New booklet available! Know About…Communicating with your Doctor

The AIDS and Disability Action Program has added a new booklet to it’s “Know About” series – Know About…Communicating with your Doctor.

The aim of this new booklet is to give people strategies to prepare for a doctor’s appointment so they can get the most benefit out of their visit. Communicating with your Doctor outlines the benefits of a good patient – doctor relationship and gives readers tools to help them communicate effectively with their doctor. Readers are encouraged to prepare for their appointment by writing down their questions, gathering information their doctor might need and taking responsibility for their communication needs. For example, if the reader uses a hearing aid they should let the doctor know and make sure it is working well before the appointment.

This booklet is now available free of charge. If you are interested in receiving copies of this 13 page, plain text booklet with illustrations please contact Claire by phone at 604-875-0188 or email at hln@bccpd.bc.ca. Booklets are available in Braille.

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/