title: The status and scope of health communication.
abstract: We examine the field of health communication with a multimethodological analysis, presenting a brief historical synopsis of the academic literature as well as the results of a survey administered to academicians who identified communication and health to be major fields of interest. After this descriptive backdrop of health communication, we offer a prescription for an ideal health communicator--that is, one with an interdisciplinary background--to use ethical, persuasive means to craft, deliver, and evaluate campaigns that promote good health and disease prevention; to plan, influence, and implement health policy; and to employ ethical decision making that will enhance the quality of life for individuals and communities throughout the globe.
authors.affiliation: Emerson College, Boston, Massachusetts 02116, USA.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ratzan
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bishop
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006266:Health Education / Q000266:history / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans