Current Projects
Attitudes towards persons with mental illness in a polarizing society
While public attitudes towards the treatment of mental illnesses improved between 1990 and 2011, acceptance of persons with severe mental illness has declined during the same period. Today, against a backdrop of an increasingly polarized public opinion on minority rights, persons with mental illness seem to be at risk of even stronger stigmatization. To be able to improve public attitudes in social contexts where negative attitudes are particularly pronounced, new perspectives on our understanding of the stigma of mental illness and on targeted interventions to improve stigmatization are necessary. Thus, Prof. Dr. med. Georg Schomerus from the Universitätsklinik Leipzig (PI) and Prof. (em.) Dr. med. Matthias Angermeyer from the Center for Public Mental Health and Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann (Hanover Center for Health Communication) investigate public attitudes towards persons with mental illness and focus on social contexts and the social function of stigmatization. The project, which is funded by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, aims amongst other to reveal the impact of social milieus on the emerge of negative attitudes towards and stigmatization of people with mental illnesses. To learn more about the project, please click here or read an article in the journal of the Fritz Thyssen Foundation.
» Contact Person: Eva Baumann, Anna Freytag
Project run time: since 10/2018
Papers
Spahlholz, J., Baumann, E., Müller-Hilmer, R., Hilmer, R., Sander, C., Schindler, S., Speerforck, S., Angermeyer, M. C. & Schomerus, G. (2023). Do values and political attitudes affect help-seeking? Exploring reported help-seeking for mental health problems in a general population sample using a milieu framework. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 32, e49. doi.org/10.1017/S2045796023000641
Angermeyer, M. C., Schindler, S., Matschinger, H., Baumann, E. & Schomerus, G. (2023). The rise in acceptance of mental health professionals: help-seeking recommendations of the German public 1990–2020. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 32, e11, 1 - 9. doi.org/10.1017/S204579602300001X
Freytag, A., Baumann, E., Angermeyer, M., & Schomerus, G. (2023). Self- and surrogate-seeking of information about mental health and illness in Germany. BMC Public Health, 23(1). doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-14998-0
Schomerus, G., Sander, C., Schindler, S., Baumann, E. & Angermeyer, M. C. (2023). Public attitudes towards protecting the human rights of people with mental illness: a scoping review and data from a popula-tion trend study in Germany. International Review of Psychiatry, 35(2), 167–179. doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2022.2087494
Schomerus, G., Schindler, S., Sander, C., Baumann, E. & Angermeyer, M. C. (2022). Changes in mental illness stigma over 30 years – improvement, persistence, or deterioration? European Psychiatry, 65(1), e78, 1–7. doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.2337
Schomerus, G., Schindler, S., Baumann, E. & Angermeyer, M. C. (2022). Changes in continuum beliefs for depression and schizophrenia in the general population 2011-2020: a widening gap. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. Vorab-Onlinepublikation. doi.org/10.1007/s00127-022-02272-4
Schomerus, G., Baumann, E., Sander, C., Speerforck, S. & Angermeyer, M. C. (2021). Some good news for psychiatry: resource allocation preferences of the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. World Psychiatry, 20(2), 301-302. doi.org/10.1002/wps.20875
Presentations
Freytag, A., Baumann, E., Angermeyer, M., & Schomerus, G. (2022, November). Selbst schuld und gefährlich noch dazu: Kognitive Frames zum Krankheitsbild Depression und deren Bedeutung für das individuelle Kommunikationsinteresse. Vortrag im Rahmen der 7. Jahrestagung der DGPuK-Fachgruppe Gesundheitskommunikation, 16.-18. November 2022, Bielefeld.
Freytag, A., Baumann, E., Hahm, S., Angemeyer, M. & Schomerus, G. (2020, April). Counselling, Gossiping, or Silence – Interpersonal Communication about Mental Illnesses and its Role for Stigmatization. Paper presented at the Kentucky Conference on Health Communication, April 1-3, 2020, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Freytag, A., Baumann, E., Hahm, S., Angemeyer, M. & Schomerus, G. (2019, November). Stigmatization of mental health: The role of social contexts. Paper presented at the European Conference on Health Communication, November 13-15, 2019, Zurich, Switzerland.
Freytag, A., Baumann, E., Hahm, S., Angermeyer, M., & Schomerus, G. (2019, September). Of dangerous criminals and burned-out top managers: Public perception of media coverage on mental illness. Paper presented at the International Symposium on Anti-Stigma-Communication: “Communication and Stigmatization: Theory, Research, and Applications”, 19.-20. September 2019, Dortmund, Germany.
Agile bioinspired architectures (ABA)
The research network led by Leibniz Universität Hannover is dealing with biologization and digitalization in the sense of a "Great Transformation" of society towards sustainable, biobased innovations in interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approaches. The focus is on digital structures and architectures based on artificial intelligence to support the biologization of processes and products. IJK is responsible for research on societal perception and participation for all three sectors Personalized Medicine & Medical Technology (A), Pharma (B) and Food & Fine Chemistry (C).
In the sector of personalized medicine and medical technology, [HC]² uses the example of cancer diagnostics and therapy recommendations to investigate the question of when and under what circumstances such developments are (not) accepted. Digital structures and platforms for merging patient data and for linking with bioinspired diagnostics and new imaging techniques form the nucleus for patient-specific therapy recommendations. Personalized medicine holds enormous potential for differentiated diagnostics and thus for precisely tailored and effective therapies that can reduce the risks of overuse, underuse and misuse. At the same time, it requires additional professional and mediation skills from physicians and additional decision-making skills from patients. In a mixed-methods study, we therefore aim to identify barriers to information and acceptance of personalized medicine.
» Contact: Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann, Prof. Dr. Christoph Klimmt sowie Tanja Fisse, M.A., Magdalena Rosset, M.A.,Charlotte Schrimpff, M.A. und Nico Spreen, M.A.
Project term: 01/2022 – 06/2025
BiPsy Monitor
The aim of project is to establish a nationwide child and adolescent monitor that maps the psychosocial care of children and adolescents in Germany. To this purpose, the care situation of children and adolescents with mental stress and abnormalities as well as the interplay of mental health, educational and teaching characteristics will be investigated in a longitudinal study. The project is funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung and conducted in cooperation with the Faculty of Life Sciences (Institute of Psychology, Prof. Dr. Julian Schmitz) and the Faculty of Education (Prof. Hendrik Saalbach) of the University of Leipzig.
Our research focuses on identifying barriers to information and access to mental health support and counseling. A particular focus is to examine stigma mechanisms from the perspective of students, parents, and teachers. In the long term, the project aims to improve support services, develop destigmatizing and motivating communication activities, and facilitate access to care.
»Contact: Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann and Katarina Heitz, M.Sc.
Project term: 04/2023 – 12/2026
Cancer prevention in dialog
In cooperation with the Cancer Information Service (Krebsinformationsdienst, KID), the BRCA-Netzwerk e.V and the University of Bielefeld, we are conducting a research project on the participatory development and implementation of a digital online dialogue platform for knowledge transfer on risk-adapted cancer prevention and early detection. The inclusion of affected persons and relatives from cancer self-help as well as the involvement of people from different areas of society enables to focus more strongly on previously neglected formats and target groups that are hard to reach. Thus, the communication process is shaped interactively and with the significant participation of those seeking advice. Supported by a qualitative and quantitative evaluation, the online dialog platform will be developed, piloted, implemented, and tested for its effectiveness. It integrates selected communication formats, such as a live chat with KID physicians, through which interested individuals can obtain information on the topic of familial cancer risk.
Contact: Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann and Paula Memenga, M.A.
Project term: 06/2021 – 2025
Papers
Memenga, P., Baumann, E., Luetke Lanfer, H., Reifegerste, D., Geulen, J., Weber, W., Hahne, A., Müller, A. & Weg-Remers, S. (2023). Intentions of Patients With Cancer and Their Relatives to Use a Live Chat on Familial Cancer Risk: Results From a Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e45198. doi.org/10.2196/45198
Luetke Lanfer, H., Reifegerste, D., Berg, A., Memenga, P., Baumann, E., Weber, W., Geulen, J., Müller, A., Hahne, A., Weg-Remers, S. (2023). Understanding Trust Determinants in a Live Chat Service on Familial Cancer: Qualitative Triangulation Study With Focus Groups and Interviews in Germany. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e44707. doi.org/10.2196/44707
Presentations
Memenga, P., Baumann, E., Lütke Lanfer, H., Reifegerste, D., Geulen, J., Weber, W., Hahne, A., Müller, A. & Weg-Remers, S. (2022, November). Krebsprävention im Dialog – Prädiktoren der Nutzungsintention eines Live-Chats zur risikoadaptierten Krebsprävention und -früherkennung. Vortrag im Rahmen der 7. Jahrestagung der DGPuK-Fachgruppe Gesundheitskommunikation, 16.-18. November 2022, Bielefeld.
Lütke Lanfer, H., Reifegerste, D., Memenga, P., Baumann, E., Geulen, J., Weber, W., Weg-Remers, S., Hahne, A., & Müller, A. In Dialogue About Cancer Prevention: Introducing a Project on Developing a Live Chat on Familial Cancer Risk. Vortrag im Rahmen der 3rd International Conference on Cancer Prevention (CCP), 26.-27. Oktober 2022, Heidelberg.
Caring for patients during and beyond the corona crisis: The need for digital transformation of health information provision to acutely and chronically ill patients (DigiCare)
The project, which is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, is dedicated to digital communication between medical professionals and patients, particularly with regard to new forms of information provision for patients. Most recently, the Corona pandemic highlighted how challenging it can be to provide appropriate care to acute and chronically ill patients due to the avoidance of healthcare. To meet the strong need of patients for high quality information, digital information delivery by healthcare professionals seems to be essential and is able to overcome new barriers to healthcare provision during and after health crises. The aim of the project is to assess the potential of the digital transformation of health information provision from the perspective of both patients and medical professionals, and to investigate the impact of digital information formats on patients' trust, satisfaction, knowledge and treatment compliance. The project is supported by the startup Medicstream, which will be used as an example to explore the impact of existing services.
Contact: Paula Memenga, M.A.
Project term: 04/2021 – 09/2022
Papers
Link, E. & Memenga, P. (2023). Digitale, personalisierte Gesundheitsinformationsangebote von Ärzt*innen: Ergebnisse einer Befragung von Patient*innen und Ärzt*innen zu Akzeptanz und Anforderungen. Bundesgesundheitsblatt – Gesundheitsforschung – Gesundheitsschutz [Advanced Online Publication]. doi.org/10.1007/s00103-023-03750-z
Presentations
Link, E. & Memenga, P. (2022, November). Auf dem Weg zur digitalen Transformation der ärztlichen Informationsbereitstellung: Förderung der Selbstverantwortung von Patient*innen durch digitale Informationsangebote. Vortrag im Rahmen der 7. Jahrestagung der DGPuK-Fachgruppe Gesundheitskommunikation, 16.-18. November 2022, Bielefeld.
Memenga, P. & Link, E. (2022, Oktober). Predictors of Patients’ Intentions to Use a Physician-Provided Digital Health Information Service: Extending the UTAUT2 by Informational Social Norms and eHealth Literacy. Vortrag im Rahmen der 9th European Communication Conference (ECREA), 19.-22. Oktober 2022, Aarhus, Dänemark.
Counselling of Cancer Patients and their Families
In the course of a research cooperation with the Cancer Information Service of the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, we are investigating the counseling needs of cancer patients and their relatives and how they have changed over the last 25 years. By analyzing the long-term data of the Cancer Information Service, insights can be gained about cancer-related information requirements against the background of various impact factors, such as the information’s function or the state of disease.
Contact: Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann, Magdalena Rosset, M.A.
Project duration: since 06/2017
Cyberchondria
In cooperation with Prof. Dr. Marie-Luise Dierks and Prof. Dr. Astrid Müller from the Hanover Medical School (MHH), we investigate the dysfunctional consequences of excessive health-related information seeking on the Internet. The dysfunctional consequences include "cyberchondria". This describes that online users develop serious fears of becoming seriously ill through intensive online research of, for example, symptoms of illness.
An online survey of 1000 participants in an online access panel will be used to identify the influencing factors of "cyberchondria" and fear of illness. These include how health-related information is handled itself as well as socio-demographic, psychosocial and health-related factors and social context factors.
Contact: Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann, Dr. Elena Link und Dr. Dorothée Hefner
Project duration: since 2019
Papers:
Müller, A., Baumann, E. & Dierks, M.-L. (2022). Cyberchondria. In E. Ho, C. Bylund & J. van Weert (Hrsg.), The International Encyclopedia of Health Communication (S. 1–6). Wiley. doi.org/10.1002/9781119678816.iehc0624
Müller, A., Baumann, E. & Dierks, M.-L. (2021). Cyberchondria - a new behavioral syndrome?[Cyberchondrie – ein neues Verhaltenssyndrom?]
Digital Health Apps for Mental Illness in Primary Care
In April 2020, the graduation programme “Chronic Diseases and Health Literacy” was launched at the Hanover Medical School (MHH). The program aims to create theories, models, and empirical foundations that strengthen the concept of health literacy. Within this programme, one research project with the focus on digital health literacy is supervised at the Hanover Center for Health Communication.
The provision of care for people with mental illnesses in Germany is characterized, among other things, by long waiting times for treatment places. Digital health applications offer an opportunity to bridge waiting times and reduce gaps in care for patients. At the same time, they are complex and interactive interventions that require users to have both health and digital literacy skills. The objectives of the PhD project are to determine the role of primary care providers' assessment of digital health literacy in prescribing digital health applications and how patients feel empowered to use digital health applications.
Contact: Jaqueline Posselt, Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann
Project duration: 04/2020 - 04/2023
FairMediaSUCHT – Media Guideline to Stigma-Free Media Presentation of People with Substance Use Disorders
Substance use disorders are among the most stigmatized diseases. For the development of stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination, negatively connoted media representations play an important role. Substance-related addiction is portrayed as misconduct and as a sign of personal weakness rather than a disease, which raises the threshold for people to seek help and makes early preventive intervention difficult. Against this background, the aim of our cooperation project with Prof. Dr. Georg Schomerus of the University Leipzig, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Health, is to analyze the media coverage about substance use disorders and to develop a media guideline. This guide is intended to give media substance use disorders in the media so that the social stigma is not reinforced, but rather that the reporting ideally even helps to reduce it.
The media guide can be found and downloaded here.
Contact: Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann, Anna Freytag M.A.
Project duration: since 12/2019
Papers
Baumann, E., Horsfield, P., Freytag, A. & Schomerus, G. (2022). The Role of Media Reporting for Substance Use Stigma. In G. Schomerus & P. W. Corrigan (Hrsg.), The stigma of substance use disorders (S. 213–231). Cambridge University Press.
Presentations
Freytag, A., Rosset, M., Baumann, E. & Schomerus, G. (2022, November). Ursachen, Lösungen und Folgen: Kausale Zusammenhänge und Verantwortungszuschreibung im Kontext von Alkoholabhängigkeit in deutschen Tageszeitungen und Zeitschriften. Poster im Rahmen der 7. Jahrestagung der DGPuK-Fachgruppe Gesundheitskommunikation, 16.-18. November 2022, Bielefeld.
Familiy communication and resilience
Nowadays, families are exposed to a variety of stressors and strains in their everyday lives. This is why stress is an unavoidable part of family life. Against this background, communication may not only appear to be an important resource that enables families to deal effectively with stressful events, but it is also regarded as one of the fundamental key factors in promoting family resilience and health.
In this research project, we want to investigate the role of family communication in family resilience in more detail. In the first step, qualitative interviews with parents were conducted. We asked how parent-child communication takes place in general, how it develops considering stressors and resources, and what contribution it can make to family resilience. In a second step, the role of communication for family resilience will be systematically investigated in a quantitative survey in summer 2020. Aims of the research project are to characterize family communication in a more differentiated way than before and to find out what contribution individual communication behavior, routines, content, and communication types make to family resilience beyond the dimensions already found in family resilience research.
Contact: Miriam Jaspersen, Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann
Project duration: since 2019
Health Information Seeking and Avoiding in Europe (HISA)
The communication of health information is no longer limited to doctor-patient interaction. Particularly the Internet is also becoming increasingly important. However, not all people are willing and able to deal with health information. In a comparative study for Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, together with our cooperation partners from the Universiteit van Amsterdam, the Université Fribourg and the Università della Svizzera italiana, we are interested in the willingness of respondents to obtain information and the factors influencing the search for and avoidance of health information. Above all we focus on the barriers to information seeking behaviors.
» Contact Person: Elena Link, Eva Baumann
Project run time: since 12/2018
Papers
Link, E. & Baumann, E. (2021). Efficacy assessments as influencing factors of uncertainty preferences. European Journal of Health Psychology, 29, 134-144. doi.org/10.1027/2512-8442/a000092
Link, E. (2021). Die problematische Nicht-Nutzung: Eine Charakterisierung der Vermeider*innen und Nicht-Nutzer*innen von Gesundheitsinformationen. In F. Sukalla & C. Voigt (Hrsg.), Risiken und Potenziale in der Gesundheitskommunikation. Proceedings of the annual conference of the DGPuK working group on health communication 2020 (p. 9-20). doi.org/10.21241/ssoar.74285
Link, E. & Baumann, E. (2022). Explaining cancer information avoidance comparing people with and without cancer experience in the family. Psycho-Oncology, 31(3), 442–449. doi.org/10.1002/pon.5826
Link, E., Baumann, E., Linn, A., Fahr, A., Schulz, P. & Abuzahra, M. E. (2021). Influencing factors of online health information seeking in selected European countries: Analysis of country specifics. European Journal of Health Communication, 2(1), 29-55. doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2021.002
Presentations
Lung, Q., Schulz, P.J., Link, E. & Baumann, E. (2023, Mai). How patient-centered communication affects cancer information avoidance: Observations from cancer patients and non-cancer individuals. Vortrag im Rahmen der 73. Jahrestagung der International Communication Association (ICA), 25. – 29. Mai 2023, Toronto, Kanada.
Link, E., Rosset, M., Baumann, E., van Weert, J., Fahr, A. & Schulz, P. (2019, November). First steps to a European perspective on health information seeking behaviors. Presentation at the European Conference on Health Communication, November 13-15, 2019, Zurich, Switzerland.
HINTS Germany
More and more people search the Internet for health-related information and the role model in health care is changing. This requires an increase in patient’s sovereignty, a solid knowledge base regarding health topics and the skills as well as the willingness of the patients to keep themselves well-informed HINTS Germany is a cooperation of the Stiftung Gesundheitswissen and the Hanover Center for Health Communication and is up to now the biggest national survey on the health information behavior of the adult German population. HINTS Germany is an adaption of the well-established „Health Information National Trends Surveys" (HINTS) that is regularly conducted in the US since 2003.
» Contact Person: Eva Baumann and Dr. Elena Link
Project run time: since 03/2018
Papers
Grimm, M., Link, E., Albrecht, M., Czerwinski, F., Baumann, E. & Suhr, R. (2023). Exploring Functions and Predictors of Digital Health Engagement Among German Internet Users: Survey Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e44024. doi.org/10.2196/44024
Link, E., Baumann, E., Kreps, G. L., Czerwinski, F., Rosset, M., & Suhr, R. (2022). Expanding the Health Information National Trends Survey Research Program Internationally to Examine Global Health Communication Trends: Comparing Health Information Seeking Behaviors in the U.S. and Germany. Journal of Health Communication, 27(8), 545-554. doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2022.2134522
Link, E., Baumann, E., Czerwinski, F., Rosset, M., & Suhr, R. (2022). Of seekers and nonseekers: Characteristics of Covid‐19‐related information‐seeking behaviors. World Medical & Health Policy, 14(2), 276–294.
Czerwinski, F., Link, E., Rosset, M., Baumann, E. & Suhr, R. (2021). Correlates of the perceived quality of patient–provider communication among German adults. European Journal of Public Health, 31(5), 979–984. doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckab131
Baumann, E., Czerwinski, F., Rosset, M., Seelig, M. & Suhr, R. (2020). Wie informieren sich die Menschen in Deutschland zum Thema Gesundheit? Erkenntnisse aus der ersten Welle von HINTS Germany. Bundesgesundheitsblatt – Gesundheitsforschung – Gesundheitsschutz, 63(9), 1151-1160.
Presentations
Rosset, M., Link, E., Baumann, E., Czerwinski, F. & Suhr, R. (2022, Mai). Of Seekers and Non-Seekers: Characteristics of COVID-19-Related Information Seeking Behaviors. Präsentation im Rahmen der 72. Jahrestagung der International Communication Association (ICA), 26. – 30. Mai 2022, Paris, Frankreich.
Czerwinski, F., Link, E., Rosset, M., Baumann, E. & Suhr, R. Patientenzentrierte Sicht auf die Qualität der Arzt-Patienten-Kommunikation. Präsentation im Rahmen der 56. Konferenz der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Sozialmedizin und Prävention (DGSMP), 22.-24.09.2021, online.
Link, E. Czerwinski, F., Baumann, E., Kreps, G.L., Rosset, M., & Suhr, R. (2021, Mai). Explaining health information seeking behaviors among U.S. and German residents. Präsentation im Rahmen der 71. Jahrestagung der International Communication Association (ICA), 27.-31. Mai 2021 [digital].
Grimm, M., Link, E., Höppner, C., & Albrecht, M., (2020, Februar). Wie lässt sich die Vermeidung von Gesundheitsinformationen erklären? Erkenntnisse aus dem Health Information National Trend Survey (HINTS) Germany. Posterpräsentation im Rahmen des EbM-Kongresses, 13.-15. Februar 2020, Basel.
Link, E., Czerwinski, F., Baumann, E., Rosset, M., Suhr, R. & Kreps, G. L. (2020, April). A cross-national comparison examining major determinants of health information seeking experiences in the U.S. and Germany. Posterpräsentation im Rahmen der Kentucky Conference on Health Communication (KCHC), 2.-4. April 2020, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Czerwinski, F., Rosset, M., Höppner, C., Link, E. & Baumann, E. (2019, November). How to foster health-related self-efficacy? An analysis of interconnections between social, health and informational inequalities. Vortrag im Rahmen der European Conference on Health Communication, 13.-15. November 2019, Zürich.
Baumann, E., Rosset, M., & Czerwinski, F. (2019, Mai). HINTS in a Global Context – Germany. Vortrag im Rahmen der HINTS Data Users Conference, 22.-23. Mai 2019, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Baumann, E., Czerwinski, F. & Albrecht, M. (2019, Mai). HINTS Germany – Trendstudie zum Gesundheitsinformationsverhalten. Vortrag im Rahmen des 2. Internationalen Symposiums Gesundheitskompetenz: Forschung – Praxis – Politik, 2.-3. Mai 2019, Bielefeld
Mindfulness and smartphone use - The effect of mindfulness on online vigilance, stress and dysfunctional smartphone use
In current research, there is increasing evidence that mindfulness might be a protective factor against automatic, habitual, unconscious, and therefore often dysfunctional and harmful media use. In our project, we aim to test this empirically in multiple steps. In a first study, we surveyed participants of an eight-week mindfulness training (MBSR) before and after their course participation. The aim was to investigate whether participation in the training influenced smartphone and Internet use as well as the well-being of the participants. This way, we want to better understand how people can take advantage of the positive effects of new technologies and at the same time are not stressed by them. In a second study, we are currently investigating the connections between dispositional mindfulness, dysfunctional and automatic smartphone use as well as stress and well-being in a representative cross-sectional survey. Should mindfulness and its training prove to be a support for a more functional and less automated use of smartphones, our results could help to integrate mindfulness training more intensively into health care and media literacy training.
Project management: Dr. Dorothée Hefner, Anna Freytag, M.A.
Project duration: Since January 2019
Mobile Corona Testing for systematically relevant industries in Lower Saxony (sub-project "MCA-Response")
A transdisciplinary consortium has developed mobile corona test stations to regularly test as many people as possible for the coronavirus in system-relevant areas in the shortest possible time. The intention is to improve evidence on the dynamics of the virus spread and to give employees more confidence about their infection status. The increase in test capacities also makes an important contribution to the health protection of the population and the effective containment of the Sars-CoV-2 virus. The Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture supports the project. The developed infrastructure will also be transferable to other locations and regions.
The focus of the Mobile Corona Analytics (MCA) project is a reliable and quickly available test for Sars-CoV-2 among employees in systemically relevant industries. In the sub-project ("MCA-Response") located at the Hanover Center for Health Communication, the attitudes, experiences and the information evaluation from the tested persons will be surveyed in a longitudinal survey with three waves. These results will be compared with the perceptions and assessments of the general population in Lower Saxony. Furthermore, the media coverage of tests for Sars-CoV-2 in the course of the pandemic will be analyzed. In this way, the dynamics of problem perceptions and evaluations, information needs, and information behavior as well as the public discourse are investigated. This should also help to identify communication challenges facing tests and to deal with them more effectively in the future, to further develop the mobile testing infrastructure and to adapt it to the needs of employees. Project partners are Prof. Dr. Stefanie Heiden and Prof. Dr. Thomas Scheper from the Leibniz University Hanover and Prof. Dr. Meike Stiesch from the Hannover Medical School.
Contact: Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann Dr. Elena Link
Project duration: since 04/2020
Transfer Life as part of the "Hanover Transfer Campus" network
The network "Hanover Transfer Campus", comprising of the Leibniz University Hannover, the Hannover Medical School, the Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, pursues the goal of strengthening the exchange between stakeholders from science, business, society and politics in the Hanover region and creating a regional innovation ecosystem.
In the sub-project "Transfer Life", the Hanover Center for Health Communication [HC]², together with partners in practice such as the Metropolregion and the Gesundheitswirtschaft Hannover e.V., is working on the development of new knowledge-based transfer formats for exchange and networking between universities and companies or institutions in the health and social economy. The aim is to develop a demand-oriented toolbox and identify best practice approaches that will strengthen regional transfer in the long term. This includes in particular dialogue and creative formats as well as supply- and demand-oriented formats from one-to-ones, workshops, and cooperation models to large industry events. The Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture and the Volkswagen Foundation support the project for a period of five years.
Contact: Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann, Magdalena Rosset
Project duration: 07/2019 - 07/2024
National oral cancer awareness campaign
The project "Improvement of early detection of oral cancer: Formative Multilevel Evaluation for the Concept Development of a National Education Campaign" with the University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein will develop a well-founded, structured and comprehensive education campaign with scientific evaluation for oral cancer in Germany.
Most patients seek medical attention at an advanced stage of oral cancer. This results in extensive treatment, reduced quality of life and a significantly poorer prognosis. The planned educational campaign aims to promote successful early detection by increasing the knowledge and awareness of oral cancer among the general public and the professional groups involved. In the communication science subproject, we will survey the knowledge of the elderly population in a formative multi-level evaluation. In addition, we will conduct a standardized content analysis of the media coverage of oral cancer and a potential analysis for the further development of the campaign media.
Project website: www.uksh.de/mkg-kiel/NaPrae_Mundkrebs
»Contact persons at IJK: Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann and Lisa Felgendreff, M. Sc.
Project Duration: 01/2023 – 06/2025
National oral cancer awareness campaign
The project "Improvement of early detection of oral cancer: Formative Multilevel Evaluation for the Concept Development of a National Education Campaign" with the University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein will develop a well-founded, structured and comprehensive education campaign with scientific evaluation for oral cancer in Germany.
Most patients seek medical attention at an advanced stage of oral cancer. This results in extensive treatment, reduced quality of life and a significantly poorer prognosis. The planned educational campaign aims to promote successful early detection by increasing the knowledge and awareness of oral cancer among the general public and the professional groups involved. In the communication science subproject, we will survey the knowledge of the elderly population in a formative multi-level evaluation. In addition, we will conduct a standardized content analysis of the media coverage of oral cancer and a potential analysis for the further development of the campaign media.
Project website: www.uksh.de/mkg-kiel/NaPrae_Mundkrebs
»Contact persons at IJK: Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann and Lisa Felgendreff, M. Sc.
Project Duration: 01/2023 – 06/2025
Non-users of the women's and men's health portal: an analysis of gender-specific information needs and barriers to the use of health information
One of the greatest challenges in health communication is to reach those population groups who have little interest in health information, do not actively search for it, and do not feel adequately addressed by the available offerings - even if they are aware of them - or try to prevent contact with certain messages. Although it is known that non-use and avoidance of health information is an everyday behavior, little is known about the motives and barriers for such behaviors and what characterizes non-users. From a gender perspective, the project therefore aims to contribute to a better understanding of information behavior and to find out how gender-specific information and health needs can be better addressed in the future.
»Contact: Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann & Dr. Elena Link
Project duration: September 2021 – Juni 2022
Project partner: Federal Centre for Health Education (Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung)
Papers
Link, E. & Baumann, E. (2023). A Comparison of Women’s and Men’s Web-Based Information-Seeking Behaviors About Gender-Related Health Information: Web-Based Survey Study of a Stratified German Sample. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e43897. doi.org/10.2196/43897
Link, E., & Baumann, E. (2023). Die Gesundheitsmanager:innen: Die Bedeutung von Geschlechterrollen für die Verantwortungsübernahme in Gesundheitsfragen. In D. Reifegerste, P. Kolip, & A. Wagner (Hrsg.), Wer macht wen für Gesundheit (und Krankheit) verantwortlich? Beiträge zur Jahrestagung der Fachgruppe Gesundheitskommunikation 2022 (S. 1-11). Bielefeld: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft e.V. doi.org/10.21241/ssoar.87336
Presentations
Baumann, E. & Link, E. (2023, Mai). A Comparison of Women’s and Men’s Online Information Seeking Behaviors About Gender-Specific Health Information: A German Stratified Online Survey. Vortrag im Rahmen der 73. Jahrestagung der International Communication Association (ICA), 25. – 29. Mai 2023, Toronto, Kanada.
OnkoRisk NET
In the project OnkoRisk NET, we examine the use of telemedical human genetic counseling by patients and families with a genetic tumor risk syndrome in cooperation with the Hannover Medical School (MHH), the University Hospital Dresden and the Institute for Applied Health Services Research (inav). The central research question of the project is whether this new digital service, which is associated with easier digital access to genetic diagnostics and counseling, can improve care compared to current regular care. The Hanover Center for Health Communication [HC]² will particularly examine the factors that influence the intention to use telemedical counseling and the experience of this and its outcome. This includes, among others, use- and channel-specific factors (e.g., perceived usefulness, technical understanding), competence- and resource-specific factors (e.g., digital health literacy), and health-specific factors (e.g., information interest, risk perception).
Contact Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann and Paula Memenga, M.A.
Project duration: 06/2021 – 03/2025
Papers
Tecklenburg, J., Vajen, B., Morlot, S., Anders, P., Memenga, P., Link, E., Baumann, E., Wölffling, S., Schröck, E., Bergmann, A. K., & Schlegelberger, B. (2022). OnkoRiskNET: a multicenter, interdisciplinary, telemedicine-based model to improve care for patients with a genetic tumor risk syndrome. BMC Health Services Research, 22, 805. doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08172-2
OPTILATER
In the collaborative project "Optimal Long-Term Survival after Cancer", funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health, the aim is to close gaps of knowledge about the care situation and to derive recommendations for need-based care concepts for cancer survivors.
As part of our research, we are investigating the needs and potential barriers of information and support services for long-term follow-up care. The goal is the evidence-based development, testing, and implementation of diversity- and culturally-sensitive information and counseling services for cancer survivors and their families.
Project website: www.wtz.nrw/optilater
Optilater can also be found on Twitter, Instagram und LinkedIn zu finden.
»Contact: Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann
Project term: 04/2023 – 08/2025
Prevention challenges of type-2 diabetes
Together with the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA), we are investigating which factors of diabetes prevention behavior provide suitable starting points for the information and education strategy in different population groups as part of the National Diabetes Education and Communication Strategy. By means a population survey of N = 6,022 persons, the subjective and objective knowledge about diabetes in the population, attitudes and actual prevention behavior were assessed. On the basis of our findings, we develop communication targets and risk profiles of individual sub-target groups in close cooperation with the BZgA.
»Contact: Eva Baumann, Dr. Elena Link und Elena Engel, M.A.
Project duration: September 2021 – July 2022
Safety-integrated and infection-reactive implants
In the communication related subproject "Trust and patient-centered communication as factors of implant safety and implantological treatment success" of the Collaborative Research Center/Transregio 298 (SFB/TRR 298), we address the question of how acceptance and trust in new implant technologies can be promoted. Communication and trust is understood as a factor of treatment success and implant safety. Hence, we investigate the importance of communication and trust dynamics for the therapy decision, sustainable compliance and treatment satisfaction of patients. With qualitative retro- and prospective interviews and network studies with patients and practitioners we aim to develop a theory of trust-based health communication and to develop strategies for patient-centered communication and knowledge transfer about smart implants.
» Contact: Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann, Dr. Elena Link, Prof. Dr. Christoph Klimmt and Tanja Fisse, M.A., Charlotte Schrimpff, M.A.
Project duration: July 2021- June2025
Papers
Fisse, T., Link, E., Schrimpff, C., Baumann, E. & Klimmt, C. (2023). Health Information Repertoires of Implant Patients: Toward a Deeper Understanding of Multiple Source Use and the Role of Health-Related Motives. Health Communication, Advance Online Publication, 1–15. doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2023.2258597
Link, E., Baumann, E. & Klimmt, C. (2022). Understanding the importance of trust in patients’ coping with uncertainty via health information-seeking behaviors. Communications (Advance online publication). doi.org/10.1515/commun-2021-0117
Schrimpff, C., Link, E., Fisse, T., Baumann, E., & Klimmt, C. (2023). Communication matters when it comes to adverse events: Associations of adverse events during implant treatment with patients’ communication quality and trust assessments. Patient Education and Counseling, 110, 107675. doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2023.107675
Presentations
Link, E., Schrimpff, C., Fisse, T., Baumann, E. & Klimmt, C. (2023, September). Predictors of interest in science communication using medical innovations as an example. Paper presented at the Conference of the journalism and science communication division of the DGPuK, September 20-22, 2023, Passau.
TRAC 19 - Transmissions-Analytic COVID-19 - Lower Saxony schoolproject to elucidate SARS-CoV-2 infection pathways in pupils
In parallel to a project of the LUH, which deals with the prevalence and infection chains of SARS-CoV-2 at selected school locations in Hanover, the [HC]² is responsible for a Germany-wide study on the specific situation in the school context during the coronavirus pandemic. In several survey studies, the special challenges parents and teachers face with their children and students in the current pandemic phase will be investigated. One focus will be on experiences and assessments of testing for SARS-CoV-2 (including rapid and self-tests) and the associated consequences for everyday family and school life. In addition, insights on how the communication of school administrations and authorities, the state government and the media is perceived and evaluated are to be gained. Finally, the survey is also intended to show how corona tests affect the subjective experience of stress, the perception of insecurity and risk, as well as the protective behavior of all affected.
Contact persons: Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann and Dr. Elena Link
Project duration: May 2020 - May 2021
Vaccination discourses in parents' online forums from 2012-2019
Against the background of the high importance of vaccination and the vaccination rates classified as too low by politics and international action plans, the project deals with vaccination discourses in parents' online forums. By means of a complete analysis of four German-speaking forums (2012-2019), using the quantitative-explorative approach of topic modeling we identified main topics within online discussions around vaccination. In cooperation with Dr. Marko Bachl (University of Hohenheim), the study serves to gather insights into the interests, opinions, and experiences with vaccination expressed in online forums.
Contact: Dr. Elena Link
Project duration: since 08/2019
![[HC]²](/fileadmin/www.ijk/bilder/hc-quadrat/logo__hc_2.png){kind=logo}
Last modified: 2023-09-26
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