Communication

Websites
Materials from MCH Digital Library
Trainings from the MCH Navigator

About. This brief is one in a series compiled by the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health staff to assist the Title V work force in improving their knowledge and skills related to maternal and child health competencies. This collection of selected websites, materials, and trainings offers high-quality information about MCH Leadership Competency 5: Communication.

Definition. Communication is the verbal, nonverbal, and written sharing of information. The communication process consists of a sender who encodes and presents the message and the receiver(s) who receives and decodes the message. Communication involves both the message (what is being said) and the delivery method (how the message is presented).

Skillful communication is the ability to convey information to and receive information from others effectively and is a foundation of MCH practice, policy, and research. It includes the essential components of attentive listening and clarity in writing or speaking. An understanding of the impact of culture and disability on communication between MCH professionals and the individuals, families, and populations that they serve is also important.¹

Note. Consider not only listening, speaking, and writing but also the impact of place (built environment) on communication. This brief is NOT intended to be a comprehensive resource but highlights the variety of approaches, the diverse populations, and the innovations used to advance communication in MCH.

Websites

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Gateway to Health Communication provides basic information about health communication and trainings, tools and templates for developing health communication and social marketing campaigns and programs. Also see:

Featured Campaigns, explore links to current campaigns, health communication and social marketing materials, and interventions. Knowing what has worked may help you develop your health promotion materials and campaigns; and Communication Strategies that describe the use of health literacy-based communication strategies by health care providers, their support staff, and public health professionals.

Health Literacy. Find trainings, activities by State, and trainings from other orgaznation.
National Prevention Information Network (NPIN): Health Communication Strategies provides resources on strategic planning, research and evaluation, and methods such as advertising, entertainment education, interventions, media advocacy, media literacy, partnership development, public relations, social and health marketing, and social media. Resources on language and literacy including easy-to-read materials, interpretation, and health literacy; and health communication journals are also provided.

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) Find Health Literacy Resouces on Health Communication, Information Technology, Usability, and those with limited english proficiency for health care professionals, and other professionals needing to effectively communicate with health care consumers. Also see the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy and the Health Literate Care Model.

Health Information Group at Georgetown University: New Media Primer for Health Professionals provides information and resources on using social media in public health settings. Topics include interactive web, streaming media, mobile web, community building tools, interactive work/collaboration tools, and enhanced search tools. Definitions and examples are included. This program is available for continuing education credits. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau].

National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO): Communications Planning Guide for Local Health Departments provides information for local health departments (LHDs) on effective communications including examples of successful LHD-led public health campaigns. Resources on communications planning, media outreach, community engagement, branding, communications workforce, and social media are also included. Also see Social Media Toolkit: A Primer for Local Health Department PIOs and Communications Professionals. [Registration required]

National Cancer Institute (NCI), Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch: HINTS–Health Information National Trends Survey provides information and resources from a national survey dedicated to learning how people find, use, and understand health information. Topics include health communication and patient-provider communication.

National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH) has developed materials for health professionals communicate in a more direct, culturally competent manner:

Health Literacy Professional Resource Brief. This resource offers materials on health literacy and its importance to health outcomes.
Translation Toolkit for Health Professionals. This toolkit offers best practices and standards for language translation, plain language and health literacy guidelines, links to glossaries and medical dictionaries, access to materials in other languages, and information on translation services and resources.

National Institutes of Health: Clear Communication provides information, training, and resources about health literacy, plain language, quality and effectiveness in health communication, cultural competency, language access, talking to your doctor, and research.

Plain Language Online Training Modules are designed to assist individuals in building plain language writing skills. Topics include how people read, concise writing, clarity, format, organizing ideas, choosing words, and tone. Exercises, resources, and examples to reinforce the concepts presented are included.
Plain Language: Getting Started or Brushing Up consists of five sections and a checklist you can print. In each section, you will find a number of cards you can flip through to learn about using plain language in your work. When you are done with the final section, you can print a certificate of completion.

National Public Health Information Coalition. A network of public health communicators in the United States and U.S. territories. Reports and publications on timely public health topics and hosts an annual conference on Health Communication, Marketing and Meda.

Program for Readability in Science & Medicine (PRISM) is a plain language training and tool created for researchers to help make scientific and medical information easier for study participants, patients, and the public to understand. A free, plain language handbook is available to download for study participants. [Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute]

Toastmasters International provides resources and opportunities for improving public speaking skills including tips on becoming a confident public speaker; a self-paced, experiential learning program; and mentoring.

U.S. National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus: Understanding Medical Words–A Tutorial from the National Library of Medicine provides instruction on how to use medical terminology in communicating with population groups, patients, and the media.

U.S. Office of Minority Health: Think Cultural Health–Guide to Providing Effective Communication and Language Assistance Services provides strategies tailored to health care professionals (those who provide direct care and services) with information on cross-cultural communication skills, working with an interpreter, and more. Also provides strategies tailored to health care administrators and executives who work across a broad spectrum of health care organizations including information on planning, implementing, and evaluating effective communication and language assistance services.

Materials from MCH Digital Library

Advocacy & Communication: ZERO TO THREE. Infant and toddler messaging guides. Washington, DC: Zero To Three.

American Public Health Association and Qorvis Communications. 2012. Communicating public health preparedness media and message guide. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association. 19 pp.

Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. 2023. Using Data and Effective Messaging to Support Strong Vaccine Policy. Arlington, VA: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

Carroll L, Vickers M. 2013. Translating life course messages into family-friendly language. Albuquerque, NM: Family Voices, IMPACT. 1 p.

Fischhoff B, Brewer NT, Downs JS, eds. 2011. Communicating risks and benefits: An evidence-based user's guide. Washington, DC: U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 234 pp.

Joint Commission. 2011. Advancing effective communication, cultural competence, and patient- and family-centered care for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community: A field guide. Oakbrook Terrace, IL: Joint Commission. 92 pp [description]

Kaiser Permanente. 2014. [Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation] SBAR Tool. Oakland, CA: Kaiser Permanente. multiple items.

Lowe JI. 2010. A new way to talk about the social determinants of health. Princeton, NJ: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 35 pp. [description]

Mathematica Policy Research and Public Health Institute. 2015. Promoting maternal and child health through health text messaging: An evaluation of the Text4baby program—Summary of Key Findings. Rockville, MD: U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. 12 pp.

McCormack L, Sheridan S, Lewis M, Boudewyns V, Melvin CL, Kistler C, Lux LJ, Cullen K, Lohr KN. 2013. Communication and dissemination strategies to facilitate the use of health-related evidence. Rockville, MD: U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. 520 pp.

National Association of Chronic Disease Directors. [2013]. Speaking education's language: A guide for public health professionals working in the education sector. Atlanta, GA: National Association of Chronic Disease Directors. 21 pp.

National Council on Disability. 2014. Effective communications for people with disabilities: Before, during, and after emergencies. Washington, DC: National Council on Disability. 197 pp.

National Public Health Information Coalition. 2014. Ethnic media outreach guide for public health communicators: Practical advice for working with media on important public health issues. Marietta, GA: National Public Health Information Coalition. 4 pp.

U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. 2014. Using health text messages to improve consumer health knowledge, behaviors, and outcomes: An environmental scan. Rockville, MD: U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. 34 pp.

Suggest materials for the MCH Digital Library.

Trainings from the MCH Navigator

Communicating Public Health: Message Design Strategies to Promote Awareness and Action to Address Social Determinants of Health. Date Developed: 4/22/2015. Source: Region 2 Public Health Training Center. Presenter(s): Jeff Niederdeppe. Type: Video Lecture. Level: Intermediate. Length: 58 minutes.

Communications Messaging: How & Why. Date Developed: Unknown. Source: CityMatCH. Presenter(s): Adam Shapiro. Format: Webinar Archive. Length: 21 minutes.

Culture & Health Literacy: Case Studies in Culture and Health Literacy. Date Developed: Unknown. Source: Midwest Center for Life-Long-Learning in Public Health. Presenter(s): n.a.. Type: Webcast. Level: Introductory. Length: 60 minutes.

Storytelling as Best Practice. Date Developed: 2/1/2012. Source: American Academy of Pediatrics. Presenter(s): Andy Goodman. Format: Webinar Archive. Length: 70 minutes.

Strategies for Successful Public Health Messaging. Date Developed: 2/19/2013. Source: Northwest Center for Public Health Practice. Presenter(s): Tim Church; James Apa. Format: Webinar Archive. Length: 60 minutes.

For more learning opportunities on communication, use this Automated Search on the MCH Navigator training catalog.

Reference

¹ MCH Leadership Competencies.

Communication: Professional Resource Guide.

Author: Jolene Bertness, MEd, CHES, NCEMCH
Reviewers: Olivia Pickett, MLS, MA, Rochelle Mayer, EdD, John Richards, MA, Keisha Watson, PhD, NCEMCH