Health Comm Central

By now, almost everyone has heard of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence apps. But if you're a health communicator and you are not actively using them, you're missing out. In this episode, we talk about five ways to use ChatGPT right now, along with some additional things to aspire to. Plus, we discuss key concerns about AI and how to use it ethically to make your work more efficient and effective.Resources:35 Ways Real People Are Using A.I. Right Now - The New York Times (nytimes.com)27 ChatGPT Alternatives for Your Business (And One Hidden Gem) (invgate.com)How to Use Chatbots, like ChatGPT, in Your Daily Life and Work - The New York Times (nytimes.com)Generative AI Ethics: 8 Biggest Concerns (techtarget.com)Artificial intelligence is not going to take all our jobs | The HillHow to use ChatGPT as a learning tool (apa.org)Prompts to try:Try typing in these ideas that are similar to things you might really need on the job.  If you'd like to compare your answers to the ones I got, click here to see these responses and the “just for fun” prompt responses too.Search: How have the odds of surviving a heart attack changed in the last 50 years and what are the main reasons why?   Cite your sources.Organize: List ten community-based organizations or non-profits in the Seattle area that work on the issue of HIV/AIDS in descending order from the largest or most impactful.Plan: Create a timeline with the steps for planning, hosting, and analyzing a focus group if I need the results three months from now.Draft content: Write three Tweets about the importance of getting a colonoscopy including one that is humorous.Proofread:  Correct the errors in the following paragraph: Wen it cumes 2 tornado prepairdness, there's a few thingz u shud keep in mind. Furst, make shure u hav a reeliable weathr radio that can alrt u wen therez danger. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

Research has shown that behavioral intention is a fairly good predictor of behavior… but what about when it's not? For many people with executive function impairments — which includes not only many individuals who are neurodivergent, but also people with mood disorders, mental illness, physical illness, cognitive impairment, and even people under stress — following through on behavioral intention can be challenging, even when they strongly desire taking action. In this episode we talk about the specific deficits caused by executive function disorder — whether temporary or longer-term, and share some ways that all campaigns and interventions can provide support to make intentions a reality.Resources:What is Executive Function? How Executive Functioning Skills Affect Early Development (harvard.edu)Paschal Sheeran (2002) Intention—Behavior Relations: A Conceptual and Empirical Review, European Review of Social Psychology, 12:1, 1-36, DOI: 10.1080/14792772143000003Saving Lives by Closing the Intention-Action Gap - Behavioral ScientistPlease click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 - 2023 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

The Theory of Reasoned Action/Theory of Planned Behavior (TRA/TPB) is one of the classics of behavioral theory… but what does it offer that some of the other “classics” we've explored — like Social Cognitive Theory and the Health Belief Model — do not? In this episode, we look at the constructs of the TPB, some of its pros and cons, and discuss when you might want to consider it.Resources:Diagram of the Theory of Planned BehaviorIcek Ajzen (2011) The theory of planned behaviour: Reactions and reflections, Psychology & Health, 26:9, 1113-1127, DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2011.613995Falko F. Sniehotta, Justin Presseau & Vera Araújo-Soares (2014) Time to retire the theory of planned behaviour, Health Psychology Review, 8:1, 1-7, DOI: 10.1080/17437199.2013.869710Examples of practical use of the TRA/TPB from the Rural Health HubPlease click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 - 2023 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

Theories and frameworks are an essential part of planning and evaluating campaigns and interventions. (If you're not sure why, stop right now and go back to Episode 2, where we lay out the many reasons that “nothing is more practical than a good theory.”) But there are a bewildering number of options! How do you know what's available and appropriate, and how do you choose? In this episode we look at the information you need to gather before you start, then give you four steps to help you browse, compare, try some frameworks on for size, mix and match them, and select the right one(s) for your particular issue and audience.Resources:Good guidance on some basic health communication theories and how to use them:Making Health Communication Programs Work AKA “The Pink Book.”Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 - 2023 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

One of the first frameworks to put the individual in the context of all the factors that influence behavior — including policies, systems, and environments — was the Social Ecological Model, sometimes also referred to as the Socioecological Model. Its nested design is a great way to think about the big picture and to conceptualize multi-level campaigns and interventions that can work simultaneously to change the community, institutions, and policies, as well as focusing on the individual and their social network. It's not always clear where one level begins and ends, however, making it somewhat imprecise. But as a precursor to much of the work we are doing today on health equity and the context of health, it's a model you'll definitely want to know.Resources:The Social-Ecological Model: A Framework for Prevention |Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDCSocial ecological model - WikipediaSocio-Ecological Model.jpg (518×337) (balancedweightmanagement.com)Bronfenbrenner's Original FrameworkExamples of SEM in use:Scarneo, S. E., Kerr, Z. Y., Kroshus, E., Register-Mihalik, J. K., Hosokawa, Y., Stearns, R. L., DiStefano, L. J., & Casa, D. J. (2019). The Socioecological Framework: A Multifaceted Approach to Preventing Sport-Related Deaths in High School Sports. Journal of athletic training, 54(4), 356–360.A Social Ecological Model of Racism & Anti-Racism - Center for the Study of Social Policy (cssp.org)Socio-Ecological Model for Driver Safety - Safe States AlliancePlease click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 - 2023 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

Almost everywhere you turn in health communication—really, in any kind of communication — you'll find Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) at the root of some pretty fundamental truths about how human behavior is influenced by others and by the world around us. While you may never have worked on a campaign or intervention that was specifically designed with the theory itself in mind, you've probably incorporated dozens of tactics and strategies based on SCT.In this episode, we unpack its six main constructs and give a shoutout to the many things it has influenced, from entertainment education to celebrity product endorsements to cancer support groups to social media. And don't forget Bobo the Doll… that famous experiment you probably learned about in Psych 101 that was one of the things that formed the basis of SCT's development by social psychologist Albert Bandura.Resources:The theory heard 'round the world (apa.org)Social Cognitive Theory: Definition and Examples (thoughtco.com)Diagram of Social Cognitive TheoryBobo doll experiment - WikipediaBobo doll experiment - WikipediaExamples of SCT in use:Sebastian, A. T., Rajkumar, E., Tejaswini, P., Lakshmi, R., & Romate, J. (2021). Applying social cognitive theory to predict physical activity and dietary behavior among patients with type-2 diabetes. Health psychology research, 9(1), 24510. Chirico A., Lucidi F., Merluzzi T., Alivernini F., Laurentiis M., Botti G., Giordano A. A meta-analytic review of the relationship of cancer coping self-efficacy with distress and quality of life. Oncotarget. 2017; 8: 36800-36811. Retrieved from  Story, C. R., Knutson, D., Brown, J. B., Spears-Laniox, E., Harvey, I. S., Gizlice, Z., & Whitt-Glover, M. C. (2017). Changes in social support over time in a faith-based physical activity intervention. Health education research, 32(6), 513–523.Wang, H., & Singhal, A. (2021). Theorizing entertainment-education: A complementary perspective to the development of entertainment theory. In P. Vorderer, & C. Klimmt (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Entertainment Theory (pp. 819-838). New York: Oxford University Press.Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 - 2023 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

Getting a new idea, policy, or behavior to take hold and be widely adopted is a complex and often slow process. Even great ideas often fail to catch on. But a better understanding of the process people follow in considering and adopting new ideas can give you an edge, making it more likely the idea will spread across individuals or communities. And nothing explains that process better than the Diffusion of Innovation framework, developed in the 1960s by Everett Rodgers.Research-based and applicable not just in public health but in technology, fashion, even farming — Diffusion of Innovation is audience segmentation, timeline, and communication strategy all rolled into one. This episode takes a quick look at its basic components, which are perfect for not only individual health behaviors, but also for changing policies and opinions, too.Resources:Diffusion Of Innovations Theory, Principles, And Practice (researchgate.net)A chart of the adoption curve:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/cms/asset/9069cbea-c79f-4f8b-9df7-b39c5ad1d3d8/jdi12568-toc-0001-m.pngA fun cartoon of the adoption curve:https://rosinskohiro.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/f6cfe-070226-1-adoption.jpgExamples of how the framework can be used:Implications of Diffusion of Innovations Theory for a Culturally Sensitive Multi-sectoral Approach to HIV/AIDS Prevention (scholars.direct)Diffusion of innovations theory applied to global tobacco control treaty ratification - ScienceDirectApplying Diffusion of Innovation Theory to Intervention Development. - Abstract - Europe PMCPlease click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 - 2023 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

In the last (really!) of this brief series on social marketing, we look at the strategic approach that is most commonly used in social marketing: Making a behavior seem easier, more fun, or more popular than whatever competing behavior people are currently engaged in. Most of the time, when a campaign doesn't live up to expectations, it's because it has not effectively used this approach to motivate and entice people by making behavior change appealing. If you haven't heard HCC's other episodes on social marketing related topics, please jump back to Episodes 6, 26, 27, 28, and 29 so that THIS episode can add to what you'll learn there!Resources:Hicks JJ. The strategy behind Florida's “truth” campaign. Tobacco Control 2001;10:3-5.Huhman, M. E., Potter, L. D., Nolin, M. J., Piesse, A., Judkins, D. R., Banspach, S. W., & Wong, F. L. (2010). The Influence of the VERB campaign on children's physical activity in 2002 to 2006. American journal of public health, 100(4), 638–645.Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 - 2023 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

Audience research is absolutely essential to the social marketing process. Unless you truly know the audience's values and needs, you cannot craft a strategy to exchange a new healthier behavior for a competing behavior.In this episode, we discuss some of the obstacles to audience research and how you can do audience research on a shoestring. We also discuss how the focus on the audience makes social marketing a natural fit for approaches that center marginalized audiences and share power with the audience during the research and planning process.Resources:Slater, M. D., Kelly, K. J., & Thackeray, R. (2006). Segmentation on a Shoestring: Health Audience Segmentation in Limited-Budget and Local Social Marketing Interventions. Health Promotion Practice, 7(2), 170–173.Ford, Chandra L, and Collins O Airhihenbuwa. “Critical Race Theory, race equity, and public health: toward antiracism praxis.” American journal of public health vol. 100 Suppl 1,Suppl 1 (2010): S30-5. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2009.171058Ten Tips for Conducting Market Research On a Shoestring Budget | SJ Insights, LLCPlease click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 - 2023 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

A premise of social marketing is “every behavior is a transaction.”  It's actually an idea that is well understood in sociology, psychology, and communication, but to the uninitiated, it can sound pretty harsh.  But transactional behaviors are not what you think!  In social marketing, thinking of a behavior as a transaction really just means that a reciprocal or two-way exchange is taking place.  It's often quite neutral or caring rather than selfish or impersonal.  In this third episode of our brief series on social marketing, we unpack the concept of behavioral transactions so that you can become better at analyzing them—and become more effective at using them to achieve better health outcomes and greater health equity.  If you haven't already done so, listen to our introduction to social marketing in Episode 6 and the first parts of this series, Episodes 26 & 27.    Resources:More on transactions in communication: 1.3: Principles of Communication - Social Sci LibreTextsMaslow's Hierarchy of NeedsYou can explore more about the Five Whys and how to use them to uncover the roots of behavior:https://business.adobe.com/blog/basics/5-whys-root-cause-analysishttps://nirn.fpg.unc.edu/sites/nirn.fpg.unc.edu/files/imce/documents/RCA%20Resources_11.7.18_0.pdfhttps://www.emilyguybirken.com/post/using-the-5-whys-to-investigate-your-white-allyshipWorksheet link: Coming soon! Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

In this second episode of our brief series on social marketing, we look at the theory that underpins it: Exchange Theory. Understanding how to apply Exchange Theory will help you choose the right message for an audience based on what you know about their basic needs and values. (Bonus: It can even work in your personal life too, when you'd like that person in your household or workplace to change their behavior). If you haven't already done so, listen to our introduction to social marketing in Episode 6 and the first part of this series from last week, Episode 26.Resources:Social exchange theory - WikipediaTools of Change - Social MarketersShams, M. (2018). Social Marketing for Health: Theoretical and Conceptual Considerations. Selected Issues in Global Health Communications. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.76509Cook, Karen & Cheshire, Coye & Rice, Eric & Nakagawa, Sandra. (2013). Social Exchange Theory. 10.1007/978-94-007-6772-0_3.Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 - 2023 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

The concept of Product and Price from the Four Ps of Marketing can be confusing when you're new to social marketing.  What's your product if you are just trying to persuade someone to change their behavior?  And what is the price if no money changes hands?  This episode is the first in a brief series on social marketing, breaking down these two critical concepts and offering some suggestions for how you can easily practice identifying product and price as they apply to both social marketing and corporate marketing.  If you're fairly new to social marketing, go back and listen to Episode 6 first!Resources:Brown KM. Defining the Product in a Social Marketing Effort. Health Promotion Practice. 2006;7(4):384-387. doi:10.1177/1524839906291323Rosemary Thackeray, Katrina N. Fulkerson & Brad L. Neiger (2012) Defining the Product in Social Marketing: An Analysis of Published Research, Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, 24:2, 83-100, DOI: 10.1080/10495142.2012.679156Butler, K., Gordon, R., Roggeveen, K., Waitt, G. and Cooper, P. (2016), "Social marketing and value in behaviour? Perceived value of using energy efficiently among low income older citizens", Journal of Social Marketing, Vol. 6 No. 2, pp. 144-168. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSOCM-07-2015-0045Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 - 2023 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

If you're serious about health equity, you have to get serious about plain language.  Today's episode was inspired by a great new plain language resource just released by the Public Health Communication Collaborative.  It covers many of the basics you need to know – and is a great model itself for plain language principles.  But in this episode, we talk about how to avoid some of the biggest mistakes and missed opportunities for plain language by using three key principles that are not usually covered in other resources.  Health Comm Central's 3 Cs of Plain Language are 1) curate, 2) capture, and 3) combine/conceal. (Okay, there's a bonus C in that last one!)  You'll also want to check out all of the resources below.Resources:Plain Language for Public Health (publichealthcollaborative.org)Federal Plain Language Resources: https://www.plainlanguage.gov/training/tips-for-trainers/NIH Plain Language Training (and free certification)Other plain-language resources - King CountyCDC resources (not exactly an example of HCC's “curation” principle, but…)https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/clearwriting/clear_writing_training_modules/index.htmlhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/developmaterials/plainlanguage.htmlhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/developmaterials/testing-messages-materials.htmlhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/gettraining.htmlhttps://www.cdc.gov/ccindex/index.htmlDesigning with Lead-ins | CreativePro NetworkFont Psychology: Here's Everything You Need to Know About Fonts - DesignmodoPlease click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 - 2023 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

In a world of competing messages and disinformation, wouldn't it be great if you could protect your audience against the influence of conflicting or unhealthy information they may encounter – almost the way a vaccination protects your body from diseases it encounters?  The good news is, you can: Inoculation Theory supports the idea that being upfront and honest about the downsides or potential objections to a behavior can actually make people better able to resist those objections. In this episode, we talk about how to pair a negative with a positive in ways that not only make your message stronger, but increase its perceived credibility, too.Resources:Compton, J. (2013). Inoculation theory. In J. P. Dillard & L. Shen (Eds.), The Sage handbook of persuasion: Developments in theory and practice (2nd ed.) (pp. 220-236). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Compton, J.; Pfau, M. (2005). "Inoculation theory of resistance to influence at maturity: Recent progress in theory development and application and suggestions for future research". Annals of the International Communication Association. 29 (1): 97–146. doi:10.1080/23808985.2005.11679045.McGuire, W. J. (1961). "Resistance to persuasion conferred by active and passive prior refutation of same and alternative counterarguments". Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 63 (2): 326–332. doi:10.1037/h0048344.Okuno H, Arai S, Suzuki M, Kikkawa T. Impact of Refutational Two-Sided Messages on Attitudes Toward Novel Vaccines Against Emerging Infectious Diseases During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Frontiers in Public Health. 2022;10.The most famous two-sided message ever: Hertz vs. Avis advertising wars: How an ad firm made a virtue out of second place. (slate.com)Remember, Inoculation Theory is NOT this unrelated (and totally debunked) mass comm theory: https://opentextbc.ca/mediastudies101/chapter/the-hypodermic-needle/Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 - 2023 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

McGuire's Input-Output Matrix, also called the Communication-Persuasion Matrix (1999), is a simple but powerful communication framework you can use to methodically analyze key elements in a message or campaign and track how effective they are at persuading your audience.  In this episode we unpack both the inputs and the outputs so you can use it to add or adjust the elements you need for success.  Resources:Note: Much of McGuire's work is available in libraries but not available to link online except behind a paywall.McGuire's revised, comprehensive matrix (use this one – same as above!):McGuire, W. J. (1999), Constructing Social Psychology: Creative and Critical Processes, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.McGuire's earlier, less-complete matrix (seen widely online, but not as good as the revision):McGuire, William J. (1978), “An information processing model of advertising effectiveness” in Behavioral and Management Science in Marketing, ed. Harry J. Davis and Alvin J. Silk. New York: Ronald Press, 156-180.A few studies using McGuire's matrix:Lessons Learned From Community Workers Beat the Virus, a Multimedia Campaign Cocreated With Trusted Community Leaders | AJPH | Vol. 112 Issue S9 (aphapublications.org)Larry Chiagouris PhD & Iris Mohr PhD (2004) An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Internet Advertising Tools, Journal of Internet Commerce, 3:3, 41-61, DOI: 10.1300/J179v03n03_03An Analysis of Tzu Chi's Public Communication Campaign on Body Donation (uri.edu) Bonus link: “More cowbell”When you need to add or adjust your inputs, think of this SNL sketch!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVsQLlk-T0sPlease click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 - 2023 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

If you work in public health, you are most likely well aware of the concepts of structural, systemic, and institutional racism and their impact on people's ability to live long and healthy lives.  How do you get more comfortable with explaining these concepts to other people outside public health, especially audiences whose help you need to implement policy, systems, and environmental changes that can help dismantle systemic racism?  In this episode, we talk about the importance of examples and stories to explain the realities of structural racism.  We also address three big challenges or questions that may be raised by the audience and how you can respond in ways that keep the conversation going.    Resources:Systemic And Structural Racism: Definitions, Examples, Health Damages, And Approaches To Dismantling | Health AffairsHow to Explain Structural, Institutional and Systemic Racism | MSW@USCWhat is structural racism? | American Medical Association (ama-assn.org)New study underscores the role of race and poverty in COVID-19 (massgeneral.org)Redlining - WikipediaRacist redlining policies still have an impact on health - Lown InstituteRedlining story from Connecticut Honoring Dr. Shalon Irving, A Champion for Health Equity | Health AffairsPlease click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 - 2023 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

Getting to the root cause of health disparities is essential because campaigns and interventions to change individual behavior will not be effective if the real problem requires a change in policies, systems, or the environment (or surrounding conditions) in which people live, work, and play.  Root cause solutions are also more sustainable, since they usually result in a longer lasting solution than surface solutions that are only a temporary fix.  The key to framing the right problem and being able to pursue the right solution is using root cause analysis (RCA) to get to the bottom of the problem.  In today's episode (3rd in our series on social determinants of health) we introduce three essential root cause analysis frameworks that should be part of your toolkit: the groundwater approach, the Ishikawa or fishbone diagram, and the 5 Why's.  Starting with root cause analysis can help you uncover the reasons for poor health outcomes, so you can design campaigns and interventions that will address the real problem and get better long-term results.   Resources:Find out more about the Groundwater Approach:https://www.groundwaterinstitute.com/https://racialequityinstitute.org/groundwater-approach/The basic fishbone diagram: https://media.noria.com/sites/Uploads/2020/4/25/c319983b-b8ed-4d2e-8130-38962d1074b6_Fishbone_Diagram_680x357_extra_large.jpegSeveral examples of fishbone diagrams, filled in with causes:https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/fishbone-diagram-ishikawa-methodology-infographic-scheme-missed-deadline-measurements-materials-personnel-environment-methods-203442770.jpghttps://uha.blob.core.windows.net/accelerate/attachments/ckkcscmvl00sw0omsak1tudkh-hci-huntsman-checkin-fishbone-example.full.pnghttps://www.phf.org/resourcestools/Online/Public_Health_Fishbone.pdfMore about the 5 Why's:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_whysPlease click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 - 2023 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

This brief holiday message will point you toward a couple of past episodes that may be helpful to you over the next few weeks.  We also look at what's coming in 2023 for Health Comm Central! We'll be on hiatus for the holidays for a couple of weeks here at Health Comm Central, but we have lots of good stuff in store when we resume in January!  Happy Holidays to you!Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

Even though Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change is about the context and not the individual, the secret to achieving PSE Change may be using individual behavior change theory.  That's because changing laws, policies, and community conditions still requires persuading individual decision-makers to engage in new behaviors to support, fund, and implement proposed changes.  In this second part of our series on social determinants of health, health equity, and related issues, we focus on six tips for effective communication that can transform communities and improve health equity.  Success may mean never uttering the words “PSE Change” or even “health.”Resources:Socioecological model (SEM) diagram (one of multiple variations)Background on the SEMExamples of communication resources designed to make the case for PSE Change to decision-makersEconomic Indicators Library How To Guide Implementing or Expanding Public TransportationHow-To Guide to Increase Adoption of the Earned Income Tax CreditPlease click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

Part One of Health Comm Central's first series! Over the next few weeks we will be looking at research and recommendations related to Social Determinants of Health, one of the foundational frameworks we consider when developing health communication strategy and training.  Today's episode focuses on the language we choose to talk about SDOH, health equity, and related concepts.  You might be surprised to learn that research suggests we eliminate the terms “social determinants of health” and “equity” from our messages.  We'll cover six tips to ensure that you find the right words to communicate these critical concepts in the most persuasive way possible.Resources:https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2010/01/a-new-way-to-talk-about-the-social-determinants-of-health.htmlhttps://www.nap.edu/download/21694https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20191025.776011/full/https://www.naccho.org/uploads/card-images/public-health-infrastructure-and-systems/Talking-About-the-Social-Determinants-of-Health-FINAL.pdfPlease click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

In Part Two of our two-part series about building trust and reducing polarization with the Change Conversation Cycle communication framework, we talk with its creator, Karin Tamerius, M.D. about how it could scale up, its potential for evaluation, and her thoughts on the challenges ahead to rebuild trust and reduce polarization around public health, science, politics, and other institutions.If you haven't already done so, be sure to check out the links in the resources below to several interactive online chatbots developed by Dr. Tamerius, including one distributed by Kaiser Permanente to help people have more effective conversations about COVID vaccination. Use them to practice a new way of communicating before you sit down this holiday season with loved ones whose views on science and public health may be different than your own! (And if you didn't already listen to Part One with Dr. Tamerius, check it out first: Episode 17).Resources:The Angry Uncle Bots (an interactive tool for practicing the Change Conversation Cycle):COVID: https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/southern-california/chat-botClimate Change: https://davidsuzuki.org/climate-conversation-coach/Politics: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/11/26/opinion/family-holiday-talk-impeachment.htmlSmart Politics: https://www.joinsmart.org/Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

For years now many families have avoided talking politics at the Thanksgiving table. But thanks to the politicization of science in the COVID era, now even our public health work may seem off limits for discussion with Angry Uncles or Conspiracy-Theory Cousins. But that could all change this holiday season if you give the Change Conversation Cycle a try. It's a 5-step process for reducing polarization and hostility, building trust, and rediscovering shared values. It can work in both public health communication and private settings, too.This week, join Health Comm Central for Part One of our conversation with Karin Tamerius, M.D., a political psychiatrist who is the developer of the Change Conversation Cycle (CCC) and the founder of Smart Politics. Dr. Tamerius is also the creator of several interactive online chatbots, AKA the “Angry Uncle Bots” that provide practice using the CCC to reduce polarization and change hearts and minds.In Part One of this two-part series, we talk about the importance of framing issues as choices and building trust one person at a time. Plus Dr. Tamerius shares what led her to create the Change Conversation Cycle and how we can all be less triggered by misinformation and arguments and more strategic and effective in our response.Next week: Part Two!Resources:Smart Politics: https://www.joinsmart.org/The Angry Uncle Bots (an interactive tool for practicing the Change Conversation Cycle):COVID: https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/southern-california/chat-botClimate Change: https://davidsuzuki.org/climate-conversation-coach/Politics: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/11/26/opinion/family-holiday-talk-impeachment.htmlPlease click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

A campaign or intervention is only as successful as the weakest link in the chain of steps involved.  A critical final step after you've created your logic model or strategic plan is to take a hard look at every link in the chain to spot potential failure points.  We talk about how to anticipate, mitigate, and evaluate the things that could go wrong so you have a better chance of success… and a better opportunity to understand and learn from what worked and what didn't.Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

Can you tell a data story without using numbers? Sometimes, yes – you can! Too often in public health we try to cram too many precise numbers into a message, making it more difficult to process and reducing its impact. In this episode, we talk about the importance of being a little less precise, and how we can still provide the data that both lay audiences and scientific or medical audiences may need.Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

Two names, so many uses! Every health communicator needs to be familiar with this go-to framework for segmenting audiences by their readiness for behavior change: the Transtheoretical (AKA “Stages of Change”) Model. Designed to be combined with other theories and frameworks, it's the little black dress of health behavior theory: despite some limitations, it's often perfect for almost any occasion.Resources:Image of the Transtheoretical (Stages of Change) ModelThe original Prochaska & DiClemente article: Prochaska, James & Diclemente, Carlo. (1983). Stages and Processes of Self-Change of Smoking - Toward an Integrative Model of Change. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology. 51. 390-5. 10.1037//0022-006X.51.3.390.Basics of the TTM10 processes connected with the Transtheoretical ModelPlease click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

Our audiences may be over it, but COVID isn't over for public health communicators. Of course, wastewater virus levels are increasing, new variants are on the horizon, hundreds of people are still dying each day, and Long COVID is disabling millions. But pandemic fatigue is everywhere, and 1/3 of Americans still aren't fully vaccinated. So how do we effectively message pandemic guidance now? The answer may surprise you: Nothing magical, just some basic social and behavioral science strategies that public health has never really tried on COVID-19.Resources:https://time.com/6216760/ba-2-75-2-centaurus-omicron-variant-vaccine/Where have all the workers gone? Long COVID has forced as many as 4 million people out of the workforce | FortuneWhat Makes Brain Fog So Unforgiving - The Atlantichttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.htmlhttps://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-homePlease click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. Connect with me on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-comm-central/Twitter: @HealthCommCtrlInstagram: @health.comm.central

You've heard of starter homes?  Well, this is your starter theory: the Health Belief Model.  We take a look at what has made this grandaddy of all health behavior frameworks so popular and what you need to know about some of its key components.We'll also talk about the limitations that may make you want to move beyond it as you become more fluent with other theories and frameworks. Plus: you can download a free bonus worksheet on the Health Belief Model at www.HealthCommCentral.com/HBM. Resources:Downloadable worksheet: HealthCommCentral.com/HBMImage of the Health Belief ModelOriginal article that is frequently cited, but doesn't seem to be available anywhere: Hochbaum, G., Rosenstock, I., & Kegels, S. (1952). Health belief model. United states public health service, 1.Rosenstock IM. Rosenstock IM. Historical Origins of the Health Belief Model. Health Education Monographs. 1974;2(4):328-335.Rosenstock IM. The Health Belief Model and Preventive Health Behavior. Health Education Monographs. 1974;2(4):354-386. doi:10.1177/109019817400200405Janz NK, Becker MH. The Health Belief Model: A Decade Later. Health Educ Q. 1984 Spring;11(1):1-47. doi: 10.1177/109019818401100101. PMID: 6392204.Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D.

What has enabled tech companies in Silicon Valley like Apple or Google to be agile and innovative and to lead the world developing new technologies? Design Thinking – an evidence-based approach to problem-finding and problem-solving that was born in the Stanford University design school and has been widely used in the tech sector to find faster, more creative, and more effective solutions to big challenges. And it's an approach that can be applied to public health campaigns and organizations, too. In this intro to the fifth “fundamental” framework we love here at Health Comm Central, we take a look at five mindsets or guiding principles of Design Thinking: curiosity, awareness, reframing, bias to action, and radical collaboration.Resources:The book referenced in this episode, Designing Your Life. Great basic intro to design thinking principles, but unrelated to public health.Five Ted Talks on Design ThinkingPlease click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D.

Even when people perceive a health risk as a real threat to their well-being or safety, their decision to follow public health guidance may come down to one factor: self-efficacy – the knowledge, skill, access, and confidence they must have to feel capable of “getting the job done.”Beginning with the Extended Parallel Process Model, we unpack self-efficacy's pivotal role in making fear appeals effective and why self-efficacy may be the critical ingredient in almost any health message, campaign, or intervention.Resources:Image of the Extended Parallel Process Model Kim Witte (1992) Putting the fear back into fear appeals: The extended parallel process model, Communication Monographs, 59:4, 329-349, DOI: 10.1080/03637759209376276More on: Extended Parallel Process Model Tannenbaum MB, Hepler J, Zimmerman RS, Saul L, Jacobs S, Wilson K, Albarracín D. Appealing to fear: A meta-analysis of fear appeal effectiveness and theories. Psychol Bull. 2015 Nov;141(6):1178-204. doi: 10.1037/a0039729. PMID: 26501228; PMCID: PMC5789790.Recent takes on the important of self-efficacy: Terror Management Health ModelPlease click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D.

In public health, we are up against any number of “wicked problems” – challenges so complicated and entrenched and sometimes, so polarizing – that they seem almost impossible to solve. Exactly the kinds of problems that systems thinking was designed to address. In this introduction to one of the fundamental approaches we use at Health Comm Central, we'll talk about how systems thinking moves beyond a mere big picture perspective to apply specialized processes and tools for addressing wicked problems – and how systems thinking can really be a practice and a mindset for every part of life.  Resources:Waters Center for Systems Thinking: https://waterscenterst.org/Systems Thinking for Social Change, by David Peter Stroh https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26089423-systems-thinking-for-social-changeSamples of three systems maps on obesity (from across the internet)https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Community-causal-loop-diagram-of-causes-of-obesity-PA-physical-activity_fig1_351361519https://www.vanderbilt.edu/cultural-contexts-health/reframing-childhood-obesity-brief/systems-map/https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Obesity-systems-map_fig1_269097364Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D.

Behavioral economics starts with the premise that humans often make terrible decisions: because we – all of us - are emotional, lazy, don't like change, and often have faulty logic. But instead of trying to change people, behavioral economics works WITH human nature instead of against it.In our ongoing series of introductions to the foundational frameworks we love here at Health Comm Central, we talk about how to make the case for using behavioral economics and how to explain it to others.Resources:Further reading on behavioral economics:https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletter-article/focus-using-behavioral-economics-advance-population-health-andRice T. The behavioral economics of health and health care. Annu Rev Public Health. 2013;34:431-47. doi: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031912-114353. Epub 2013 Jan 7. PMID: 23297657.Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D.

Do you need to develop a brand? The answer might be yes, IF you want audiences to build a long-term relationship with your organization, intervention, or campaign. But creating a brand is a lot like a romance: to inspire passion and have a healthy “relationship,” it must feel reciprocal and your brand needs to prove that it's a good partner.This episode breaks apart the basics of brand identity and brand loyalty, and may help you decide whether you are ready for the level of commitment a brand relationship brings!Resources:Build Your Brand as a Relationship (hbr.org)Building a Brand Relationship (gallup.com)Fournier, S. (1998). Consumers and Their Brands: Developing Relationship Theory in Consumer Research. Journal of Consumer Research, 24(4), 343–353.Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D.

If you've worked in public health for a while, you've heard of social marketing. But if you're like many health communicators, you may not know exactly what it is or how it's different than an ordinary public health campaign. You may even secretly wonder if it has something to do with Facebook or Twitter. Or perhaps you're looking for a way to describe it to your coworkers or your leadership team.Today's episode is everything you've always wanted to know about social marketing but were afraid to ask! What it is, when it works, and what the social marketing process includes. If you work in public health communication, social marketing is one of the most powerful tools you can use, and this episode will help you make the case.Resources:Evidence for social marketingRoss Gordon, Laura McDermott, Martine Stead, Kathryn Angus. The effectiveness of social marketing interventions for health improvement: What's the evidence? Public Health, Volume 120, Issue 12, 2006, Pages 1133-1139, ISSN 0033-3506, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2006.10.008.Rebecca Firestone, Cassandra J Rowe, Shilpa N Modi, Dana Sievers, The effectiveness of social marketing in global health: a systematic review, Health Policy and Planning, Volume 32, Issue 1, February 2017, Pages 110–124, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czw088.Examples of social marketingPérez-Escamilla R. Breastfeeding social marketing: lessons learned from USDA's "Loving Support" campaign. Breastfeed Med. 2012 Oct;7(5):358-63. doi: 10.1089/bfm.2012.0063. Epub 2012 Sep 4. PMID: 22946886. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22946886/Wong F, Huhman M, Heitzler C, Asbury L, Bretthauer-Mueller R, McCarthy S, Londe P. VERB - a social marketing campaign to increase physical activity among youth. Prev Chronic Dis. 2004 Jul;1(3):A10. Epub 2004 Jun 15. PMID: 15670431; PMCID: PMC1253475. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1253475/Truth campaign: https://www.thensmc.com/resources/showcase/truth%C2%AEDumb Ways to Die: https://www.adweek.com/creativity/5-years-later-dumb-ways-to-die-remains-advertisings-most-delightfully-horrible-creation/ and https://www.dumbwaystodie.com/psaBest Bones Forever campaign: https://www.girlshealth.gov/about/best-bones/best-bones.htmlLots more great examples here:https://www.npaihb.org/social-marketing-campaigns/#Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D.

Understanding social determinants of health (SDOH) is fundamental to the work we do in public health to ensure that people can live their healthiest lives. But it can sometimes be hard to explain social determinants fully and succinctly to people outside our field. Whether you are searching for the words to help teach others or you are new to public health yourself and still trying to get a handle on why -- despite educational campaigns and even strong individual motivation and intention -- systemic barriers often prevent people from engaging in healthy behaviors, today's episode is for you!In addition to helping you explain the basics, we'll cover two critically important rules for discussing social determinants of health with people outside public health -- whether partners from other sectors, community-based organizations, decision-makers, even friends and family. And we will also set the stage with this discussion of “Social Determinants 101” for several other related episodes. So enjoy today's show and stay tuned for a whole lot more on social determinants soon!Resources:Social Determinants of Health, Healthy People 2030, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), from NEJM Catalyst, Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). Published by New England Journal of Medicine, Dec. 1, 2017.Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D.

Preparing a crisis plan is critical, but have you laid the foundation by conducting a crisis audit? Using the baby formula crisis as background, we share a 6 step process for determining your worst case crisis scenario and your most likely scenario. Get your organization focused on the data, partnerships, systems, and yes, of course – the messages – they need to prevent a crisis from interfering with your most basic mission.Resources:Start your crisis audit with a free worksheet we've prepared for you! Download at www.HealthCommCentral.com/CrisisAudit.Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D.

The key to social movements that change norms is not overpowering our opponents but shifting support away from them. Today we'll talk about an audience segmentation framework called the Spectrum of Allies that can help you choose the right strategies and tactics to move people closer to your position one incremental step at a time. We'll talk about how we can adapt this political tool to the work we do in public health, especially around polarizing issues at the intersection of health and public policy.Resources:https://www.powershift.org/sites/default/files/resources/files/Spectrum_of_Allies.pdf http://sjwiki.org/wiki/File:Allies_chart.jpg#filehistory    https://trainings.350.org/?resource=spectrum-of-allies https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/spectrum-of-allies/Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D.

Evidence-based theories and frameworks are the scaffolding every public health intervention and campaign should rest on.  Behavioral theory, communication theory, process models, conceptual frameworks…  We love theory at Health Comm Central not just because we're nerdy like that, but because in the words of a very famous scholar who we'll talk about in this week's episode, “There is nothing more practical than a good theory.”  Today we'll talk about the 5 Rs – five reasons that theory can make your public health work easier and more effective.  And did we mention impress your boss and give confidence to your funders and partners? If you are not already using theory on the reg, you'll learn the reasons why you need to.  And if you are already a theory fan, you'll learn how to make the case to get others onboard.Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D.

The hostility some of us in public health have experienced over the last couple of years from science-deniers can be pretty demoralizing at times. In today's episode, we're going to explore the roots of anti-science bias, the playbook that anti-science propagandists use, and talk about some tools you can use to bridge gaps and more effectively communicate even when audiences are polarized and skeptical of the science.Some resources we reference in this episode:Resources:‘Follow the science': As the third year of the pandemic begins, a simple slogan becomes a political weapon, Washington Post, February 11, 2022.NACCHO survey on threats to public health departments2020 article in Scientific American called The Denialists' PlaybookMore on the Change Conversation Cycle and related topics Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!For more information, visit the Health Comm Central website at: http://www.HealthCommCentral.com© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D.

Real results to improve health outcomes and health equity start with behavioral science. Each week, public health professional and longtime communication strategist Karen Hilyard, Ph.D. will help you unpack behavior change theories and frameworks and apply them in practical ways to build a kick-ass health communication toolkit. Whether you're a health comm nerd or a health comm novice, Health Comm Central will show you how to create more effective, engaging, evidence-based messages and campaigns that can transform not only individual behaviors, but change the policies and systems that impact social determinants of health.