Overview

2012 Kentucky Conference on Health Communication:
Health Literacy Research and Practice
Preconference: Communication Strategies to Reduce Health Disparities
April 19-21, 2012

Location

Hyatt Regency Lexington
401 West High Street
Lexington, KY 40507
859-253-1234

Overview

The 12th biennial Kentucky Conference on Health Communication will consist of two and a half days of competitive paper and panel presentations, a competitive poster session, and invited speaker presentations. Thursday, April 19, will be devoted to a preconference on reducing health disparities (described below). Friday, April 20 will feature competitive paper, posters and panel sessions covering not only issues related to the conference theme of health literacy but also issues pertinent to health communication research and practice broadly defined. The conference reception Friday evening offers participants an opportunity to relax after a full day of sessions. Saturday, April 21 will feature additional competitive paper and panel sessions and a luncheon presentation by the winner of the Lewis Donohew Outstanding Scholar in Health Communication Award.

Conference on Health Literacy Research and Practice: Friday, April 20 and Saturday, April 21

Health literacy–the ability of individuals to understand basic health information and make appropriate decisions–is central to the promotion of health and prevention of illness. Low health literacy can result in poor disease management and health outcomes, can reduce preventive health behaviors and compliance, and can increase healthcare costs. Nationally, poor health literacy has been estimated to cost as much as $238 billion per year. As researchers, educators, healthcare providers, policy makers, and students, we should understand the importance of investigating health literacy from multiple perspectives and translating results of our investigations into practice to reduce the burden of disease and improve the quality of life. Our goal for this conference is to bring questions concerning health literacy research and practice to the forefront so we may better address the serious challenges which confront us.

Keynote Speaker

Glen T. Cameron, Ph.D. University of Missouri

Health Literacy, I-SHD, and Treepple – Sketching the Unique Potential of Mass and Social Media to Improve Health Literacy for Large Populations†

Glen T. Cameron is founder and senior scientist in the Health Communication Research Center in the Missouri School of Journalism. He has participated in over $60 million in external funding over the past ten years, primarily in his role as a specialist in health journalism and strategic health communication. Much of his work focuses on tailored communication to improve health outcomes for at-risk populations. With his focus on reaching large populations through mediated communication, whether mass or social, Cameron defines his overriding mission as a communicator to inform smart health decisions in audiences. As a long-time innovator and early adopter of new technologies, from writing his master's thesis on a RadioShack audiocassette in 1981 through his creation of the first expert system tool in public relations in 1991 to his current work on tailored health news applications optimized for mobile devices, Cameron strives to push the envelope in theory and in practice of strategic health communication.

Pronunciation cues

  • I-SHD = I Should
  • Treepple = Tree-pull

Preconference on Reducing Health Disparities: Thursday, April 19

As we enter the second decade of the 21st century, we continue to face tremendous burdens from health disparities. Across multiple health conditions, we see differences in morbidity and mortality and differential access to preventive services, screening, and treatment between advantaged and disadvantaged populations. Disparities may result from numerous factors, including race and ethnicity, gender, age, education, income, and geographic location. During this preconference, we will address communication strategies to reduce health disparities. In the morning and early afternoon, four preeminent scholars will present their work:

  • Kenzie Cameron, MPH, PhD. Dr. Cameron is a Research Associate Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She received her PhD in Communication from Michigan State University and her MPH from Northwestern University. Dr. Cameron's research focuses on the reduction of racial and ethnic health disparities as informed by health literacy.
  • Cathy D. Meade, PhD, RN, FAAN. Dr. Meade is a Senior Faculty Member at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, where she also is Director of the Education Program and Leader of the Cancer, Culture, and Literacy Institute. She received her PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Meade has expertise in the development of culturally, linguistically, and literacy relevant cancer communications and creation of community-based breast health initiatives for priority and at-risk populations.
  • Jeffrey Niederdeppe, PhD. Dr. Niederdeppe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at Cornell University. He received his PhD in Communication from the University of Pennsylvania–Annenberg School for Communication. Dr. Niederdeppe's research focuses on socioeconomic and health disparities and changing social determinants of health conditions through generating public and policymaker support for public policy change.
  • K. "Vish" Viswanath, PhD. Dr. Viswanath is an Associate Professor in the Department of Society, Human Development and Health in the School of Public Health at Harvard University; he also is a faculty member in the Center for Community-Based Research, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Director of the Health Communication Core of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. Dr. Viswanath received his PhD in Mass Communication from the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on the link between inequalities in communication and health disparities and how to address disparities through communication.

Later in the afternoon, we will feature a panel of University of Kentucky faculty from the College of Communications and Information Studies, the colleges of UK's Medical Campus, and other UK colleges who are engaged in innovative health disparities research. The preconference will end with an interactive roundtable session that will provide ample opportunity for audience members to pose questions and engage in discussion with presenters.