Research

Main Areas of Research Focus

University of Utah researchers cover a range of focus areas within health communication. Key domains include:

 

Community Engagement and Communication:

Researchers investigate how communication can be tailored for different communities – for instance, providing health information in Spanish and in culturally suitable ways for Utah’s growing Hispanic and Pacific Islander communities. There is emphasis on community engagement, where researchers collaborate with community health workers and local leaders to co-create interventions. By aligning communication approaches with the community’s values and needs, these efforts aim to reduce gaps in health outcomes. Partnerships with community organizations and the State of Utah are leveraged to develop solutions for better health outcomes.

Patient Provider Communication:

Understanding and improving the interaction between healthcare professionals and patients is a foundational area. This includes studying how doctors deliver diagnoses, how patients ask questions, and the dynamics of shared decision-making. The research seeks to enhance clarity, empathy, and cultural competence in clinical conversations, which are known to influence patient satisfaction and adherence to treatment.

Health Literacy and Education:

Many Utah studies concentrate on health literacy – ensuring that health information is accessible and understandable to all. Researchers examine the design of health materials (pamphlets, websites, consent forms) and work on simplifying language without sacrificing accuracy. This focus area also spans research on numeracy (how patients comprehend risk statistics) and the development of decision aids. By improving health literacy, scholars aim to empower patients to make informed choices and manage their health more confidently.

Digital Health Communication:

With the rise of digital media, faculty at the U are actively studying online and mobile health communication. This includes telehealth communication (how to maintain provider-patient rapport via video consultations), the use of mobile apps and texting for health promotion, and social media’s role in spreading health information. Projects in this area explore how technology can be harnessed to personalize health messages and how digital platforms can be used to reach younger or remote audiences. They also address challenges like combating health misinformation online.

Health Campaigns and Media:

Designing effective public health campaigns is another major focus. University of Utah researchers develop and evaluate mass media campaigns on issues such as tobacco cessation, opioid misuse prevention, vaccination, and cancer screening. This involves message testing (e.g. comparing slogans, imagery, and narratives), audience analysis, and media strategy (like the mix of TV, radio, and social media outreach). The goal is to maximize campaigns’ impact on knowledge and behavior.

Health Disparities and Cultural Communication:

A critical focus at the U is addressing health disparities through better communication. Researchers investigate how communication can be tailored for underserved or minority populations – for instance, providing health information in Spanish and in culturally appropriate ways for Utah’s growing Hispanic and Pacific Islander communities. There is emphasis on community engagement, where researchers collaborate with community health workers and local leaders to co-create interventions. By aligning communication approaches with cultural values and needs, these efforts aim to reduce gaps in health outcomes. As noted by the Office of Population Health, partnerships with community organizations and the State of Utah are leveraged to develop solutions for better health outcomes.

Risk and Science Communication:

Overlapping with science communication, Utah scholars also focus on how people perceive and respond to health risks. This includes communication about emerging health threats (pandemics, environmental health hazards) and scientific advances (new treatments, genetic discoveries). Research in this domain assesses public understanding of scientific information and tests ways to communicate complex concepts (like gene editing or epidemiological modeling) in an accurate yet engaging manner. By improving risk communication, the aim is to help the public make sense of health warnings and scientific news without panic or misunderstanding.