ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the role of health communication professionals in primary, secondary, and tertiary care domains. Communication challenges in coordinating care are identified (e.g., in cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship), with a focus on relational perspectives and integrative management (including complementary and alternative medicine approaches in whole person care). The role of communication in integrative diagnostic, rehabilitative, and palliative contexts is explained in relation to barriers to and facilitators for providing person-centered care, interprofessional communication, patient education, and increasing utilization of medical technologies (e.g., for in-home healthcare). Health policy challenges are discussed, as they affect equitable distribution of self-care, home care, and community care, with the importance of socioeconomic status and structural determinants in self-management and patient empowerment highlighted. Communication and policy barriers to coordinating care in those contexts for vulnerable individuals (e.g., seniors) and those with complex health needs (e.g., multimorbid conditions characteristic of chronic illness domains) are identified. Students consider how a whole person approach can bridge gaps in care across institutions and domains (e.g., nursing facilities, institutional corrections facilities, and rehabilitation facilities), offering opportunities for minority and underserved populations to manage their health needs.
