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While it has been established that participation in interdisciplinary teams is likely to have a positive impact on researchers' careers, it has been questioned whether these researchers were already destined for success. If high-achieving faculty members are simply taking advantage of the availability of internal funds to boost their already high rates of productivity, internal programs designed to support the formation of novel teams and to enhance the impact of an institution's research portfolio may not be advancing their objectives. In this study, we examine whether applicants to an interdisciplinary funding program are already more productive than other faculty members, including those who apply for traditional (non-interdisciplinary) internal funding support. Data were drawn from several sources: Academic Analytics, which provides productivity data that allows for comparisons of faculty members within fields; the Office of the Vice Provost for Research's data on internal funding program applications; the Office of Research Administration's data on external grant proposal submissions; data from an internal survey on perceptions of the university's research climate; and Scopus, which provides individual faculty members' h-indices and lists of publications and citations. Results indicate that faculty members who join interdisciplinary research teams and are awarded internal funding are not more or less likely to be "superstars." This not only provides support for assertions that interdisciplinary programs can lead to team innovation and professional growth of individual faculty members, but also provides a blueprint for the establishment of baseline measures that can be used to help evaluate the impact of internal funding programs.

Introduction: The Health Belief Model (HBM) has been widely studied, but it is unclear how social media post creators use HBM constructs to influence the public's awareness of health topics, particularly for COVID-19 preventative health behaviors. Moreover, there is limited knowledge about how content creators enhance user engagement with COVID-19 vaccine tweets. Methods: A content analysis of COVID-19 vaccine tweets (n = 362) examined how HBM constructs were used in social media posts and their relationship to content creator characteristics (e.g., race, education level) and user engagement behaviors (e.g., number of favorites). Findings: Content creators' tweets about COVID-19-related topics generally centered on two HBM constructs—benefits and barriers—while fewer tweets emphasized perceived susceptibility or self-efficacy; tweets containing these constructs were retweeted less often. Findings revealed that tweets from politicians, health experts, and white and Asian sources emphasized the perceived benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine. Individual tweets, especially from Black individuals and celebrities, generated more user engagement. Conclusions: Understanding the factors that contribute to social media user engagement with health-related content is important for designing more focused and impactful health communication campaigns and promoting healthier habits and perspectives. Thus, by demonstrating the possible relevance of the HBM to digital communication strategies or health campaigns, our study provides useful guidance for health promoters and policymakers who use social media to raise public health awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript focuses on the communication factors that affect the willingness of African Americans and Black Caribbean patients to participate in clinical trials and research studies. Low rates of research participation by members of communities of color have long been linked to health disparities. While there are many factors that contribute to low rates of accrual of African American and Black patients to clinical trials, a lack of attention to communication factors that enhance or inhibit the recruitment process is central to the problem. In this study, we describe results from the analysis of six focus groups (N = 31) consisting of African American (k = 3) and Black Caribbean (k = 3) participants. Our analyses focus on verbal and nonverbal communication behaviors and how they affect participants' willingness to participate in clinical trials. Specifically, when clinical research coordinators (CRCs) had a professional appearance, made the effort to explain a study in detail, made eye contact, took the time to listen and answer questions patiently, and gave the sense that the CRC was being truthful and transparent, patients felt respected and valued. Additionally, participants emphasized the importance of the process of developing and maintaining a trusting relationship between study participants and CRCs. The results of this study will be used to develop a clinical trial communication training program designed to enhance the communication skills of clinical research coordinators who discuss research participation with African American and Caribbean Black patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public participation in precision medicine (PM) research is essential to achieving effective health care but has been impeded by a lack of awareness and basic knowledge. There is a critical need for educational materials that can clearly explain PM to foster involvement. This randomized controlled trial with a posttest-only control group design aims to assess the effects of educational messages delivered through animations relative to live-action videos and leaflets on intentions of involvement in PM research. Knowledge as the moderator and four mediators (engagement, vividness, trustworthiness, and cognitive value) of the intended effects were also evaluated. A total of 326 U.S. adults were sampled from Amazon Mechanical Turk. Among participants with less knowledge about PM, animations produced stronger information-seeking intentions and willingness to participate than leaflets. The effects of three message modalities were not significantly different among average and highly knowledgeable participants. Engagement and vividness mediated the effects of animations relative to two other message modalities. Trustworthiness and cognitive value mediated the effects of animations relative to live-action videos. Overall, animations can be an effective communication strategy to motivate involvement in PM but its effectiveness could decline as knowledge increases. The explanations and implications of the findings were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional strategies to evaluate the impact of community nutrition education programs on low-income individuals are needed. The objective of this qualitative study was to examine the use of the Memorable Messages Framework as an intermediary nutrition education program evaluation tool to determine what fruit and vegetable messages were reported as memorable and the characteristics of those memorable messages. A convenience sample of low-income, primarily African American adults (N = 58) who previously completed a series of community nutrition education lessons within an urban area of Indiana participated in a focus group (N = 8 focus groups). A lead moderator using a semistructured script conducted the focus groups to determine what information about fruits and vegetables was most memorable from the participants' nutrition lessons and why this information was memorable. All focus group audiotapes were transcribed verbatim and ATLAS.ti software was used to code and identify themes within the data. Participants cited quantity, variety, and the positive nutritional impact of eating fruits and vegetables as most memorable. Information given in the form of recipes was also cited as most memorable. For example, participants referred to the recipe demonstrations as not only fun but also key components of the program that helped with message retention and memorability. Key characteristics of memorable messages included personal relevance and message vividness. These findings indicated that the Memorable Messages Framework may serve as an intermediary program evaluation tool to identify what information and messages are most influential to participants in community nutrition education programs.

This study investigates the role of source credibility on minority participant recruitment, particularly African American and Black Caribbean patients. A total of nine focus groups (N = 48 participants) were conducted with both patient groups and clinical research coordinators (CRCs). Using the elaboration likelihood model as a guiding framework for analysis, this study found that the credibility of research coordinators (or other professionals who recruit for research studies and clinical trials) was instrumental in shaping attitudes of prospective participants. The perspectives of patients and CRCs aligned closely, with few exceptions. For both groups, professionalism and professional displays (clothing, institutional artifacts) enhanced perceived expertise, a core component of credibility. Trustworthiness, another important component of credibility, was fostered through homophily between recruiter and patient, expressions of goodwill and assuaging anxiety about CRCs' financial motivations for recruitment. Additionally, CRCs believed that credibility was supported when CRCs could emphasize transparency and truthfulness in communication. The importance of these findings for the development of empirically-based training programs to improve communication practices in recruitment contexts is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities commonly rely upon International Teaching Assistants (ITAs) to teach basic courses. This use of ITAs is a considerable benefit to universities; however, there is substantial evidence to suggest that undergraduate students quite often object to being taught and graded by ITAs. If universities and their academic departments wish to foster a more productive learning environment for undergraduates who are taught by ITAs, it is vitally important that the ITAs be better prepared for this important teaching task. In this paper, we describe a narrative analysis of the stories of 25 undergraduate students. The study reveals that students have coherent, shared narratives of their experiences of ITAs. Based on an analysis of the narratives, we offer a number of positive suggestions for the development of more effective training for ITAs to teach courses at the undergraduate level.

Identifies message design features that show the greatest promise for developing message high in sensation value for anti-drug campaigns and other interventions aimed at sensation-seeking risky behaviors. Investigates certain features of drug prevention Public Service Announcements (PSAs) associated with viewers' subjective responses to them. Finds that perceived message sensation value is at least in part a product of the formal and content features of a PSA. (SG)

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2010.01523.x Byline: Susan E. Morgan (1), Andy J. King (1), Jessica Rae Smith (1), Rebecca Ivic (1) Abstract: In this study, 580 participants viewed one of the 30 full-length entertainment television episodes. Fifteen of these episodes centered on an organ donation storyline (ODS) where facts about the process were portrayed inaccurately; the remaining 15 were matched by program, but did not feature organ donation, and served as controls. Results indicated nondonors were significantly impacted by negative organ-donation-related content. ODSs produced more negative attitudes, less accurate knowledge, and perceptions of social and descriptive norms less supportive of organ donation among nondonors. However, participants who had already declared a willingness to donate organs after death were not significantly impacted by entertainment television's depiction of myths about donation. Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Communication, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA Article note: Susan E. Morgan; e-mail: semorgan@purdue.edu

This study describes a worksite project designed to promote organ donation while testing the effectiveness of low-intensity (media-only) campaigns compared to high intensity campaigns (media+interpersonal communication), which incorporated on-site visits. All campaigns lasted 10 weeks. A total of 45 companies participated in the project, 15 in each quasi-experimental condition. Companies were counterbalanced by size of organization and industry type. Compared to the control condition, high-intensity worksite campaigns led to a six-percentage point increase in signed donor registrations while low-intensity campaigns led to a three-percentage-point increase. Both forms of worksite campaigns led to increases in attitudes, knowledge and perceived subjective norms from pretest to posttest when compared to control sites. At the same time, worksite campaigns served to significantly reduce individual-level barriers shown to be related to donation, such as medical mistrust and desire to maintain bodily integrity. Keywords: Health Communication Campaigns; Worksite Campaigns; Organ Donation; The Workplace Partnership for Life DOI: 10.1080/03637751.2010.495948

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2008.01408.x Byline: Susan E. Morgan (1), Lauren Movius (2), Michael J. Cody (2) Abstract: Drawing on theories of social learning, social representations and the organ donation model, online surveys were used to examine the impact of organ donation storylines of 4 U.S. television dramas (CSI: NY, Numb3rs, House, and Grey's Anatomy) on viewers' attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors. Results revealed that viewers acquired knowledge from the content of each drama, despite the fact that some content was inaccurate. Viewers who were not organ donors prior to exposure to the dramas were more likely to decide to donate organs if the drama explicitly encouraged donation, portrayed characters revealing how they had become donors and discussed the merits of donating. Viewers were also more likely to become an organ donor if they were emotionally involved in the narrative. Implications for using dramas to educate and motivate the public were discussed. Abstract (Spanish): Resumen El Poder de las Narrativas: El Efecto de las Historias de Donacion de Organos en la Television de Entretenimiento sobre las Actitudes, el Conocimiento, y los Comportamientos de Donadores y No-Donadores Tomando de las teorias de comportamiento social, de representaciones sociales y el modelo de donacion de organos, encuestas online fueron usadas para examinar el impacto de la donacion de organos en las historias de 4 dramas de television de los EE.UU. (CSI: NY, Numb3rs, House, y Grey's Anatomy) sobre las actitudes, el conocimiento, y los comportamientos de los televidentes. Los resultados revelaron que los televidentes adquirieron conocimientos del contenido de cada drama, a pesar del hecho de que algun contenido era incorrecto. Los televidentes que no eran donadores de organos antes de su exposicion a los dramas, estaban mas inclinados hacia la decision de donar sus organos si el drama estimulaba explicitamente la donacion, representado por los actores revelando como ellos se convirtieron en donares de organos y discutiendo los meritos de donar. Los televidentes estaban mas inclinados a convertirse en donadores de organos si estaban emocionalmente involucrados con la narrativa. Las implicancias para el uso de dramas para educar y motivar al publico son discutidas tambien. Author Affiliation: (1)Department of Communication, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (2)Annenberg School for Communication,University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 Article note: Susan E. Morgan; e-mail: semorgan@purdue.edu

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.2008.01331.x Byline: Susan E. Morgan (1) Abstract: Social representations theory (SRT) has been underused in the communication field. This theory helps explain the interrelationships between interpersonal communication, cognition, and the mass media, particularly in situations where a new phenomenon emerges that requires some kind of social response. Because organ donation is still poorly understood by the public, in large part because of entertainment television, SRT is well suited to helping researchers and practitioners understand the complex interplay of factors within a population(s) that contribute to reluctance to donate organs after death. In this paper, it is argued that public communication campaigns should include strategies to provoke interpersonal communication about the topic as a means of creating social representations that promote behaviors that support public health. Abstract (French) Resume Au croisement des conversations, de la cognition et des campagnes de communication : La representation sociale du don d'organes La theorie des representations sociales (TRS) demeure sous-utilisee dans les sciences de la communication. Cette theorie aide a expliquer les relations entre la communication interpersonnelle, la cognition et les medias de masse, surtout dans les situations ou l'emergence d'un nouveau phenomene requiert une certaine reaction sociale. Puisque le don d'organes demeure mal compris du public, en grande partie a cause de la television recreative, la TRS est utile pour aider les chercheurs et les intervenants a comprendre l'interaction complexe, dans une population, de facteurs contribuant a une reticence a donner ses organes apres son deces. Dans cet article, il est soumis que les campagnes de communication publique devraient inclure des strategies visant a provoquer la communication interpersonnelle sur le sujet, de maniere a creer des representations sociales qui promeuvent les comportements en appui a la sante publique. Abstract (German): Abstract Die Schnittstelle zwischen personlichem Gesprach, Kognitionen und Kampagnen: Die soziale Reprasentation von Organspende Bislang fand die Theorie der sozialen Reprasentation in der Kommunikationswissenschaft nur ungenugend Anwendung. Die Theorie erklart die Beziehungen zwischen interpersonaler Kommunikation, Kognition und den Massenmedien, insbesondere in Situationen, in denen ein neues Phanomen zu Tage tritt, das eine bestimmte Art sozialer Reaktion erfordert. Da die Organspende vor allem aufgrund des Unterhaltungsfernsehens in der Offentlichkeit immer noch eher schlecht verstanden ist, tragt die Theorie der sozialen Reprasentation dazu bei, dass Forscher und Praktiker das komplexe Zusammenspiel der Faktoren besser verstehen, welches die Zuruckhaltung gegenuber der Spende von Organen nach dem Tod in verschiedenen Populationen beeinflusst. In diesem Artikel wird deshalb argumentiert, dass offentliche Kommunikationskampagnen auch Strategien beinhalten sollten, die interpersonale Kommunikation zum Thema anregen, was wiederum als Mittel dient, soziale Reprasentationen herzustellen und Verhaltensweisen zu fordern, die der offentlichen Gesundheit zutraglich sind. Abstract (Spanish): Resumen La Interseccion entre la Conversacion, las Cogniciones, y las Campanas: La Representacion Social de la Donacion de Organos La teoria de las representaciones sociales (SRT) ha sido poco usada en el campo de la comunicacion. Esta teoria ayuda a explicar las interrelaciones entre la comunicacion interpersonal, la cognicion y los medios de comunicacion, particularmente en situaciones donde un nuevo fenomeno, que requiere algun tipo de respuesta social, emerge. Dado que la donacion de organos es poco comprendida por el publico, en gran parte debido a la television de entretenimiento, la teoria de representacion social (SRT) es apropiada para ayudar a los investigadores y los profesionales a entender la complejidad de la interaccion de los factores que dentro de una poblacion (o poblaciones) contribuyen a la renuencia a donar organos despues de la muerte. Este articulo sostiene que la comunicacion publica de las campanas deberia incluir estrategias que provoquen la comunicacion interpersonal acerca del tema como un medio para crear representaciones sociales que promuevan los comportamientos de apoyo a la salud publica. Author Affiliation: (1)Department of Communication, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2098 Article note: Susan E. Morgan; e-mail: semorgan@purdue.edu

Despite the availability of free pap testing services, Jamaican women have low human papillomavirus (HPV) screening rates; 16% of women in the Kingston Metropolitan Area have been screened within the prior 3 years. This paper discusses the testing of theory-based messages to increase HPV screening uptake in a low-resource setting, using HPV self-test kits designed for this intervention. A total of 163 Jamaican women, aged 30-65 years, who had not had a pap test in at least 3 years, from two low socioeconomic status communities in Kingston, were enrolled and assigned to one of two versions of an HPV self-test kit, either with or without culturally targeted fear appeal messages. The uptake of screening was high across conditions; 95.6% of participants used the HPV self-test and returned their kits. However, surprising variations were observed in self-test acceptability, explained by differing attitudes toward the message conditions. Based on the results, we recommend four key components to increase HPV screening in low-resource settings: 1) focus on perceived threat in message design, 2) avoid written materials due to literacy concerns, 3) use culturally appropriate interpersonal or community-based channels, and 4) consider alternative solutions (such as a self-test) available at no or low cost to address structural barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has not been a significant improvement in the rate of clinical trial accrual in more than 20 years. Worse, the challenge of inadequate representation among racial and ethnic minorities also persists, deepening disparities in health. Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is a participatory communication method that centers on effective dialogue between researchers and community stakeholders with the goal of creating an equitable partnership for health and social change. The objective of the current study was to provide an update since a systematic review in 2012, on the current status of the empirical research, with a particular focus on the elements of CBPR methods used to improve the rate of accrual of members of racial and ethnic minority communities for clinical trials. Our systematic review found a large increase in the number of CBPR related studies and studies related to racial and ethnic representation in research. More than 85% of studies employing CBPR methods saw statistically positive outcomes. Specifically, the elements of CBPR that are associated with these positive outcomes include community partner participation in (1) a study advisory committee, (2) data collection, (3) the development of interventions, and (4) participant recruitment. However, the results of our study indicate that researchers need to be more transparent about the extent of community participation as well as more thoroughly and accurately describe the nature of the partnership with members of minority communities in order to build upon the scientific literature on community-engaged methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on organ donation suggests a strong association between family discussions about the issue and final organ donor status. However, very few studies have examined the factors that influence individuals' willingness to talk directly to their family about this topic or the impact of these discussions. This investigation provides a partial test of a newly developed theory of information management to better understand the processes of family discussions about organ donation. Results from two studies generally support the utility of the theory in this context, suggest ways in which organ donation campaigns may improve their effectiveness, and recommend future directions for researchers in this area. Moreover, the data show differences across ethnic groups that support and extend past work in this area. Keywords: Uncertainty; Organ Donation; Information Seeking; Family Communication

While the rate of cigarette smoking has steadily declined over the last three decades, the rate of cigar consumption has increased by 66% (Baker, et al. 2000, p. 737; Satcher, [...]

While little is known about African Americans' attitudes and knowledge about organ donation, even less is known about how African Americans' attitudes, values, and beliefs affect their behavior and behavioral intentions regarding organ donation; or how African Americans' views are similar to or different from those of European Americans. Adults working 2 sites of a national corporation were randomly selected to complete a survey about organ donation willingness, intention to sign an organ donor card, knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation, and level of altruism. Results indicate that African Americans differ significantly from Whites on several individual attitude and knowledge items. However, the basic relationship between knowledge, attitudes, values, and behaviors regarding organ donation between the 2 groups appears the same. Furthermore, these results indicate that future organ donation promotion campaigns must focus on increasing basic knowledge and countering myths about organ donation for both populations.

Cancer patients learn about research studies outside of the clinical environment, including websites, print and online advertisements, and interpersonal interactions. When cancer patients share credible information about clinical trials, they also frequently help clarify misunderstandings that may exist in their social networks. The present study investigated how an interactive tailored information aid on clinical trial participation motivated patients' information sharing behaviors. In this study of 312 cancer patients and survivors, an interactive tailored information aid improved patients' likelihood of sharing online and offline information more than a non-interactive tool. Information sharing was directly predicted by cognitive absorption and perceived visual informativeness. In addition, perceived utility and ease of use indirectly impact information sharing positively through the antecedent factors of user engagement and design esthetics. Education level further moderated this effect; information sharing was higher among patients with more education. The implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations for future research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the disproportionate burden of cervical cancer among Caribbean women, evaluations of targeted communication interventions to increase screening behaviors are sparsely represented in extant literature. Informed by data on the cognitive, affective and sociocultural factors associated with low cervical screening in the English-speaking island of Jamaica, the current study aimed to explore how theory-based message design, coupled with innovative solutions, might increase screening. In this formative research study, we first described the process used to develop culturally-targeted fear appeal messages embedded within an HPV self-sampling kit developed by the researchers. Then, we shared the results of an evaluation of the kit, which was reviewed by 36 Jamaican women in 8 focus groups, to understand the potential impact of the messages and the utility of HPV self-sampling to increase screening behaviors in this population. The results provide data on effective messages for cervical cancer prevention among Jamaican women, which may be further applicable to underscreened women in the English-speaking Caribbean. Additionally, results from this research suggest support for HPV self-sampling to address salient cultural and structural barriers to screening, which provides an impetus for experimental research in message design to inform policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Learning about clinical trials is as stressful and challenging for cancer patients as it is for the clinical staff who provide education to patients. Information aids (IAs) can support both discussions and patients' decision-making, especially when IAs offer interactive features that provide information based on individuals' needs and experiences. However, it is not clear which factors contribute to interactive IAs' effectiveness.Methods: An experiment with cancer patients and survivors (n = 313) compared the effects of two IAs about clinical trial participation: one with modality (i.e. website/technological) interactivity only and one with both modality and message interactivity (i.e. provides information contingent on individual users' information needs).Results: The IA with both modality and message interactivity features elicited the higher perceived visual informativeness (PVI) and cognitive absorption (CA) scores. The model supports the moderating role of PVI and cancer information overload (CIO), and the mediating role of CA.Conclusion: The IA with both modality and message interactivity better supported individuals' decision-making and improved attitudes and knowledge scores. CIO was experienced more by participants using the modality interactivity-only IA.Practice Implications: Message interactivity may simplify individuals' cognitive processes. IAs about clinical trial participation should include both message and modality interactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim/Purpose There is ample evidence that team processes matter more than the characteristics of individual team members; unfortunately, very few empirical studies have examined communication process variables closely or tied them to team outcomes. Background The University of Miami Laboratory for Integrated Knowledge (U-LINK) is a pilot funding mechanism that was developed and implemented based on empirically- established best practices established in the literature on the Science of Team Science (SciTS). In addition to addressing grand societal challenges, teams engaged in processes designed to enhance the process of "teaming". This study uses the Inputs-Mediator-Outputs-Inputs (IMOI) model as a blueprint for an investigation into how team communication processes (shared communication, shared leadership, formal meetings, informal meetings) influence intermediary team processes (goal clarity, role ambiguity, process clarity, trust) and team outcomes (team satisfaction, team productivity). Methodology Monte Carlo methodologies were used to explore both longitudinal self-report (survey of communication and team outcome variables) data and objective data on scholarly productivity, collected from seventy-eight members of eleven realworld intact interdisciplinary teams to explore how team communication processes affect team outcomes. Contribution This study is among the few that centers communication practice and processes in the operationalization and measurement of its constructs and which provides a test of hypotheses centered on key questions identified in the literature. Findings Communication practices are important to team processes and outcomes. Shared communication and informal meetings were associated with increased team satisfaction and increased research productivity. Shared leadership was associated with increased research productivity, as well as improved process and goal clarity. Formal meetings were associated with increased goal clarity and decreased role ambiguity. Recommendations for Practitioners Team trainings should focus on communication practices that improve shared leadership and shared communication. Additionally, teaching best practices for formal (task-oriented) meetings can help improve goal clarity and decrease role ambiguity. Finally, the benefits of informal socializing should be recognized, and teams should be encouraged to meet informally (socially, without formal task agendas). Recommendations for Researchers Studying intact interdisciplinary research teams requires innovative methods and clear specification of variables. Challenges associated with access to limited numbers of teams should not preclude engaging in research as each study contributes to our larger body of knowledge of the factors that influence the success of interdisciplinary research teams. Impact on Society The success of interdisciplinary teams can be improved with trainings focused on communication skills. The success of these teams is critical to addressing societies' most pressing challenges, and careful consideration of team processes is critical to that success. Future Research Future research should examine different team formation and funding mechanisms and extend observation and data collection for longer periods of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this project was to identify the strategies available to educate patients about tinnitus and to provide guidelines and instructions on how to develop better tinnitus education intervention. Method: A scoping review of peer-reviewed published articles about tinnitus education was conducted. After an initial review of 306 articles, 18 were included in the final review. The information extracted included data on the content conveyed to patients about tinnitus, the format employed, the process used to develop the educational materials, and patients' outcomes linked to tinnitus education. Results: The outcomes provided by the interventions were perceptual, behavioral, and clinical in nature. The format and the content provided by the interventions were heterogeneous. Effective tinnitus education interventions provided specific coping strategies in their curriculum. Conclusion: Educating patients about tinnitus is important to improving their perceptions of the condition and their management behaviors. Healthcare providers and patients need to collaborate to create patient-centered, ad hoc plans. It is important to identify patients' expectations about the outcomes and shared goals. The educational curricula should include basic anatomy and physiology of the auditory system as well as coping strategies, such as attention distraction mechanisms and sound therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health communication experts continually seek out effective strategies to strengthen persuasive campaigns. While there is evidence that verbal metaphors can improve persuasion, little attention has been given to the potential of visual metaphors to enhance health communication effects. To fill this gap, an experiment was conducted to test the effects of metaphor modality (visual vs. verbal) and type of fear appeal used (death-based or appearance-based) on skin protection intentions. Additionally, the moderating role of an individual characteristic (need for cognition), and the mediating role of two processing outcomes (message elaboration and perceived message effectiveness) were examined. Results indicated that there was no significant difference between the main effects of metaphor modality and type of fear appeal, but these message features interacted making the death-based fear appeal the most effective strategy. Need for cognition directly affected perceptions of effectiveness but did not affect skin protection intentions nor message elaboration. Of the two message processing outcomes examined, only perceived message effectiveness mediated the relationship between metaphor modality and skin protection intentions. Theoretical explanations and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enrollment rates for cancer clinical trials remain low, affecting the generalizability of new treatments. Research shows that many patients face significant challenges in understanding basic clinical trial vocabulary and making informed decisions about participation. Informational aids (IA) are developed to address these challenges and support decision making of cancer clinical trial participation. The present study proposed and tested a structural path model to explain the efficacy of three (i.e., interactive, non-interactive, non-cancer control) IAs. The results revealed that clinical trial participation intention was associated with attitudes and social constructs (i.e., social norm, social sharing, and cues to action). Ease of use, rather than knowledge, was the primary communication feature of IA that influenced the outcome variables. The path relations linking messages features, mediators, and outcome variables were different across all three IAs. The results therefore provide theoretical and practical implications for the use and development of IAs to support clinical trial accrual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enrollment rates of cancer clinical trials remain low, affecting the delivery of effective medical treatments. Recent research has documented common factors affecting trial participation, but to improve these efforts more studies are needed to further understand specific concerns and issues of potential participants in multiple contexts. Forums and other online peer-to-peer health communities are crucial to the coping and survivorship of cancer patients. Online health communities will offer valuable information to understand how patients discuss perceptions, motivations, and challenges associated with clinical trial participation, and to understand how patients provide support to each other. The present study conducted a content analysis of 270 posts shared by 154 unique users between August 2017 and January 2018 on a popular online breast cancer forum. The analysis identifies common characteristics of patient users, salient post themes, perceived barriers, emotions, and misconceptions regarding clinical trial participation. The study findings are generally consistent with previous studies but provide in-depth insights into online support between cancer patients about clinical trial participation. Implications for practice and future research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communicating about clinical trials and medical research is challenging. An appropriate communication is essential to reduce some of the barriers associated with poor patients' enrollment in clinical trials and with patients' uninformed consent or uninformed refusal. An experiment was conducted to assess the effects of educational animations compared to brochures with and without visuals, and with the materials currently used by the NIH. These materials focused on explaining placebos, randomization, the steps necessary to enroll in a clinical trial, and how and by who patients' protection is ensured. A total of 1194 cancer patients and survivors completed this 4 by 4 experiment through a Qualtrics panel. The findings showed that animations improved participants knowledge about and attitudes toward clinical trials and were more effective than brochures presenting information from the NIH, especially for those individuals with low motivation and low ability to comprehend health-related information. Several evidence-based theoretical explanations of the functioning of animations are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies show significant association between cancer risk and being a firefighter. After exposure to even routine firefighting, firefighters' bunker gear often contains carcinogens that may be absorbed through contact or inhaled through off-gassing, thereby increasing cancer risk. Awareness of increased cancer risk has given rise to policies and practices focused on gear cleaning and decontamination processes to decrease risk; yet, these efforts are in their infancy and tend to be somewhat piecemeal in nature. This study presents a theory-based communication intervention tailored to the unique context of high-reliability organizations (HROs). The intervention focused on increasing postfire decontamination behaviors to reduce exposure to carcinogens among firefighters. Results of the intervention across 14 fire stations from 2 fire departments in South Florida show significant increases in attitudes, norms, and self-efficacy, decreases in perceived barriers, and increased intention to engage in decontamination processes. While the intervention was highly successful in both fire departments, there were significant differences in between organizations; attitudes perceived norms, and barriers to gear cleaning remained significantly different. This highlights the need to examine the specific context of the organization in designing interventions. In line with previous research on HROs, regression models showed that norms and self-efficacy are the strongest predictors of current behavior. However, postintervention, attitudes emerge as the strongest predictor of future behavior. The results of this study provide valuable evidence for utilizing theoretical elements in message design for interventions in HROs, and of the importance of designing communication for specific sites of intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firefighters are exposed to carcinogens such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during fires and from their personal protective equipment (PPE). Recent research has shown that decontamination processes can reduce contamination on both gear and skin. While firefighter cultures that honor dirty gear are changing, little is known about current attitudes and behaviors toward decontamination in the fire service. Four hundred eighty-five firefighters from four departments completed surveys about their attitudes, beliefs, perceived norms, barriers, and behaviors toward post-fire decontamination processes. Overall, firefighters reported positive attitudes, beliefs, and perceived norms about decontamination, but showering after a fire was the only decontamination process that occurred regularly, with field decontamination, use of cleansing wipes, routine gear cleaning, and other behaviors all occurring less frequently. Firefighters reported time and concerns over wet gear as barriers to decontamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]