Research for Strategy Development
Chapter10 The Strategic Health Communication Plan
Chapter11 It's a Multi-media World
Chapter12 Developing and Testing a Media Strategy
Chapter13 Developing the Implementation Plan
Chapter14 Evaluating a Health Communication Program
SectionIV Special Contexts
Chapter15 Patient Provider Communication
Chapter16 Risk and Emergency Risk Communication : A Primer