New website on Health Communication Activities

The US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recently launched a new web site on health communication activities. Health communications is the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence decision that enhance health.

Health communication aims to improve patient – doctor relationships through training doctors and individuals in effective communication skills. Improving health communication has many benefits:

* raises awareness of health risks and solutions
* provides the motivation and skills needed to reduce health risks
* helps individuals find support from other people in similar situations
* contributes to health promotion and disease prevention
* can increase demand for appropriate health services and decrease demand for inappropriate health services.

There are 4 separate sections on this website: Health Communications, Health Literacy, the Prevention Communication Research Database, and e-health.

To check out this website please visit: http://www.health.gov/communication/