Interactive health communication
If you are already familiar with interactive health communication,
here are some quick links to information and resources on general
health communication, persuasive
or behavioural communication (including
social marketing), risk
communication, media
advocacy, entertainment
education, and
THCU's 12-step
process.
Introduction
In their 2002 book, Speaking
of Health: Assessing Health Communication Strategies for Diverse
Populations, the Institute
of Medicine provides
the following definition of interactive health communication: "Interactive
Health Communication is defined as the interaction of an individual—consumer,
patient,
caregiver,
or
professional—with
or through an electronic device or communication technology to
access or transmit health information or to receive guidance and
support
on a health-related issue (Patrick et al., 1999). Many of the early
applications demonstrated increases in users’ knowledge
and acceptability of the systems (Kumar et al., 1993). Most applications
now are Internet based
or will be
in the future. IHC includes computer health enhancement systems,
interactive computer games, and Web-based applications, including
the Internet. IHC services can range from simple applications,
such as a single article or a discussion group, to online support
groups
and programs that offer many services, including information, communication,
analysis, and a personalized Web page or a computer-based game
intended to promote a certain behavior change (see Bental, Cawsey,
and Jones,
1999, for an excellent overview of computer-mediated patient education
techniques). Telemedicine and telecomputing offer a host of new
communication opportunities, including electronic house calls (Ostbye
and Hurlen,
1997)." [from http://books.nap.edu/books/0309072719/html/204.html]
THCU resources
Internet
Access and Use by Canadians
A powerpoint slideshow compiled by Sherry Biscope
for THCU in September
2003. (PPT, 619kb) Added September 25, 2004
THCU's Exemplary Health
Communication Web Tour
Here is a selection of recommended sites covering a range
of health promotion activities. The sites are intended to give
you an introduction to the incredible array of information out there
on both the current thinking on how to create good interactive health
communication and organizations that are producing exemplary web sites.
Evaluating
web sites
This presentation from our 2001 Special
Topics Workshop (Larry Hershfield, Shawn Chirrey, Oonagh
Maley, Dave Haans and Cameron Norman) includes an
introduction to evaluation, quality website criteria, information
about formative evaluation
of websites, information about evaluating use of websites, and
information about website process and outcome evaluations. (PPT, 773kb)
Interactive
Health Communication Workbook
This 2002 workbook accompanies our workshop and
teaches both general concepts and specific skills. (PDF, 2.51mb)
The Update:
Special issue on the Internet
Our fall 1999 newsletter includes guest commentaries and articles on proposed
standards for health promotion Internet resources and evaluating health-related
websites. (PDF, 181 kb)
Ontario Health Promotion E-mail Bulletin
The Ontario
Health Promotion E-mail Bulletin (OHPE) is a free weekly newsletter
for people interested in health promotion produced by
the Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse and
THCU. We provide information on workshops, conferences, job postings,
projects, issues and resources. Learn how to search for information
in our archives here.
THCU
Literature Searches
When needed, we contract a wonderful librarian named Barbara Scott
to do literature searches on various topics that our clients ask
us about. The requests from the last couple of years are posted at
the link above.
List
of journals of interest to health promotion and health communication
practitioners
This list, updated in 2001, indicates where journal contents are indexed and
describes
their related websites.
Non-THCU resources
Race
to Web Readiness.
Developed by the
Web Client Services team, Health Canada's
Health Promotion and Programs Branch,
this easy-to-use
resource from Health Canada walks you through planning, developing, marketing,
and evaluating a website using fact sheets, checklists, and links to relevant
online resources. New Added July 7, 2004
New
Communication Applications and Technologies and Diverse Populations:
The Changing Health Communication Landscape
Chapter Six in the Institute of Medicine's Speaking
of Health: Assessing Health Communication Strategies for Diverse Populations (2002)
provides an overview of how new and existing technologies are being used for
health communication with diverse populations. Benefits, limitations, current
evidence, and recommendations are discussed. New Added
July 7, 2004
An
evidence-based approach to interactive health communication: a
challenge to medicine in the information age
Article by
Robinson TN, Patrick K, Eng TR, Gustafson, Science Panel on Interactive
Communication and Health, in JAMA, 1998, Oct
14;280(14):1264-9. [link is to abstract] New Added
July 7, 2004
Developers
and evaluation of interactive health communication applications
Article by Henderson J, Noell J, Reeves T, Robinson T,
Strecher V in the American
Journal of Preventive Medicine, Volume 16, Issue 1, January
1999:30-34 [link
is to abstract] New Added
July 7, 2004
Shortcomings of health information on the Internet
Article by
Benigeri, M, and P. Pluye in Health Promotion International, 2003;18:381-386
[link is to abstract] New Added
July 7, 2004
Using
Health Information on the Internet
These two checklists from the Canadian Health Network are designed
to help users identify and evaluate health promoting information
online. New Added
July 7, 2004
The Interactive Health
Communication Science Panel
While this panel is no longer active, we recommend their final
report, collection of
glossaries and their IHC
application checklist. New Added
July 7, 2004
CyberHealth Literacy
Designed for youth by the TeenNet
Research Project at the University
of Toronto, tthis checklist enables youth to evaluate websites
for accessibility, credibility and security, and personal fit and
interactivity. New Added
July 7, 2004
Quality Information CheckList
This list is designed to help children (ages 5, 6, and 7) evaluate
the information they find on the Internet. New Added
July 7, 2004
E-Health
Code of Ethics
Launched in 2000, this international code of ethics for health
care sites and services on the Internet outlines what anyone
using the
Internet for health-related reasons has a right to expect. The
goal is to help create a trustworthy environment for all
users, whether they are patients, health care professionals,
website sponsors,
people who develop health applications and content for the Web,
or individuals who turn to the Internet to help them stay well.
See also Foundations
of the eHealth Code of Ethics by Bette-Jane Crigger, The Hastings
Center. New Added
July 7, 2004
Usability.gov
The
National Cancer Institute's resource for designing usable, useful,
and accessible websites and user interfaces is easy to use and comprehensive.
In particular, NCI has published Research-Based
Web Design and Usability
Guidelines. New Added
July 7, 2004
Digital Divide Network
This Benton
Foundation project looks at the causes and effects of the divide
from four distinct angles: technology access, literacy and learning,
content, and economic
development. In particular, the About the Divide and Current Research
sections include links to relevant information and reports. New Added
July 7, 2004
Older Links
Information Quality Tool
This excellent tool from Mitretek
Systems is designed to help people assess the quality of health information
found on the internet.
Pew Internet & American
Life Project
This project creates and funds original, academic-quality research that explores
the impact of the Internet on children, families, communities, the work place,
schools, health care and civic/political life. They have a wealth of reports
available free online, including many that cover health uses for, and implications
of the internet. In particular, see Vital
Decisions: How Internet users decide what information to trust when they or their
loved ones are sick. It is a great source
of
audience
analysis
information.
Updated May 19, 2005
The Web Marketing
Checklist: 29 Ways to Promote Your Website.
How can you get more visitors to your website? What can you
do to stimulate traffic? Here's a checklist of 29 items you
need
to consider (by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson,
E-Commerce Consultant, in Web Marketing Today,
Issue 125, June 4, 2003). Added October 2003
Useit.com
Jakob Nielsen's (web interface design guru) site contains links,
usability reports and guidelines, as well as Nielsen's regular
usability column.
