Health communication is the study and practice of communicating promotional health information, such as in public health campaigns, health education, and between doctor and patient.[1] The purpose of disseminating health information is to influence personal health choices by improving health literacy.
Because effective health communication must be tailored for the audience and the situation,[2] research into health communication seeks to refine communication strategies to inform people about ways to enhance health or to avoid specific health risks.[3] Academically, health communication is a discipline within communication studies.[1]
Health communication may variously seek to: