Taking Action for Heart-healthy and Stroke-free States

A Communication Guide for Policy and Environmental Change

Communication is increasingly recognized as a core competency for public health practice because people must both hear and be heard for changes to be implemented. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cardiovascular Health Branch is pleased to provide a new tool, A Communication Guide for Policy and Environmental Change. This guide was developed to assist health programs reduce the disabling, costly, and growing national tragedy of heart disease and stroke. It is intended to help public groups and decision makers implement the important policy and environmental changes needed to promote cardiovascular health and prevent and control heart disease and stroke.

This resource incorporates two key public health priorities: 1) to increase expertise in translating basic science into practice and 2) to implement policy and environmental changes to improve health. The guide includes technical how-to information, references, and examples of communication from state programs. The guide has been developed by the Cardiovascular Health Branch as part of its commitment to move the most promising communication practices into the mainstream of policy and environmental change in health care, work site, school, and community settings.

The guide is available on this Web site in PDF format, and it will periodically be updated with information and resources relevant to communication activities dealing with such things as emergency response, quality of health care, elimination of disparities in care, awareness of signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke, and control of high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol levels.

We hope you find the guide useful as you develop communication strategies in your work.

Sincerely,

Darwin Labarthe, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.
Associate Director for Cardiovascular Health Policy and Research Acting Chief, Cardiovascular Health Branch
Division of Adult and Community Health
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
 

Date last reviewed: 05/12/2006
Content source: Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion