Module: Health Communication

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Health Communication
Module Code	MCO1073 (ITS: CMxxx)
Faculty	Communications	School	Humanities & Social Sciences
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	5

Description

This module introduces students to core principles, practices, and theories related to the public communication of health and medicine. It draws on concepts from the fields of health communication, health promotion, and science communication to examine how organisations engage in public communication with diverse audiences in their efforts to increase awareness, change behaviour, shape media coverage, and influence policy related to health and healthcare. The module applies a range of theoretical perspectives to analyse the communication work of various organisation and institutions, including governments, medical institutions, patient groups, news outlets, international organisations (such as the WHO), and national and international advocacy organisations. The module will contain a significant focus on the communication of public health issues, the communication of health-related risks, and the role of health communication in the Global South. The 10-credit module will cover topics including communication about infectious diseases, diet and exercise, health screenings, food safety, as well as examining communication in the context of health literacy, health inequalities, economic development, and the political economy of health and healthcare. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the module’s ideas by writing an essay, assessing a health communication campaign, and designing an original health communication campaign.

Learning Outcomes

1. justify the central importance of communication in enhancing public health
2. identify the main theoretical perspectives that underpin health communication
3. distinguish different audiences for health communication
4. assess the different approaches to communication that have the potential to engage different audiences
5. evaluate the effectiveness of various health communication campaigns
6. design a health communication campaign that synthesises and applies core health communication concepts

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	22	No Description
Independent Study	66	No Description
Assignment Completion	162	No Description
Total Workload: 250

Section Breakdown
CRN	11882	Part of Term	Semester 1
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Declan Fahy	Module Teacher	Orla Burke

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Essay	Student must write a 1,200-word essay that explicates in detail one theoretical perspective on health communication.	15%	Week 5
Assignment	Each student must analyse a communication campaign undertaken by an organisation or institution around some aspect of health communication	35%	Week 8
Group project	Students will work in groups of three to design a health communication campaign	50%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Health Communication: Definitions and Theoretical Perspectives

The Political Economy of Health and Healthcare

Health Promotion and Behaviour Change

Health Communication and Economic Development

Journalistic Coverage of Health and Medicine

Risk Communication: Health and Medicine

Communicating Infectious Diseases

Communicating Diet and Exercise

Communicating Food Safety

Communicating Health Policy

Communicating Health Controversies

Global Public Health and Communication

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Teresa L. Thompson and Nancy Grant Harrington: 2022, The Routledge Handbook of Health Communication, Routledge, New York,
Dianne Berry: 2007, Health Communication Theory and Practice, Open University Press, Maidenhead,
Rafael Obregon and Silvio Waisbord: 2012, The Handbook of Global Health Communication, Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester,
Timothy Caulfied: 2012, The Cure for Everything: Untangling the Twisted Messages About Health, Fitness, and Happiness, Beacon Press, Boston,

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None