Talking about Health (eBook)

Roxanne Parrott is Distinguished Professor at Pennsylvania State University, holding joint appointments in the Communication Arts & Sciences and the Health Policy & Administration departments. She is also a faculty member in the College of Medicine, for the Homeland Security Program.

Preface.

1. Why Communicating about Health Matters.

It Answers the Question, "Who Am I?"

It Answers the Question, "Who's Responsible?"

It Opens the Gate for "Resources"

It Promotes (Mis)Understanding

It Guides Effort, Emotion, and Excuse

Summing It Up ...

2. How "Normal" Am I?

Compared to the Numbers

Compared to the Stories

When It Comes to Poor Health

When Choosing Alternative Treatments

When We Don't Want to Know

Summing It Up ...

3. What Are My "Risk" Factors?

Our Response to Reward Cues

Our Response to Punishment Cues

How We View Novelty

When We Procrastinate

What God Has to Do with It

Summing It Up ...

4. Why Don't We Get "Care"?

Our Doctors Didn't Recommend It

Family or Friends Don't Support It

We Use Support Networks

We're Managing Impressions

We're too Optimistic or Fatalistic

Summing It Up ...

5. Is the "Public Good" Good for Me?

When We Have to "Tell"

When Our Freedoms Are Limited

When Safety Clashes with (E)Quality

What Nonprofits Have to Do with It

Why Public Health Matters

Summing It Up ...

6. Who Profits from My Health?

Pharma-, Cosme-, and Nutri-ceuticals

The News, It Is an Industry

The Entertainment Industry

Band-Aids, Crutches and More - Oh My!

Who Benefits from Our Health Illiteracy?

Summing It Up ...

7. What's Politics Got to Do with It?

Medical Research and Disparities

Political Agenda-setting and Priorities

Religious Agendas and Priorities

Medical Associations and Lobbyists

Patient Advocacy

Summing It Up ...

8. An Agenda for the Twenty-first Century: Increase Informed
Choice and Consent, or "If I Ran the Circus ..."

Make "Personalized Medicine" Personal

Be Timely in the Telling

Fill in the Blanks

Track Your Health Report (... and Your Credit Report,
Too)

Stay Out of "The Big Muddy"

Summing It Up ...

A Final Thought

References.

Index.

"The book is an engaging, informative read that packages health
communication issues in a unique and usable way. Personal,
informative, comprehensive, and integrated." (Taylor Francis
Online, 19 January 2011)



"This book has the added bonus of educating people about
palliative care, including how to develop an advanced directive,
the way to maintain a "health report," and how to manage one's
health profile. It offers multiple references for each chapter that
would be helpful to readers wanting more detailed information.
Additionally, it could also assist health care professionals who
want to increase their communication skills." (CHOICE,
December 2009)"Parrot melds her expertise in communications and
health policy and administration ... .Accessible and full of
Parrot family anecdotes." (The Penn Stater, January
2010)

"Roxanne Parrott's thoughtful treatment of 'why
communication matters' identifies challenges and opportunities in
'talking about health' during this time of increasing consumer
engagement and responsibility in health and health care."
(PsycCRITIQUES, November 2009)

"Roxanne Parrot has successfully combined her expertise as the most
respected health communication scholar and teacher in the
discipline with her ongoing roles as daughter, mother, sister and
grandmother to produce this extraordinary book placing competent
communication at the heart of our health care challenges.
Talking about Health is an enjoyable, must read for all of
us as we cope with our health challenges and attempt to make wise
health decisions across the life span." Jon F. Nussbaum, Penn
State University

"This book can make a difference in people's lives. I
value and applaud Dr. Parrott's use of her knowledge,
experience, and insight to write a book that empowers people to
take charge of their health through communication. This book is
timely and necessary--a smart book that makes the reader
smarter." Professor Maureen Keeley, Texas State
University