• TOPIC: INFORMATION, EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION (IEC) IN

HEALTH CARE

• SHOBA, G

• PROFESSOR

• LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• At the end of the session the students will be able to

– define Information Education Communication(IEC)

– listdown the aims of ICE

– discuss the various concepts of health information education, communication

– enlist the aims and objectives of health education

– discribe the IEC strategy

– appreciate the different Approaches to health education

– explains the major component of IEC

– state the health education agencies at different levels of health care

– DEFINITION OF IEC

• IEC can be defined as an approach which attempts to change or reinforce a set of

behaviors in a target audience regarding specific problem in a predefined period of time

• IEC is the selling of concepts and services through community involvement and
participation.

• CONTI.. DEFINITION OF IEC

• IEC is a concentrated pre-planned educational endeavour with specific objectives,

focussed towards specific programme goals in order to reach specific audience either in
individual, or group settings through skillful use of proper methods and media.

• IEC IN HEALTH SECTOR

• Information, Education and Communication (IEC) is a public health system approach

aiming at changing or reinforcing health-related behaviors in a target audience,
concerning a specific problem and within a pre-defined period of time, through
communication methods and principles.
 National health ministry

• AIMS OF ICE

• To change the health behavior of individuals, family and community.

• To prepare background or basis for change in health behavior.

• To change the norms of the community.

• To facilitate education for audience about public health and to create awareness in public
opinion.

• To obtain social, political support for health activities.

• SCOPE OR FIELDS OF IEC IN RELATION TO HEALTH

• Primary health care

• Prevention /control on communicable diseases.

• Reproductive health/maternal and child health services

• Family welfare

• Nutritional services

• Personal hygiene

• INFORMATION

• This consists of providing scientific knowledge to the people about the health problems
and how to prevent them and promote and maintain health.

• The information involves informants, advisers, reference book compilers as well as those
act on the information.

• EDUCATION

• It is a process of continuous interaction in which both teachers taught and get benefitted.
It helps to mould the behaviour pattern of man and to adjust himself.

• Educational process is a planned effort to achieve pre-determined objectives related to

thinking, feeling and practices.

• HEALTH EDUCATION
• Health education can be defined as a process aimed at encouraging people to want to be
healthy, to know how to stay healthy, to do what they can individually and collectively to
maintain health and to seek help when needed.

The Declaration of Alma Ata(1978)

• AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF HEALTH EDUCATION

• To encourage people to adopt and sustain health promoting life style and practices.

• To promote the proper use of health services available to them.

• To arouse interest, provide new knowledge, improve skills and change attitudes in
making rational decisions to solve their own problems.

• To stimulate individual and community self reliance and participation to achieve health
development through individual and community involvement at every step from
identifying problems to solve them.

• PRINCIPLES OF HEALTH EDUCATION

• Credibility

• Interest

• Participation

• Motivation

• Comprehension

• Reinforcement

• Learning by doing

• Known to unknown

• Setting an example

• Good human relations

• Feed back

• COMMUNICATION

• Communication can be regarded as a two way process of exchanging or shaping ideas,

feelings and information.
• Communication is a process of transmission of ideas, thoughts, feelings, behaviour from
one person to another and thus to obtain desirable response to what is being transmitted.

• COMMUNICATION IN HEALTH CARE

• "If people are to fulfill their role in Primary Health Care, they have to be well informed
and this is an important function of health providers and the Mass Media". 

Who expert committee

• FUNCTIONS OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION

• ROLE OF COMMUNICATION

• It is a link between the health providers and the community.

• Community participation is the corner-stone for communication.

• Communication is a means to mobilising the people and seeking their willing co-
operation in political, social, health and economic developments.

• The main role of communication is providing information, persuasion, motivation,

reminding and influencing the behaviour of the people

• INPORTANT OF COMMUNICATION IN HEALTH CARE

• Communication is an integral and important component of the total health programmes.

• Communication has attained greater importance in health promotion and development.

• Communication is the back-bone of Modern Society.

 • If community participation is the heart of Primary Health Care, Communication is the
blood.

• BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION (BCC)

• BCC can be defined as a process that motivates people to adopt and sustain healthy
behavior and life styles

Steps for BCC Programme.

• Analysis

• Strategic design

• Development and pretesting

• Implementation and monitoring

• Evaluation

• IEC STRATEGY

• PLANNING IEC STRATEGY

•  IEC success when it is planned with a comprehensive strategy.

• Gain knowledge and incorporate community tradition.

• There must be true dialogue.

• Everything cannot be changed at once and focus on relevancy.

• It should be cost effective.

• Campaign for preventive behaviour.

• Fear arousal needs to be used with caution.

• The timing should be appropriate.

• Information overload is to be avoided.

• PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING IEC STRATEGIES

• Support of community leaders

• Involve target audience

• Establish linkage and relationships with NGO and others Interactions between health
workers and clients

• Multimedia campaign

• Anticipate trouble and crisis communication

• Plan Monitoring and evaluation

• IEC STRATEGIES ADOPTED IN GOVT./NGO'S

1. Identifying the communication needs to plan IEC activities

2. Training Health Functionaries

3. Training of Community leaders/Volunteers

4. Training of Mothers(M.S.S.)

5. Training and working with TBA, Indigenous Medical Practitioners. Involvement of

Health related sector personnel - A WW,CNW, Teachers Gramasevaks, Animators and
postmasters.

• IEC STRATEGIES ADOPTED IN GOVT./NGO'S

6. Use of Satisfied adopters

7. Involvement of NGO's
8. Adopting Social Marketing Technique

9. Effective use of Mass Media for back-up (Cable TV, Folk Media) Strengthening inter
personal communication and

10. Follow-up of the programme.

• APPROACHES TO HEALTH EDUCATION

1. Individual health education approach

2. Group health education approach

3. Mass media approach

• APPROACHES TO IEC

• People vary in their life-style and the level of knowledge. An uniform lEC approach may
not be suitable.

• So, a mixture of different approaches may be used depending upon the local situation,
audience, purpose, programme needs and felt needs of the community. These could be
classified as

• Each approach has its own advantages and limitation depending upon the purpose and
situation.

• 1. INDIVIDUAL HEALTH EDUCATION APPROACH

• Health providers who are in direct contact with patients and their relatives, have
opportunities for much individual health education.

• The topic selected should be relevant to the situation. For instance, a mother who has
come for delivery should be told about child birth-not about malaria eradication.

• ADVANTAGE OF INDIVIDUAL APPROACH

• Helps to reach deeper into the attitudinal and motivational core of the individual.

• It helps to decision making process and to solve psychological problems.

• Feedback is possible in interpersonal communication when both are combined,

• The chances of influencing people to take appropriate actions are greatly increased.

• Mass communications cannot replace face to face approaches.

• CONTI… INDIVIDUAL APPROACH

Disadvantage

• Expensive

• Time consuming

• Limited audience

• 2. GROUP HEALTH EDUCATION APPROACHES

• The groups are many – mothers, school children, patients, industrial workers – to whom
we can direct health teaching.

• The choice of subject in group health teaching is very important; it must relate directly to
the interest of the group.

• For instance, mothers may be taught about baby care; school children about oral hygiene;
a group of TB patients about tuberculosis, and industrial workers about accidents.

• CONTI… GROUP EDUCATION APPROACH

Advantages:

• More familiar, trusted and influential

• Provide motivation/ support more than media

• Can be inexpensive in organizing health awareness programm

• Offer shared experiences among group

• Reach large intended audience in one place

Disadvantages:

• May not provide individual personal attention

• Need approval from organization

• more time consuming

• 3. EDUCATION OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC(MASS APPROACH)

• For the education of the general public, we employ “mass media of communication’ –
Posters, health magazines, films, radio, television, health exhibitions and health
museums.
 • Mass media are generally less effective in changing human behaviour than individual or
group methods.

• But however, they are very useful in reaching large numbers of people with whom
otherwise there could be no contact.

• For effective health education mass media should be used in combination with other
methods.

• CONTI… MASS MEDIA APPROACH

ADVANTAGE

• Reach broad intended audience rapidly

• Combination of audio visual is effective in emotional appeals and demonstration of

behavior

• Updated and disseminated health information's

• Can tailor the information specific for indented patients or audience

Disadvantage:

• Exposure is limited, only one way communication

• More expensive to prepare and forecast

• May require monitoring to bring the change in health behaviors

• Difficulty to retain or pass on the materials

• SELECTION OF APPTROPRIATE APPROACH & MEDIA

• Appropriate methods and media have to be selected depending upon the community and
content of the messages.

• It is also better to find out already existing communication channels and level of
information through KAP study.

• Suitable on promoting people's involvement with special reference to interpersonal and

group approaches.

• METHODS AND MEDIA FOR GROUP AND INTERPERSONAL APPROACHES:

Approaches Method Media

 Group 1. Lecture 5. Film
Approach &
mass media 2. Group Discussion 6. Tape-recorder

3. Demonstration 7. T.V.

4. Role-play 8. Video

9. Flashcard

10. Flannel-graph

11. Puppet-show

12. Flipbook

13. Booklets

14. Leaflets

Inividual 1. Home visit 4. Photo-folder

Approach
2. Individual contact 5. Booklets

3. Counselling 6. Leaflets

7. Kits

8. Flashcards

9. Models

• STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE IEC ACTIVITIES

1. Increase the reach of services by making visits of workers and supervisors more
predictable and regular;

2. lmprove quality of services through knowledge and skill development of workers;

3. Make supervision more oriented towards problem solving;

4. Link supervision with training at various levels;

• STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE BOTH IEC ACTIVITIES

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5. Concentrate on local field problems, both for development training materials and their
uses

6. Combine interpersonal communication strategy with mass media approach;

7. Streamline supply systems to meet the local needs of health and family welfare units;

8. Establish relationship between various levels and elements of the system and 9. Improve
performance levels through continuous interaction with village community volunteers.

MAJOR COMPONENT OF IEC

IEC COMPONENTS- Visit Schedules:

Under IEC scheme the tour programs of health worker one drawn as a weekly schedule
rather than date wise calendar schedule, new system attempts to make the visit regular,
week days in a fortnight of a particular village.

To establish a link between villager and workers. The Village is divided into units of
twenty households.

IEC COMPONENTS- TRAINING

Training should not only cover technical aspect of program but also focus on problem
solving skills of workers.
• This is possible only when the worker is given training in the work situation by their
immediate supervisor at regular intervals.

• Training in this project in conducted at sector PHC level and district level according to a
predetermined schedule.

• IEC COMPONENTS-SUPERVISION

• Each supervisor during visit records target achievements and New Instruction.

• IEC COMPONENTS-MONITORING AND EVALUATION

• Success of any program depends of ability to monitor and evaluate program adequately
and accurately and to take corrective action if necessary

• HEALTH EDUCATION AGENCIES AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF HEALTH CARE

• International level

• National level

• State level

• District level

• Local level

• INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

• International union for health promotion and education

• Health Education and Health Promotion HEHP(WHO)

• Division of Public information and Public relation(WHO)

• The International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE)

•  IUHPE is a global professional non-governmental organisation dedicated to health

promotion around the world.

• For more than 65 years, IUHPE has operated an independent, global, professional
network of people and institutions committed to improving the health and wellbeing of
the people through education, community action and the development of healthy public
policy. 

• NATIONAL LEVEL

• Central Health Education Bureau (CHEB)

 • Public Health Foundation of India

• Under the Ministry and Broad casting, different division or units are playing important
part in providing health education to community.

• Department of health promotion & education under all India Institute Of Hygiene And
Public Health

• CENTRAL HEALTH EDUCATION BUREAU (CHEB)

Objectives:

• To make available facilities of communication for health education.

• To carry out training and research in health education.

• To exchange latest information about the development and programmes.

• To publish and distribute various health bulletins, magazines and information.

• • To provide technical support to central and state health services and various health
organizations.

• DIVISIONS OF CHEB

• 1. Training division

• 2. Publicity division

• 3. Editorial division

• 4. Health education division

• 5. Regional study division

• 6. Exhibition center division

• 7. Professional syllabus division

• 8. Research and evaluation division

• UNDER THE MINISTRY AND BROAD CASTING, DIFFERENTDIVISION OR

UNITS

• Press information Bureau(PIB)

• Directorate of field publicity

• Directorate of advertising and Visual publicity

• Prasar Bharti

• Songs and Drama division

• National medical Library

• ROLE OF IEC IN HEALTH CARE

• In the health sector, IEC has played a pivotal role in spreading awareness and taking
preventive measures.

• Through the IEC programs, the government and health service agencies have orchestrated
a much needed campaign about the condition and its vulnerabilities, which is
instrumental in eliminating preconceived notions and quenching rumours.

• ROLE OF IEC IN HEALTH CARE

• Through radio jingles, phone in programs, TV slots, and printed materials, people have
been made aware of covid 19, swine flu, malaria, and infectious diseases.

• Awareness on hygiene and sanitary, nutritional diets and programs in the rural areas
through the IEC materials.

• Polio vaccination and immunization programs are widely posted and distributed in public
spaces for spreading awareness.

• One of the most remarkable achievements of the IEC strategy is the campaign against
stigmatization of HIV affected patients.

• STATE LEVEL

• State Health Education Bureau

• IEC bureau under their health ministry.

• Besides the state agencies, the

• divisions/wings/units of central health education agencies

• DISTRICT LEVEL

• All district level health officers

• family planning officers

• RCH wings .

• District information centres

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District Collector

LOCAL LEVEL

In cities; Municipalities, municipal corporation, development authorities etc

In villages panchayats, Block development officers

Beside these various NGOS and voluntary

organizations, health and nursing professional associations

RESPONSIBILITIES OF HEALTH EDUCATOR

NURSES RESPONSIBILITY IN IEC

The nurse should consider the following points in health education

• To gain confidence of people.

To arouse the interest in people about good health.

To motivate them to bring about changes in habits for healthy life.

To prepare them for utilization of available health services.

• To develop a sense of responsibility among people towards good health of the whole
community.

• CONTI…NURSES RESPONSIBILITY IN IEC

• A friendly and cooperative feeling should be kept for health education.

• The opportunities for health education should be widely used.

• It is necessary to select the subject matter cautiously. The nurse should be proficient in
the art of incidental and timely health education.

• It is necessary to use appropriate audio visual aidsbto enhance the effect of health
education.

• CONTI.. NURSES RESPONSIBILITY IN IEC

• The sufficient preparation and cooperation of the government and voluntary agencies,
central health education bureau, state health education bureau, directorate of audio visual
publicity, local leaders, teachers, health workers etc.

• It is necessary to remove various obstacles in communication.

• Health education should be planned and continuous.

• Periodical evaluation and expected correction of health education programmes with the
help of various tools and observation are also the responsibilities of a nurse.