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COM 495C Special Topics: Health Communication Spring 2006

Professor: Mike Peters, Ph.D. Office: CMU 223
e-mail: mspeters@u.washington.edu Office Hours: 2:30-4:30 Mon
Phone: (206) 685-3816 and by appt.
Meetings: 11:30 - 1:20 T/Th Room: CMU 326
Website: http://courses.washington.edu/gumption/com495index.htm

Course Description

This course is a survey of topics in health communication, a subject that traditionally covers three separate domains of research and practice. The first domain concerns individual and relational identity and functioning in the context of illness and disability. Topics here will include models of well-being and adjustment, and interpersonal communication processes. The second domain of research and practice concerns physician-patient interaction. Topics relevant to this domain will include source, message and receiver factors that are believed to affect prescription compliance, health literacy and communication effectiveness and satisfaction. The third major domain concerns behavior interventions and mass media campaigns that are designed to encourage prevention and wellness behaviors. Typical subjects in this domain include attitude and behavior change theory, and message and receiver characteristics that are believed to affect message salience, message processing and message outcome.

This class involves a substantial amount of reading. Students are expected to complete assigned readings on time. Class discussions will address the interplay between theory and application. In addition, students will be encouraged to explore their own assumptions and perceptions concerning health, illness and disability. Such reflection is central to an informed understanding of health challenges. Simply stated, health challenges cannot wholly be comprehended through an objective lens. Instead, students must also explore subjectively the substance of these types of challenges.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students should:

~have a working knowledge of selected theories of health communication
~have the ability to critically analyze health communication theories/methods
~be able to analyze and understand the workings of health messages from the theoretical perspectives covered in class
~be able to frame questions about health communication phenomena
~be able to locate and make appropriate use of communication research

Course Prerequisites

There are no departmental prerequisites for COM 495. Department policy allows the instructor to drop from the course any student who does not attend the first two days of class.

Required Readings

We will not be using a textbook for this course. Course readings are available on the UW Library e-reserves and on the course webpage.

‡ Additional readings may be assigned during the quarter and will be made electronically available.

Course Requirements

Class Meetings . The major requirement for this course is that the student read the assigned material and come to each class period prepared to contemplate and contribute. Students will be held responsible for the material covered in assigned readings, course lectures, and discussions. It is hoped that the student generates an interest in the substance of this class that accompanies him or her both in and outside the classroom.

Required Assignments and Grading . Your final course grade will be based on your performance on your written work and your examinations. The weighting for each grade component will be as follows:

(500 points total)

Exam 1 150 points (30% of total course grade)
Exam 2 150 points (30% of total course grade)
Volunteer Activity Paper 100 points (20% of total course grade)
Book Review 1 50 points (10% of total course grade)
Book Review 2 50 points (10% of total course grade)

Grading Scale .

475+ 4.0 420 2.9 365 1.8
470 3.9 415 2.8 360 1.7
465 3.8 410 2.7 355 1.6
460 3.7 405 2.6 350 1.5
455 3.6 400 2.5 345 1.4
450 3.5 395 2.4 340 1.3
445 3.4 390 2.3 335 1.2
440 3.3 385 2.2 330 1.1
435 3.2 380 2.1 325 1.0
430 3.1 375 2.0 320 0.9
425 3.0 370 1.9 315 0.8

Equivalent to a 0.7, 310 points is the lowest possible passing score. Any score below 310 will be reported as a 0.0.

All exams and the paper assignment must be completed if you are to receive a passing grade for this course (of course, this does not guarantee a passing grade). Satisfactory completion of every assignment will constitute grounds for a final course grade of 2.0. If it is your hope to earn a higher grade, you must demonstrate higher proficiency with the theoretical material, display an ability to apply said material appropriately and with sophistication, offer clear and well-argued written work, and actively participate in class discussions.

Exams . The schedule of exams is located on the course calendar. There will be two examinations in this course. These examinations will require you to know the reading material as well as the lecture and discussion materials. In addition, you may be asked questions that require you to apply what you have learned to various situations or problems. The format of the exams will likely include some combination of multiple-choice and short-answer questions.

All students are required to take the exam on the scheduled day and at the scheduled time. No exceptions will be granted without proof of extreme emergency in which case alternative arrangements may be made.

Volunteer Activity Paper . The paper assignment is designed to provide an opportunity for students to work closely with health care providers in a professional setting. To complete this paper, students must volunteer at least 15 hours at a nursing home, senior citizens' center, hospital, women's shelter, homeless shelter, a planned parenthood clinic, or other nonprofit health services agencies or human services centers. Recreational activities for charitable causes (e.g., running in a 5K race for charity) do not count as human services for the purpose of this assignment. In writing this paper, students will document their experiences, apply class-related concepts, and reflect on their volunteer experiences. Further details concerning this assignment will be distributed in class.

Book Reviews. Students will be asked to complete two book reviews. Students will select their books from a list of books provided by the instructor (see last page of this syllabus). With permission of the instructor, students may substitute one book review with a review of five peer-reviewed research articles on a relevant topic of particular interest. Further details concerning this assignment will be distributed in class.

Course Policies

Late assignments/make-up exams . For written work submitted late, the highest score possible will be reduced to 75% for the twenty-four hour period following the time when it is due, and reduced to 50% for the second 24-hour period. Past 48 hours, no late work will be accepted.

If you know in advance that you will be absent from class, it is your responsibility to notify the instructor and turn in the assignment or take the exam EARLY. If (and only if) you have a documented personal or family emergency, * you may negotiate with your instructor for a time to turn in your assignment. If you know that you will be absent on an exam day because of an emergency, * you must make a good-faith effort to inform the instructor at least ONE WEEK ahead of time so that you can take the exam EARLY. (In order to maintain test security, the instructor reserves the right to alter the format of the exam and/or the exam questions.)

* Computer trouble, having a paper or exam due in another course, forgetting that the assignment is due, not having access to a computer, having minor car trouble, and being out of town on business/vacation are not considered emergencies.

Absent documentation of a family or personal emergency, there will be NO late or early exams given.

Professionalism. College course work provides an opportunity for students to acquire and develop many skills that are necessary in business and professional settings. As such, work produced for college courses should be polished. Unless otherwise noted, all written assignments turned in for a grade must be typed, double-spaced, stapled, and must conform to standard rules of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Assignments that seriously depart from these rules or the required format described in the assignment will be returned un-graded and counted as a zero.

Academic Integrity

According to the University of Washington's Student Conduct Code (WAC 478 120 020 [2]), integrity is expected of every student in all academic work. The guiding principle of academic integrity is that a student's submitted work must be the student's own (see UW's statement entitled, Academic Honesty: Cheating and Plagiarism) . Unless otherwise noted by the instructor, each student must conduct work for all assignments in this course independently. Papers submitted to other courses are NOT considered acceptable submissions in this course. Papers submitted to this same course in a prior semester are NOT considered acceptable submissions in this course. Exams must be taken without the aid of other students and without notes. Students do not have permission to examine copies of the current or previous exams before the examination except as explicitly provided by the instructor. Students may not retain copies of exams after they are given. Misappropriation of exams before or after they are given will be considered academic misconduct. Students in this class can neither give nor receive unauthorized assistance on exams, written, or other assignments. Any misrepresentation of information relevant to work on exams, papers or other assignments also will be considered academic misconduct. If it is discovered that a tutor affiliated with the University of Washington has researched or authored, in whole or in part, a class member's work, both the class member and the tutor will be referred to the Dean for penalties. Academic misconduct of any kind will result in referral of the student to the Dean for consideration of appropriate penalty.

Grievance Procedure

If you have concerns about the course or your instructor, please see the instructor about these concerns as soon as possible. If you are not comfortable talking with the instructor or you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you may contact the Communication Department Chair, Dr. Jerry Baldasty, 102B CMU, (206) 543-2662, or the Dean. For your reference, these procedures are posted on the bulletin boards outside the department advising offices, 118 CMU and in the Main Office, 102 CMU.

 
Reasonable Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations, including materials given in an alternative format, will be made available for individuals with disabilities and in accordance with University policy. To request academic accommodations, please contact Disabled Student Services, 448 Schmitz Hall, (206) 543-8924 (V/TTY).

Course Schedule, Spring 2006 *

*The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this schedule and reading list if deemed necessary.

Hockenberry, J. (1996). Moving violations: War zones, wheelchairs, and declarations of independence (pp. 87-102). New York: Hyperion.

Shapiro, J. P. (1993). No pity: People with disabilities forging a new civil rights movement (pp. 12-40). New York: Three Rivers Press.

Longmore, P. K. (2003). Why I burned my book and other essays on disability (Chapter 11). Philadelphia: Temple Press.

Linton, S. (1998). Claiming knowledge and identity (Chapter 2). New York: New York University Press.

Albrecht, G. L., & Devlieger, P. J. (1999). The disability paradox: High quality of life against all odds. Social Science & Medicine, 48 , 977-988.

Bury, M. (1982). Chronic illness as biographical disruption. Sociology of Health and Illness, 4, 167-182.

Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. M. (1988). Understanding what it means to be chronically ill. In A.

Strauss & J. M. Corbin, Shaping a new health care system (pp. 46-58). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.

Charmaz, K. (1983). Loss of self: A fundamental form of suffering in the chronically ill. Sociology of Health and Illness, 5 , 168-197.

Murphy, R. (1987/1995). Encounters: The body silent in America. In B. Ingstad & S. R. Whyte (Eds.), Disability and culture (pp. 140-158). Berkeley: University of California Press.

Kleinman, A., & Seeman, D. (2000). Personal experience of illness. In G. L. Albrecht, R.

Fitzpatrick, & S. C. Scrimshaw (Eds.), Handbook of social studies in health and medicine (pp. 230-242). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Dues, M. T., Peters, M. S., & Brown, M. L. (1999). Critical communication contexts following trauma. Psychiatric Times, 16 , 48-52.

Lyons, R. F., & Meade, D. (1995). Painting a new face on relationships: Relationship remodeling in response to chronic illness. In S. Duck & J. T. Wood (Eds.), Confronting relationship challenges (pp. 181-210). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Pistrang, N., & Barker, C. (1995). The partner relationship in psychological response to breast cancer. Social Science and Medicine, 40 , 789-797.

Crowell, T. L., & Emmers-Sommer, T. M. (2001). “If I knew then what I know now:” Seropositive individuals' perceptions of partner trust, safety and risk prior to HIV infection. Communication Studies, 52 , 302-323.

Powell, H. L., & Segrin, C. (2004). The effect of family and peer communication on college students' communication with dating partners about HIV and AIDS. Health Communication, 16, 427-449.

Peters, M. S. (2006). Message design logic, comforting and regulative communication in a chronic illness context: Introducing a message elicitation task and adapted coding scheme. Manuscript under review with Human Communication Research .

Brown, J. B., Stewart, M., Ryan, B. L. (2003). Outcomes of patient-provider interaction. In T. L. Thompson, A. M. Dorsey, K. I. Miller, & R. Parrott (Eds.), Handbook of health communication (pp. 141-161). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associaties.

Lambert, B. L., Street, R. L., Cegala, D. J., Smith, D. H., Kurtz, S., & Schofield, T. (1997). Provider-patient communication, patient-centered care, and the mangle of practice. Health Communication , 9 , 27-43.

Hirschmann, K. (1999). Blood, vomit, and communication: The days and nights of an intern on call. Health Communication, 11 , 35-57.

Bernhardt, J. M., Brownfield, E. D., & Parker, R. M. (2005). Understanding health literacy. In J. G. Schwartzberg, J. B. VanGeest, & C. C. Wang (Eds.), Understanding health literacy: Implications for medicine and public health (pp. 3-16). US: AMA Press.

Kaphingst, K. A., Rudd, R. E., DeJong, W., & Daltroy, L. H. (2004). Literacy demands of product information intended to supplement television direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertisements. Patient Education and Counseling, 55 , 293-300.

Adams S, Pill R, Jones A. (1997). Medication, chronic illness and identity: The perspectives of people with asthma. Social Science & Medicine, 45 , 189-201.

Conrad, P. (1994). The meaning of medications: Another look at compliance. In P. Conrad & R. Kern (Eds.), The sociology of health and illness: Critical perspectives (pp. 149-161). New York: St. Martin's Press.

Backett, K. C., & Davison, C. (1995). Lifecourse and lifestyle: The social and cultural location of health behaviours. Social Science & Medicine, 40 , 629-638.

Lupton, D., McCarthy, S., & Chapman, S. (1995). ‘Doing the right thing:' The symbolic meanings and experiences of having an HIV antibody test. Social Science & Medicine, 41 , 173-180.

Bruckner, H., & Bearman, P. (2005). After the promise: STD consequences of adolescent virginity pledges. Journal of Adolescent Health, 36 , 271-278.

Reardon, K. K., Sussman, S., Flay, B. R. (1989). Are we marketing the right message: Can kids “Just Say ‘No'” to smoking? Communication Monographs, 56 , 307-324.

Donohew, L., Zimmerman, R., Cupp, P. S., Novak, S., Colon, S., & Abell, R. (2000). Sensation seeking, impulsive decision-making, and risky sex: Implications for risk-taking and design of interventions. Personality and Individual Differences , 28 , 1079-1091.

Montano, D.E., & Kasprzyk, D. (2002). The theory of reasoned action and the theory of planned behavior. In K. Glanz, B. K. Rimer, & F. M. Lewis (Eds.), Health behavior and health education (pp. 67-98). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Janz, N.K., Champion, V.L., & Strecher, V.J. (2002). The health belief model. In K. Glanz, B. K. Rimer, & F. M. Lewis (Eds.), Health behavior and health education (pp. 45-66). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

 Reid, L.D., & Christensen, D. B. (1988). Psychosocial perspective in the explanation of patients drug taking behavior. Social Science & Medicine, 27, 277-285.

Abraham, C, Clift, S., & Grabowski, P. (1999). Cognitive predictors of adherence to malaria prophylaxis regimens on return from a malarious region: A prospective study. Social Science & Medicine, 48 , 1641-1654.

Prochaska, J.O., Redding, C.A., & Evers, K. (2002). The transtheoretical model and stages of change. In K. Glanz, B. K. Rimer, & F. M. Lewis (Eds.), Health behavior and health education (pp. 99-120). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Ruggiero, L., Tsoh, J. Y., Everett, K., Fava, J. L., & Guise, B. J. (2000). The transtheoretical model of smoking: Comparison of pregnant and nonpregnant smokers. Addictive Behaviors, 25 , 239-251.

Book Options for Book Review #1 and Book Review #2 Assignments
(additional titles may be approved by instructor)

Abraham, L. K. (1993). Mama might be better off dead: The failure of health care in urban America. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Adelman, M. B., & Frey, L. R. (1997). The fragile community: Living together with AIDS . Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Balshem, M. (1993). Cancer in the community: Class and medical authority . Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.

Brown, C. (1990). My left foot. Mandarin Paperbacks.

Charmaz, K. (1991). Good days, bad days: The self in chronic illness and time . New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

Clare, E. (1999). Exile and pride: Disability, queerness, and liberation . Cambridge, MA: South End Press.

Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (1988). Unending work and care: Managing chronic illness at home . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Fadiman, A. (1997). The spirit catches you and you fall down: A Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Farmer, P. (2003). Pathologies of Power: Health, human rights, and the new war on the poor. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Fries, K. (1997). Body, remember: A memoir . New York: E P Dutton.

Fries, K. (1997). Staring back: The disability experience from the inside out . New York: Plume Books.

Gottman, E. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity . New York: Simon & Schuster.

Gunther, J. (1949/1998). Death be not proud . New York: HaperCollins.

Kidder, T. (2004). Mountains beyond mountains: The quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a man who would cure the world. NY: Random House.

Longmore, P. K. (2003). Why I burned my book and other essays on disability . Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

Lyons, R. F., Sullivan, M. J. L., Ritvo, P. G., & Coyne, J. C. (1995). Relationships in chronic illness and disability . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Mairs, N. (1996). Waist-high in the world: A life among the nondisabled . Boston: Beacon Press.

Moore, J. (2005). Fat girl: A true story . NJ: Hudson Street Press.

Murphy, R. F. (1990). The body silent: The different world of the disabled. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

O'Brien, R., & Smith, R. M. (2004). Voices from the edge: Narratives about the Americans with Disabilities Act . Oxford University Press.

Shapiro, J. P. (1993). No pity: People with disabilities forging a new civil rights movement. New York: Three Rivers Press.

Stewart, J. (1993). The body's memory . NY: St. Martin's Press.

Trent, J. (1995). Inventing the feeble mind: A history of mental retardation in the United States. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

Zola, I. K. (1983). Missing Pieces: A chronicle of living with a disability. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.