Cornell University

The Communication Ph.D. program at Cornell has a substantial emphasis on health communication. While our department does not offer a formal track, certificate or degree program in health communication (or any other sub-field), health communication is one of our department’s graduate research focus areas. Cornell faculty and students interested in health communication study the role of communication research, theory, design and practice in health promotion, health policy and health care. Topics of inquiry include media campaigns to promote healthy behavior, provider-patient interaction, social support networks, public communication about science related to health, public meetings about community health risks, technology and health, health policy, public policy and producer provided health communications, and message design for health promotion. Specific projects have focused on communication related to cancer, smoking, diet and nutrition, food safety, social determinants of health, increasing enrollment for clinical trials, and priority populations like children, adolescents and low income adults.

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While far from exhaustive, here are a variety of health communication projects that members of our faculty have worked on in recent years:

A Theoretical Investigation of Direct-To-Consumer Advertising for Cholesterol Drugs. This project uses the content and effects of message strategies used to promote cholesterol-lowering drugs. Specifically, we have conducted a large-scale content analysis of pharmaceutical advertisements for cholesterol-lowering drugs to identify content that may impact intentions and behavior related to diet and exercise. We are also examining effects of exposure to these messages on health-related behaviors including doctor referrals, pharmaceutical drug use, diet and exercise. (Cornell communication faculty involved: Sahara Byrne, Jeff Niederdeppe).

Communication and Social Interaction in Online Support Forums. This project, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health e-Technologies Initiative, focused on developing measures to evaluate the health benefits of participation in online support forums such as chatrooms, electronic bulletin boards, and email distribution lists. Discourse analysis and other techniques were used to understand the impact of online support on the development of social relationships, participants’ knowledge of their illness, and attitudes toward treatment.

Electronically-Mediated Weight Interventions for Pregnant and Postpartum Women. This five-year project, funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, draws on social marketing concepts to identify the target audience's electronic media use patterns, interests, and motivations and develop web-based and social media technologies such as mobile devices and interactive to connect new mothers with peers to provide additional motivation for behavioral change. (PIs: Christine Olson and Diana Fernandez; other Cornell communication faculty involved: Geri Gay and Jeff Niederdeppe).

Explicit Sponsor Identification and The Cognitive Processing Of Smoking Cessation Ads. In this project, Cornell researchers have examined why some smoking cessation media messages appear to “boomerang,” or have effects opposite of those intended by message developers. (Cornell communication faculty involved: Sahara Byrne, Alan Mathios).

Improving Methods for Patient Accrual to Clinical Trials (IMPACT). This project was funded by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to address reasons for low rates of enrollment for clinical trials among leukemia and lymphoma patients. (Cornell communication faculty involved: Katherine McComas and Geri Gay).

Improving Public Reporting of Research on Cancer Causes and Prevention. This project examines effects of local news coverage about cancer on cancer-related cognitions and behavior. The researchers plan to use study findings to develop a short training module for both scientists and health journalists for developing press releases and reporting on emerging cancer causes in a way that does not confuse or mislead the public. (PI: Jeff Niederdeppe).

Large Scale Collaboration in Critical Environments. This NSF-funded project examines how information technologies and the physical architecture of operating room suites affect how well groups (nurses, anesthesiologists, surgeons, etc.) coordinate their work. 

Message Strategies to Increase Public and Policymaker Awareness of Health Determinants and Disparities. This three-year project, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is exploring the use of narratives and images in generating awareness of social, economic and environmental determinants of health among both members of the general public and elected officials. (PI: Jeff Niederdeppe; other Cornell communication faculty involved: Mike Shapiro).

Mindless Eating Challenge: Persuasive Mechanisms in Mobile Health Games. This project, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, uses a mobile phone-based game designed to encourage healthier eating habits.  The game is built to serve as a platform for studying mechanisms of mobile persuasion in the context of improving health and well-being. (PI: Geri Gay; other Cornell communication faculty involved: Sahara Byrne).

Mobile Phone-based Social Support for Cancer Patients. This grant, funded by the NIH Clinical and Translational Research Program, used mobile computing devices (e.g. cell phones) to create a platform for social networks between cancer patients going through treatment. (Cornell communication faculty involved: Geri Gay).

Using Narrative to Develop Effective Public Service Announcements for Safe Food Preparation. This project, funded by the US Department of Agriculture, developed and applied theories of narrative communication to develop, test and produce a series of public service announcements to promote safe food preparation. Several messages focused attention on strategies to ensure that meat is cooked at a safe temperature. (PI: Mike Shapiro)

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