INTRODUCTION

Information education and communication are inter related to each other. Information is the knowledge derived
from the study, experience or instruction or it is a collection of facts or data and education is the both
acquisition of knowledge and experience as well as development of skills, habits and attitudes which help the
person to lead a full and worthwhile life in this universe and communication is the interaction between two or
more persons that involve exchange of information between sender and receiver. So these three are related to
health that is information of health related events, education to people egarding health and communicate this in
a proper way.

HEALTH EDUCATION

According to John M Last

“The process by which individuals and groups of people learn to behave in a ,manner conductive to promotion,
maintenance and restoration of health.”

PLANNING FOR HEALTH EDUCATION

Health education cannot be planned in vacuum. It is planned in connection with specific health programme or
health service. The health education planning follows the main steps in scientific planning:

 Collecting information on specific problem as seen by the group

 Identification of the problem
 Decide priorities
 Setting goals and measurable objectives
 Assessment of recovers
 Consideration of possible solutions
 Preparation of a plan of action:
 What will be done
 When
 By whom?
 Implementing the plan
 Monitoring and evaluating the degree to which the stated objectives have been achieved
 Reassessment of the process of planning.

SCOPE OF HEALTH EDUCATION

The scope of health education extends beyond the conventional health sector.

1. Nutrition:
The aim of nutrition education is to guide people to optimum and balance diet not to teach about the
calories and biochemistry of the nutrients.
2. Hygiene: hygiene has two aspects personal hygiene and environmental hygiene
3. Family health: health largely depends on the family’s social and physical environment and its life style
and behaviour.
4. Disease prevention and control: drugs alone may not solve health problems. Several national public
health programmes are in operation to eradicate diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy etc
 5. Mental health: the aim of education in mental health is to keep the people mentally healthy and to
prevent the mental breakdown.
6. Prevention of accidents: accidents will occur in three main areas like homes, roads and the place of work
7. Use of the health services: many of the people are unaware about the health services available in the
community.

METHODS OF HEALTH EDUCATION

The methods are divided into three main groups:

1. Individual approach:
 Personal contact
 Home visits
 Personal letters
2. Group approach:
 Lecture: lecture can be made more effective with the use of appropriate AV aids like:
 Flip chart
 Flannel graph
 Exhibits
 Films and charts
 Demonstrations: it is a carefully prepared presentation to show how to perform a skill or
procedure. Example: lumbar puncture, disinfection of well
 Group discussion: group is an aggregation of people interacting in a face to face situation.
Comprises of less than 6 and not more than 12 members.
 Panel discussion: in panel discussion there are 4 to 8 persons who are qualified to talk about the
topic in front of a large group or audience.
 Symposium
 Workshop
 Conferences and seminars
3. Mass approach:
Mass media are one way communication useful in transmitting message to people even in remote places.
 Television
 Internet
 Printed material
 Health museums
 Radio
 Newspaper
 Direct mailing
 Folk media

PRINCIPLES OF HEALTH EDUCATION

1. Credibility: the degree to which the message to be communicated is perceived as trustworthy by the
receiver.
2. Interest: health educators must find the real needs of the people
3. Participation
4. Motivation: motivation can be primary motives and secondary motives
  Primary motives: sex, hunger, survival are driving forces initiating people to action, these are
inborn desires
 Secondary motives: praise, love, rewards, punishments
5. Comprehension: knowing the level of understanding, education and literacy of the people
6. Reinforcement: repetition at intervals is necessary
7. Learning by doing
8. Known to unknown
9. Setting an example
10. Good human relations:
11. Feedback
12. Leaders

COMMUNICATION

MEANING

The word communication is derived from the Latin word “communis” meaning common.

DEFINITION

Communication is the means of making the transfer of information productive and goal oriented.

Communication is a process through which individuals mutually exchange their ides, values, thoughts, feelings
and actions between one or more people.

PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION

Communication requires SMCR

S- Sender
M- Message
C – Channel
R- Receiver

PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATION
 To generate and disseminate information
 To promote socialization
 To develop human relations
 Therapeutic interaction to develop confidence in patients

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
1. Verbal communication
2. Non verbal communication:
 Touch
 Eye contact
 Facial expression
 Posture gait
 Gesture
 General physical appearance
  Sound
 Silence
3. One way communication: flow of the communication is “one way “from the communicator to the
audience.
4. Two way communication: the communicator and the audience takes part
5. Formal and informal communication: formal communication follows lines of authority wheras informal
communication do not
6. Visual communication: visual forms( charts, graphs, pictograms)
7. Telecommunication: It is the process of communication over the distance using electromagmetic
instrument designed for purpose (TV, Radio, internet etc are mass communication media while
telephone, telegraph are known as point to point tele communication system

LEVELS OF COMMUNICATION
1. Intrapersonal communication: it is the self talk, self verbalization, self instruction,inner thought and
inner dialogue. Positive self talk can be used as an effective tool to improve nurses or clients self esteem
and health.
2. Interpersonal communication: this occurs when two or more people interact and exchange their ideas or
message and it occurs face to face.
3. Small group communication: it occur when nurse interacts with two or more individuals face to face and
uses a medium such as a conference hall.
4. Organizational communication: when individuals and the groups within an organization communicate to
achieve an established goal
BARRIERS OF COMMUNICATION
1. Physical barriers:
Physical distractions noise, telephone rings etc
2. Perceptual barriers:
3. Emotional barriers
4. Cultural barriers
5. Language barriers
6. Gender barriers
7. Interpersonal barriers
8. Muddled message
9. Stereotyping
10. Wrong channel
11. Lack of feedback

METHODS TO OVERCOME THESE BARRIERS

 Have a positive attitude about communication
 Work at improving communication skills
 Make communication goal oriented.
 Approach communication as a creative process rather than simply part of chore of working with people
 Accept reality of miscommunication
 Warmth and friendliness maintains the quality of communication process
 An attitude of acceptance, frankness, respect and lack of prejudice help to improve communication
  Comfortable environment is that in which the communication takes place and should be trustable and
safe.

TECHNIQUES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICAION

1. Conversational skill:
To more effective communication, following things have to be cared:
 Control the tone of your voice
 Be knowledgeable about the topic of conversation
 Be flexible
 Be clear and concise
 Keep an open mind
2. Listening skill:
 Whenever possible sit with a person. During communication do not cross your arms or legs
 Be alert but relaxed
 Keep the conversation as natural as possible
 Maintain eye contact with the person, if culturally appropriate
 Think before feedback
3. Maintain silence:
Silence during communication can provide the opportunity to explore the inner feelings comfortably.

TELEMEDICINE

The term telemedicine is derived from the Greek word “tele” meaning “at a distance” and the word “medicine”
which itself is derived from the Latin word “Mederi” meaning “healing”

DEFINITION
The European Commission’s Health care telematics programme defines telemedicine as “ – rapid access to
shared and remote medical expertise by means of telecommunication and information technologies , no matter
where the patient or relevant information is located

TELECONFERENCE
A teleconference is a telephone or video meeting between participants in two or more locations.
Teleconferences are similar to telephone calls, but they can expand discussion to more than two people.

BASIC TYPES
1. Video conferencing – television like communication augmented with sound
2. Computer conferencing – printed communication through keyboard terminals
3. Audioconferencing- verbal communication via telephone with optional capacity for tele writing or tele
copying

TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT FOR TELEMEDICINE

Internationally technology standards are laid down by Technology Development Board under the international
telecommunication union.
1. Wired: telephone line, ISDN line, internet, cable connection
2. Wireless: satellite connection, wireless internet
NECESSITIES FOR TELEMEDICINE
1. Personal information record(PIR)
2. Personal health record(PHR)
3. Electronic medical record (EMR)
4. Digital imaging and communication in medicine(DICOM)
5. Picture archival and communication system(PACS)
6. Advanced encryption standard( AES)

TYPES OF TELEMEDICINE PROCESS

1. Technology involved:
 Real time or synchronous: it requires the presence of both the parties at the same time and a
telecommunication link between them that allows a real time interaction to take place.
Videoconferencing equipment is one of the most common forms of technology used in
telemedicine
 Store and forward telemedicine or asynchronous: it involves acquiring medical data(medical
history, images etc) and then transmitting this data to a doctor or medical specialist at a
convenient time later for assessment offline. It does not require the presence of both parties at the
same time. Examples are tele pathology, tele radiology, tele dermatology.
2. Application adopted:
 tele pathology
 tele cardiology
 tele radiology
 tele surgery
 tele ophthalmology

METHODS OF TRANSMISSON IN TELEMEDICINE

1. store and forward: involves acquiring medical data (like medical images, bio signals etc) and then
transmitting this data to a doctor or medical specialist at a convenient time for assessment offline. It does
not require the presence of both the parties at the same time.
2. Remote monitoring: also known as self monitoring or testing, enables medical professional to monitor a
patient remotely using various technological devices.
3. Interactive telemedicine: this services provide real time interactions between patient and the provider to
include phone conversations, online communications and home visits.

APPLICATIONS OF TELEMEDICINE
1. Tele health care: it is the use of information and communication technology for prevention, promotion
and to provide health care facilities across a distance. The activities are:
 Tele consultation
 Tele follow up
2. Tele education: the development of the process of distant education based on the use of information and
telecommunication technologies that make interactive, flexible and accessible learning possible for any
potential recipient
3. Disaster management : providing health care facilities to the victims of natural disasters
4. Tele home health care: home care facilities for elderly, undeserved, home bound patients with chronic
illness.

ADVANTAGES OF TELEMEDICINE
 1. Benefits for patients
 Eliminates distance barriers and improve access to quality health services
 Lessens the inconvenience and the cost of patient transfers
2. Benefits for doctors:
 Local doctors can be updated anytime
 Excellent opportunity to share knowledge between physicians all over the world
3. Benefits for government:
 Reduced rush to medical facilities in cities
 Improved monitoring facilities at rural centers
 Increased reliance on government health care system

DRAWBACKS IN TELEMEDICINE PRACTICE

1. Larger number of people are difficult to manage in a single teleconference
2. Costs can be high
3. Takes time to organize
4. Staffing needs can be significant
5. Community people are alienated if a meeting is poorly implemented
6. Reduces the opportunities for face to face contact
7. The occurrence of the technical failure
8. Difficult for complex interpersonal communication

BARRIERS IN TELEMEDICINE PRACTICE

1. Physician or patient acceptance
2. Availability of technology at reasonable cost
3. Accessibility
4. Reliability
5. Funding issues
6. Lack of trained manpower
7. Legal and ethical
8. Privacy and security concerns

CONCLUSION
Thus it is concluded that information, education and communication are inter related to each other. If health
professionals have some information regarding health issues then it is the responsibility to educate the
community through different channels of communication. If we want that the health information must be
properly communicated to the community then we should know everything about the communication.
Telemedicine has been encountered with many bottle necks that restrict its growth. The future views of
telemedicine includes home facility for monitoring personal health, tele monitoring for education and training
and virtual consultation rooms at distant places can be set up with equipments for body exam and tactile
sensors.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
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3. Potter Perry, fundamentals of nursing, mosby publishers, volume I, 5th edition, page no: 445- 446
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