Kevin Bradley Wright is Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication at Saint Louis University, USA. Lisa Sparks is Foster and Mary McGaw Endowed Professor in Behavioral Sciences at Chapman University, USA, and Full Faculty Member of the NCI-designated Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Irvine.H. Dan O’Hair is a Presidential Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma, USA.

• PART I: INTRODUCTION 11 Overview of Communication and Health 3Arguments for the Need to Study Health Communication 3Defi ning Health Communication 5A Brief History of Health Communication Research 6Current Challenges to the Healthcare System and the Role of Health Communication Research 8Overview of the Book 11Summary 12PART II: INTERPERSONAL PERSPECTIVES 152 Provider–Patient Communication 17Provider and Patient Views of Health and Healthcare 18Provider Perspective 18Patient Perspective 25Provider–Patient Interaction 30Improving Provider–Patient Communication 33Outcomes of Provider–Patient Communication 36Communication and Medical Malpractice Lawsuits 38Other Challenges of Provider–Patient Communication 39Summary 463 Caregiving and Communication 55Caregiving 56Hospice and Palliative Care 63Older Adult Health Concerns and Communication Issues 69Attitudes Toward Death and Dying 77Summary 82PART III: SOCIAL, CULTURAL, AND ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXTS 914 Social Support and Health 93History of Social Support and Health Research 94Types and Functions of Social Support 94Models of Social Support and Health 98Perceptions of Support Providers 103Strong Tie Versus Weak Tie Support Networks 105The Role of Communication in the Social Support Process 108Communication within Social Networks, Social Support Processes, and Health 110Support Groups for People with Health Concerns 111Communication Processes within Support Groups 114Support Group Participation and Health Outcomes 116Social Support Interventions 116Summary 1175 Culture and Diversity Issues in Healthcare 124Patient Diversity and Issues with Healthcare 125Cultural Differences in Concepts of Health and Medicine 127Recognizing Cultural Diversity in Health Beliefs 131Alternative Medicine 133Spirituality, Culture, and Health 135Social Implications of Illness 139Changing Social Perceptions of Stigmatized Health Issues through Communication 143Culturally Centered Health Campaigns 145Provider Diversity 146Summary 1486 Communication and Healthcare Organizations 156Healthcare Organizations as Systems 157Types of Healthcare Organizations 161Communication within Healthcare Organizations 163Healthcare Organization Culture 165Infl uences on Healthcare Organization Communication 167Provider Stress, Confl ict, and Support within Healthcare Organizations 173Summary 177PART IV: INFLUENCES OF TECHNOLOGIES AND MEDIA 1817 New Technologies and Health Communication 183Health Information on the Internet 184New Technologies and Patient–Patient Communication 189New Technologies and Provider–Provider Communication 191New Technologies and Provider–Patient Communication 196New Technologies and Health Campaigns 201Summary 2028 Mass Communication and Health 208Two Perspectives of Media Infl uence 209Needs Fulfi lled by the Mass Media Concerning Health 210Media Usage, Health Portrayals, and Health Behaviors 214Health News Stories in the Media 222Summary 226PART V: RISK, CAMPAIGNS, COMMUNITIES, AND TEAMS 2339 Risk and Crisis Communication 235Defi ning Risk Communication 236Global and Large-Scale Health Threats 240At-Risk Communities within the United States 245Communication Strategies for Addressing Health Risks 248Community-Based Health Initiatives for At-Risk or Marginalized Populations 252Risk Communication Strategies at the Provider–Patient Level 254Summary 25510 Health Campaigns and Community Health Initiatives 259Campaign Goals 261Theoretical Approaches to Health Campaigns 262The Process of Conducting a Health Campaign 270Formative Campaign Evaluation 279Summary 28211 Interdisciplinary Healthcare Teams 285Diversity of Healthcare Professionals 285Importance of Interdisciplinary Teams 286Continuum of Healthcare Teams 288Model of Synergistic Healthcare Teams 289Summary 302PART VI: CONTEXTS, CHALLENGES, AND CHOICES 30712 Political Issues and Health Communication 309Politics and Health Communication 311Message Framing Theory and Political Communication 313Current Political Issues Surrounding Health and Healthcare 314Health Literacy 317Health Stigma, Discrimination, and Politics 320The Medical Marijuana Debate 322The Politics of Life and Death 323Right to Life Issues in the Media 323The Politics of Nutrition 324International Health Communication Issues 327Summary 32713 Epilogue: Looking Toward the Future of Health Communication Research 331Emerging Trends and Challenges in Health and New Communication Technologies 331Emerging Trends and Challenges in Communication and Mental Health Issues 332Emerging Trends and Challenges in Intercultural Health Communication 333Emerging Trends and Challenges in Risk/Crisis Communication 334Ongoing Theoretical, Methodological, and Dissemination Issues Surrounding Health Communication Research 335Summary 336Index 337

“Provides a general overview of a wide range of topics, from the micro level of communication between health provider and patient to mid-level issues of communication within a health care organization to the macro level of community-wide health campaigns. Particularly timely are chapters on communication and cultural diversity, technology, and the Affordable Care Act ... Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and two-year technical program students; general readers.”  (Choice, 1 August 2013)