CMM 474/574‑‑Health Communication
Spring 2009
Dr. Edward Woods
250 Smith Hall
Phone: 696‑3104 (0ffice) 696‑6786 (Department) 696‑2814 (Fax) 696-2814
E‑Mail: woods@marshall.edu
Course Description: This course explores the communication demands of health care and health promotion, examines current issues and problems in the modern health care system, and identifies communication strategies health care providers can employ to achieve their health care goals.
Objectives: By the end of this course you should have made significant progress in:
1. Understanding the role of communication in the effective functioning of the health care system in a variety of contexts;
2. Analyzing health care situations to detect communication problems and propose sound solutions;
3. Being a more informed and demanding consumer of health care messages.
4. Applying communication principles to improving communication relationships with health care providers.
5. Using the World Wide Web to gain information about health care issues.
Reading Materials:
du Pre, A. Communicating about health: Current issues and perspectives (2nd Edition). (2005). New York: NY. McGraw-Hill.
You will occasionally be assigned to read articles.
Assignments:
Reaction Paper 15%
Midterm Exam 20%
Group Training Module 20%
Term Paper 30%
WWW Report 15%
90%+ = A
80%‑89% = B
70%‑79% = C
60%‑69% = D
Below 60%‑‑Oops! You'll have me again for this course!
Attendance: Attendance at each session is extremely important. Three unexcused absences will result in your final grade being lowered by a letter grade, as does each one after that. Excused absences for university approved reasons do not count against you, except that if you miss 1/4 of the meetings for any reason you will fail (unless you can drop). Excused absences must be documented to the Dean of Students. Excessive lateness will not be acceptable. Two latenesses will count as one absence.
Academic Dishonesty--The University implemented a policy a few years ago that is
quite severe. The instructor must report all instances of academic dishonesty to
the Academic Affairs Office. The second offense results in suspension, the third
instance results in expulsion. What is academic dishonesty? Plagiarism, cheating, and fabrication. Plagiarism is passing off someone else's work as your own. Fabrication is any kind of forgery or lying to advance your standing in the class. Cheating is dishonest work on a test. My policy toward academic dishonesty is simple--if you commit it, you fail the course. So don't do it! You don't have to, and you deny yourself the learning experiences by which you grow.
Tentative Schedule:
Jan.15 Course Introduction
Jan. 22 Introduction to Health Communication, Ch. 1 & 2
Jan. 29 Complexity of the Communication Process, Ch. 3.
Feb. 5 Individual Differences Are Complicating Factors
Feb. 12 Different Lifeworlds, Different Perspectives Ch. 4 & Ch. 5.
Feb. 19 Diversity Among Patients. Ch.6
Feb. 26 Social Support—A Crucial Component of Health Care, Ch. 7
March 5 Bureaucracy and Health Communication, Ch. 10
Reaction Paper due
March 12 Health Messages and Media, Ch. 11
March 19 Mid‑Term Exam
March 26 Spring Break NO CLASS
April 2 Health Communication and Culture I, Ch. 8.
April 9 Health Communication and Culture II, Ch. 9
April 16 Communication and Health Promotion. Ch. 12, 13.
April 23-April 30 World‑Wide Web Reports; Term Paper due; Course Evaluation
We are asked to provide the following information about drop dates:
W period begins Tues., Jan. 20; W period ends Fri., March 20
Mon., March 23‑Fri May 1‑‑0nly complete withdrawal from all classes is allowed.
Reaction Paper. The reaction paper should be 4-5 pages typewritten (12 point font), double‑spaced and have two sections: 1) Summary and 2) Analysis. In the summary section, summarize in your own words a section of a chapter that made a deep impression on you. In the analysis section, evaluate the perspective in that reading, making connections to other course concepts, and offering your insights.
Criteria for evaluating Reaction Papers:
Coverage of main points
Coherence in stitching the points together
Satisfactory supporting details
Transitions between points and main sections
Credible, convincing, insightful observations
Error‑free writing
Fluent writing style
Your group will teach an important concept covered in the course to the rest of the class, using a workshop approach (using exercises, video/film clips, leading students in activities to illustrate your group’s ideas, skits). The training module should take up to a 50-minute segment of class (but no more). The extemporaneous expectation for delivery holds here too.
Content expectations for the module
Accurate presentation of content
Clear explanations
Content used as context with exercises, activities
Adequate setup of exercises, activities
Meaningful debriefing after exercises, activities
Extemporaneous, poised, animated delivery
Frequent and well‑distributed eye contact
Erect, comfortable posture
Gestures,
Conversationally expressive vocal characteristics
Conversational speaking rate
Choose an interesting issue, topic, or model relevant to health communication and write a scholarly term paper explicating current knowledge about this topic (in your own words) reviewing relevant literature (research, scientific, and professional publications) concerning the topic, and applying what you have learned from this review to real life and future communication research. There should be two sections to your paper:
1. Exposition: Pick an intriguing health communication topic (e.g., provider/consumer relations, social support, physician/patient relations, prejudice in health care) and explain the relevance/importance of the topic. Describe fully the key elements of the topic, being sure to identify competing perspectives researchers and/or practitioners may have developed concerning the topic. Your exposition should provide the naive reader (me) with a full and clear understanding of current thought and knowledge about the topic.
2. Application: Identify how a specific individual (you, me, President Obama, Sarah Palin, Pope Benedict, Spike Lee, etc.) or group of individuals (i.e., health cares providers, executives, activists, politicians, parents, etc.) might use the information of your exposition. Describe the benefits (long and short‑term) of conceptualizing health communication the way you do in the paper. Briefly identify any additional thoughts on where this topic should go in terms of theory or research.
The term paper should be typed, double‑spaced, and is due in class our last class meeting. Late papers cannot be accepted, but early papers will be, gratefully. The minimum page expectation is 12 pages for undergraduates, 15 pages for graduate students. The use of 12 outside sources for undergraduates, 15 for graduates also is expected. Plagiarism and improper citation style should be avoided, so do your own writing and cite your sources adequately. The APA Style Manual, should be followed in citing sources.
Criteria for evaluating the Term Paper:
Choice of an important health cares issue
Convincing justification of the importance of the topic
Identification of key elements in the literature on the topic
Identification of key variables that have been studied
Clear reporting of the findings of research
Clear explication of the competing perspectives (if any) on the topic
Convincingly developed applications
Frequent citations of sources
Fluent writing style
Error free
You will choose a site related to health or health issues, analyze its structure and
content and present a group report to the class on what you found at the site. You also will provide an evaluation of the potential value of the site to class members and other constituencies, such as doctors, researchers, or health care consumers. The time expectation for group presentation is 7 minutes. Visual aids are expected.
Criteria for evaluating the World Wide Web Group Report:
Choice of an important and useful site
Choice of a site with enough links to justify a small group presentation covering the site
Clear, coherent explanation of home page and structure of the site
Depth coverage of important links
Assessment of the value of the site and its links
Relevant visual aids
Thanks to Gary Kreps for sharing his syllabus, which this one largely follows.
We are asked to provide the following information about drop dates:
W period begins Tues., January 20
W period ends Fri., March 20
March 23-May 1—Complete withdrawals only
Policy for Students with Disabilities: Marshall University is committed to equal opportunity in education for all students, including those with physical, learning and psychological disabilities. University policy states that it is the responsibility of students with disabilities to contact the Office of Disabled Student Services (DSS) in Prichard Hall 117, phone 304 696-2271 to provide documentation of their disability. Following this, the DSS Coordinator will send a letter to each of the student’s instructors outlining the academic accommodation he/she will need to ensure equality in classroom experiences, outside assignment, testing and grading. The instructor and student will meet to discuss how the accommodation(s) requested will be provided. For more information, please visit http://www.marshall.edu/disabled or contact Disabled Student Services Office at Prichard Hall 11, phone 304-696-2271.