Schedule

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF COURSES

Foundations of Environmental Communication – Defending Health

Human health and well-being are inextricably linked in the web of interactions that characterize life on this planet, and the concept of communication plays a catalytic role in shaping these conditions. The natural environment affects humans and at the same time receives interventions from human societies. The modern way of life causes environmental and social problems arising from the increased consumer demands of people. Current challenges include environmental degradation, climate change, antimicrobial resistance, etc. Global processes of social transformation, related to livelihoods, agri-food networks and the environment, are taking place at both national and international levels. Such processes involve changes at different levels. The changes due to the challenges lead to intense debates about “what is the right way” and “what needs to be done” to address these imperatives. This course emphasizes how to manage change through the lens of communication. The pace of environmental degradation forces the participation of citizens in environmental decision-making. Every citizen must acquire the ability to understand environmental issues, perceive the causes of problems and evaluate possible solutions as well as have participatory skills. This requires the development of a communication process between citizens, administration and experts. Environmental Communication is the process that can ensure the promotion of the most appropriate decisions and legislation for the protection of the environment and the promotion of health. The ability of citizens to influence with their actions the public structure to promote environmental health is emphasized throughout the course. The main purpose of the course is to provide learners with specific information and critical evaluation skills regarding environmental problems. These skills will enable them to participate in decision-making processes, thereby determining the quality of health and the environment in the coming decades.

Introduction to Epidemiology and Public Health for Communication Professionals

Rushing to establish the multifactorial nature of the health-disease model, the supremacy of the subject of public health was significantly extended to areas that directly or indirectly influence each other such as the environment, nutrition, physical exercise, social behavior, etc. Based on the aforementioned, one of the main responsibilities of public health is to identify and deal with critical and constantly changing environmental and social conditions through the formation of behaviors aimed at promoting health in a quality environment. The modern way of life created, among other things, new data in the science of epidemiology. In this specific course, a specialized and in-depth analysis is attempted in the light of environmental epidemiology where it seeks to clarify the relationships that physical, chemical and biological factors have with human health. Thus, the course offers in-depth knowledge in epidemiology as the basic science concerned with the study of the distribution of various diseases and/or characteristics in human populations as well as with the investigation of the causal factors that shape or can influence these distributions. Etiology research concerns both the numerous diseases of unknown etiology and the study of specific epidemics, as well as therapeutic medicine, since treatment is essentially the cause of a better prognosis. From observational studies to experimental studies, the goal is to determine the relationships between exposure (to biological agents, diet, etc.) and outcome (health status, disease, etc.). It is noted that the three important concepts that make up the epidemiological triangle are the following: agent, host and environment. Medical knowledge is revised and enriched at a rapid rate. The continuous updating of health professionals and responsible health officials and their critical consideration of the published findings is deemed imperative. Knowledge of general epidemiology is therefore essential, as more than half of the articles published in major international medical journals are based on epidemiological principles and methods. The course teaches the basic concepts, measures and study design required in epidemiology and public health in order for learners to acquire the skills that will enable them to process and reproduce scientific information correctly.

Education and Health Promotion from school to community

According to the World Health Organization, Health Promotion is defined as “the process of enabling individuals and communities of people to increase control over the factors that affect their health and thereby improve their health”.

Many of the factors that contribute, in a continuous interaction, and make people healthy or sick – such as income, social status, geographic area where they live, education level, culture, political system – are partially/insufficiently , and/or outside the scope of health promotion. Health promotion practices require a shift in emphasis from messages focused on disease prevention to a more ecological and holistic approach, taking into account the social, environmental and cultural contexts in which human populations live, work and perpetuate themselves (cities, families, spaces work, leisure and communities). An environment can be defined as a place or social context in which people engage in everyday activities, in which environmental, organizational and personal factors interact with health and well-being. The right regulations can provide an opportunity to promote health and well-being, but conversely the absence of regulations can limit it. An integral element for the promotion of health is the policy of actions from preschool age and then the health education that a child receives through his education at school with the aim of forming correct attitudes and behaviors in order for adulthood and integration into the community to occur through of optimal conditions. In this course we focus on analyzing settings, which may include the family/household, educational settings, workplaces, recreation, prisons, hospitals and communities. The course aims to understand the different theories that govern the relationships of their daily living in the environment they interact with. At the same time, the trainees are asked to understand and subsequently be able to apply those strategies that will ensure health promotion (Ottawa Charter, 1986) through the development of personal skills, creation of a supportive environment, in health education being the forerunner of health promotion based in the participation of local communities with the ultimate aim of exerting the right pressures for the drawing up of new policies in matters of public health and the reorientation of health services.

Communication Policy in Crisis Management

It is a given that humanity will often be faced with the risk of possible crises and survival is based on existing knowledge and proven experience at all levels of their management both at local, national, European and global level. Political communication is about the creation and exchange of ideas and opinions between citizens, public officials, political institutions and related entities such as the media and how information can be used for political gain or to achieve political goals. This course is intended to bridge science with policy making for functioning communities in crises. First, it introduces the field of health, nutrition and environmental crisis management. Subsequently, it promotes the understanding of the scientific issues related to crisis management and specifically to civil protection operations in cases of risk and disasters, as well as adaptation to climate change. The relationship between the three processes of political communication is studied: production (how messages are developed and transmitted), content (what is contained in each message), and effect (how messages are received and interpreted). potential inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary synergies and needs are quickly recognized. Gaps in understanding and effective intervention in managing health, nutrition and environmental crises are highlighted. The scope includes understanding risk, disasters, communicating risk and formulating a code of communication with all involved.

Finally, the important stages of the crisis management cycle are presented which are prevention, risk reduction, preparedness, reaction and recovery in order to strengthen our resilience.

Project Management Communication Plan & Securing Funding 

One of the most important elements with a catalytic role for the success of a project is effective communication. Effective communication is synonymous with more efficient management of a project, but difficulties are often encountered in its implementation due to various factors such as the nature of the project, the structure of the organization, etc. In recent years, the field of project management and ensuring their funding in public health services has been the subject of intense reflection in every society for various reasons. First, advances in medicine and the discovery of new forms of treatment and Health Care interventions have increased the supply of Health services. Second, the lengthening of life expectancy and the aging of the population has explosively increased the demand for Health services. Thirdly, the proliferation of social problems has created budgetary dilemmas in the allocation of resources between the Health sector and the rest of the social sectors. Fourth, the growing demand of citizens for effective coverage of Health needs through the provision of high-quality services has a significant impact on social policy. Fifth, many countries have received large numbers of migrants seeking medical care from the existing health service structure and sixth, the global economic crisis is disproportionately putting pressure on the ability to provide quality health services with reduced funds for benefits. The intense reflection has raised interest in the study and review of the various management and financial issues of the Health sector. The course highlights where and how communication takes place within a project, the steps required for effective communication, the main barriers to communication, how barriers can be overcome, the importance of communication strategies in various work groups , the process of effective communication according to the case study. Health systems could make better use of resources, either through better procurement practices, wider use of generic products, better incentives for providers, or improved funding and simpler administrative procedures. Developing an effective communication plan is explained in terms of steps on how to identify communication requirements: What, Why, Who, Where, When and How. By anticipating possible failures as well as successes, unwanted surprises are avoided. The aim of the course is to instill in the trainees the basic principles of implementing an effective management of a project and securing its funding through a successful communication plan in the field of Health Promotion.

Health and environmental communication strategies

Through the lens of the communicative approach, the critical interdependence of human health and well-being in relation to the quality of the environment is explored and analyzed. The course structure combines a general ecological concern with specific elements related to personal and community health. The interdependence of environment and health prompts learners to realize how today’s environmental issues determine the quality of our daily lives. This course presents the framework of a strategic approach aimed at effective communication about the advocacy and promotion of environmental health. This strategic approach is presented as a framework of principles for effective practice that applies to a wide range of communication functions so that learners are able to put into practice a design that is understandable, valid and reliable. This framework, based on the basic principles of strategic communication of the World Health Organization -WHO, is applicable to the following categories – groups:

People who make health care decisions at the family level (preventive examinations at a health care provider, daily healthy living, preventive methods to avoid infectious diseases during travel, etc.)

Health care providers who make decisions about screening, diagnosis, treatment, recommendations to patients (recommended vaccinations, counseling of vulnerable groups, etc.)

Policymakers at national and international level (investment in training of public health specialists, creation of emergency centers, funding of health promotion programs, etc.)

Municipalities and communities that make decisions about public spaces and related activities and services that take place there (cleaning of public spaces, creation of specially designed walking and exercise areas within residential areas, etc.)

International organizations and stakeholders who make decisions regarding the financing and implementation of health programs (providing assistance to countries with inadequate health systems through strengthening financing programs to reduce chronic diseases, providing support for health promotion research programs, etc.)

Health professionals who make decisions about programmes, coordination, resources and partnerships at national and international levels.

The framework is organized according to the 6 principles of ensuring the correct communication approach according to WHO where they should be at the core of the respective activities: 1.Accessibility, 2.Activity, 3.Reliability, 4.Relevance, 5.Timeliness, 6 .Comprehensibility.

The purpose of the strategic framework is for environmental health decision makers and their respective target audiences to educate and adapt in parallel. For this reason, the ability of citizens – in this case the public, to influence the public structure with their actions is emphasized throughout the course. The main purpose of the course is to provide learners with specific information and critical evaluation skills regarding environmental problems. These skills will enable them to participate in decision-making processes, thereby determining the quality of health and the environment in the coming decades.

Behavior Change Communication: Individuals and Communities

The course starts with the idea that behavior change processes require a thorough insight into people’s everyday communication strategies. Questions like: “how are people affected by the quality of the environment?”, “can people be affected without knowing it?”. The processes underlying persuasion and influence will be studied primarily from the perspective of communication sciences and related fields. The course first delineates the subject of communication skills in the light of the ecological model and is particularly concerned with the analysis of psychological factors in the implementation of communication practices, ranging from public discussions about healthy food and climate change to online discussions about new (bio)technologies. The focus is on the various ways in which people influence each other as part of their daily routines, and how practitioners can learn from these methods. It examines how credibility is assessed in negotiations and discussions. It studies how people manage the rights and responsibilities of knowledge in conversation: what causes people to be seen as more or less knowledgeable? Specificity can be a contested issue, as in public debates about vaccination or climate change. It examines when and how scientific knowledge is used to support or challenge an argument and for what purposes experiential knowledge is presented. Finally, the course focuses on various ways in which we can use in practice the interaction-analytic approach with the ultimate goal of making the learners able to participate actively both individually and in groups in making decisions that determine the quality of health and the environment through an effective communication prism.

Health Communication and Mass Media

Today more than ever, health is one of the main topics covered by the Mass Media. Good health is a primary concern for all of us, and maintaining it involves many and varied aspects, including financial data. Thus, the public finds itself immersed in a veritable sea of health-related news from many different sources, often without the means to discern what is truly useful or important, or to understand the real meaning of the messages, or even to appreciate their accuracy. Many demographic surveys have identified the Mass Media as the primary source of public health information. The impact on the coverage of citizens’ knowledge, perceptions and behaviors can be analyzed from two perspectives: the great power of the mass media in disseminating information by shaping public opinion but also the possibility of being misinformed by inaccurate or unreliable information. These results are due not only to potential information overload but also to poor quality of information in terms of correctness, reliability, comprehensibility, usefulness, balance and independence, which often cannot be properly assessed by the public due to limited health literacy. Mass media campaigns are widely used to expose high percentages of large populations to messages through common uses of existing media such as television, radio, and newspapers. Therefore, exposure to such messages is generally passive. Such campaigns often compete with factors such as widespread product marketing, strong social norms, and behaviors driven by addiction or habit. In times of crises or emergencies, the mass media may create a “communication storm”, which focuses attention on a single health problem, such as AIDS, SARS, avian influenza, etc. Understanding how mass media work is a prerequisite for achieving cooperation between those who control access to media time and space to improve coverage of health issues about which the public needs and often wants to be informed. In this course, results of mass media campaigns are presented in the context of various health risk behaviors (e.g., smoking, alcohol, drugs, heart disease risk factors, gender-related behaviors, road safety, cancer control and prevention, child survival and organ or blood donation). Mass media campaigns can bring about positive changes or prevent negative changes in the health-related behaviors of the population. At the same time, the contribution of the aforementioned results is evaluated as well as the simultaneous availability of the required services and products, the availability of community programs and policies that support behavior change.

Technology and Digital Design in health communication

Digital design in health communication examines the strategic use of digital technologies for communication professionals. This course addresses how to use the Internet and social media to reach diverse citizens and how to integrate digital with traditional communication campaigns. Courses include effective internet planning and strategy, public relations in the digital age, use of digital and social media, and digital strategy planning. Digital communication tools are an important part of the modern communication space. Learners will examine how social media is used in healthcare and why its effective use has become a prerequisite for many healthcare professionals. They will gain the required knowledge of the value and importance of traditional, social and emerging digital media practice in the field of health communication. At the same time they will be able to design communication strategies and methods that use digital and visual information to influence the public or affect change on health-related topics and issues as well as analyze, synthesize, interpret and present health and scientific information for public consumption using clear and concise messages. The ultimate goal is to understand how learners will manage to communicate through digital design a message on social media, isotopes, mobile apps, video, in order to achieve a well-designed health promotion campaign through technology.

Home-therapy: From Theory to Practice

According to research, spending too much time indoors and not taking regular nature trips can have negative effects on health and well-being. Ecotherapy, also known as physiotherapy or green therapy, is the applied practice of the emerging field of ecopsychology, developed by Theodore Roszak. In recent decades there has been a growing interest in the healing potential of nature and interest in the possibilities of “green interventions” for the benefit of mental health. Ecotherapy, in many cases, stems from the belief that humans are part of the fabric of life and that our souls are not isolated or separate from our environment. Ecopsychology provides individuals with an opportunity to explore their relationship with nature – an area that may be overlooked in many other types of psychotherapy. While some professionals teach and practice ecopsychology exclusively, other mental health professionals incorporate aspects of ecotherapy into their existing practices. Since ecotherapy is an umbrella term for nature-based approaches to treatment, the types of interventions used are many. Some activities are performed under the guidance of a therapist while others are performed individually. Some interventions are done in groups, while others require a one-on-one setting. Additionally, while some ecotherapy sessions take place within the confines of an office, an effort is often made to conduct sessions in natural settings whenever possible. Some of the most common ecotherapy activities are: Meditation in nature, Healing cultivation, Therapy with animals, Physical exercise in nature, Participating in activities to restore or preserve the natural environment. The course will provide learners with evidence-based approaches to transforming the human relationship with nature in the service of healing and well-being. These deep approaches include practical interventions and guidelines for doing healing work in outdoor indoor spaces that can be applied on an individual as well as a societal level. Ecopsychology and ecotherapy are still relatively emerging fields.

Note: Various institutions offer short courses in ecopsychology, ranging from a few months to a year. For example, Naropa University and Antioch University offer courses in ecopsychology as part of their curriculum. JFK University in San Francisco also offers an annual ecotherapy certification program.

Intercultural Communication in the field of environmental health

In today’s increasingly globalized society, citizens are challenged to respond to the complexity of communication in different cultural and geographical environments.

The ideas people have about health, the languages they use, their health literacy skills and their health communication environments reflect their culture. Effective communication can be enhanced when cultural differences that can contribute positively to it are recognized and bridged. Culture is a way of thinking and living, a set of attitudes, values, norms and beliefs that are taught and reinforced by other group members. This set of basic assumptions and solutions to the world’s problems is a shared system passed down from generation to generation to ensure survival. A culture consists of unwritten and written principles and laws that guide how a person interacts with the outside world. Members of a culture can be identified by the fact that they have some similarity. They may be united by religion, geography, race or ethnicity. As part of a cultural group, people learn rules of communication, such as who communicates with whom, when and where something can be communicated as well as what to communicate. Members of a cultural group also learn one or more languages that facilitate communication within the group. Intercultural communication refers to communication between people who have differences in any of the following: forms of work, age, nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc., that is, how people belonging to different cultures communicate with each other.

Intercultural communication creates a feeling of trust and enables cooperation.

Sometimes, however, language can get in the way of successful communication. When people and organizations try to use their terminology, in other contexts and with people outside the group, communication often fails and creates misunderstandings and barriers to understanding a situation. When two people of different cultures meet each other, not only do they have different cultural backgrounds, but their speech systems are also different. For example, doctors, epidemiologists and other public health and health care workers belong to professional cultures with their own languages, which are often not the everyday language of most people. When these professionals want to share information, their terminology can have an even greater impact when limited education and cultural differences are part of the communication exchange with patients and other health care workers. On a larger scale, a strong current phenomenon that is consistent with this theme also includes groups of populations that migrate voluntarily or are forced by vulnerable situations, such as poverty, or are displaced due to conflict or natural disaster, migration which entails, among other things, significant adjustments. During migration, people have to redefine personal, interpersonal, socio-economic, cultural and geographical boundaries. This entails a redefinition of individual, family, group and collective identity, roles and value systems and can be a source of stress for the individual, the family and the communities involved.

The aim of the course is to introduce the fundamental principles and issues of intercultural communication from an interdisciplinary perspective as well as to develop an understanding and appreciation of different cultural perspectives and values.