• Gordon D Brown, Kenneth D Bopp, and Suzanne Austin Boren.
• Department of Health Management and Informatics, Center for Health Care Quality, School of Medicine, University of Missouri--Columbia, USA.
• J Health Hum Serv Adm. 2005 Jan 1; 28 (2): 159-88.

AbstractMuch evaluation of health communications in public health is considered from a program perspective of smoking cessation, weight reduction, education on sexually transmitted diseases, etc. These studies have advanced the knowledge base of communications theory and evaluation and have contributed to program effectiveness. In program-based evaluation the communications process is structured as part of the program itself. This article extends program-based communications evaluation to view communications from the perspective of the consumer and how effectively public health departments respond to consumer expectations. It develops a conceptual model for evaluating elements of communications such as its importance in defining mission and goals within the community, managing strategic constituencies, and enlisting individuals and groups as customers and co-producers of health. It gives a broader perspective on how communications in public heath organizations are managed and a basis for assessing whether they are being managed effectively.

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