Table 2 Draft communication competency statements for public health in Canada

C1

Apply key relevant interdisciplinary theories, frameworks, toolkits, and best practice guidelines to develop health communication initiatives

C2

Ground health communication efforts in appropriate philosophical and critical perspectives, including social and health justice, health equity, and public health ethics

C3

Foster attitudes and approaches for fair, equitable, and inclusive communication (e.g., empathy, respect, solidarity, compassion, reciprocity, and reflexivity)

C4

Use an audience-centered, participatory approach to develop communication initiatives (e.g., co-design, community-based approaches, and two-way communication)

C5

Identify and integrate factors that influence how different audiences find, understand, use, apply, and act on health information

C6

Apply the necessary knowledge synthesis and research skills to develop evidence-informed, theory-based health communication initiatives

C7

Select and apply appropriate approaches and tools for the design of health messages to ensure they are accurate, clear, accessible, credible, and understandable

C8

Design health communication initiatives that inform and/or persuade to impact knowledge, attitudes, intentions, behaviours, self-efficacy, resilience, and individual and population health

C9

Design health messaging that is transparent, trustworthy, tailored, and, where applicable, delivered by an appropriate messenger or source

C10

Identify and use current and emerging communication channels, settings, and technologies to meet audience information needs

C11

Monitor information ecosystems to identify and address related challenges (e.g., information-seeking behaviours, information availability and accessibility, and mis/disinformation)

C12

Plan evidence-based communication initiatives with clear goals and objectives, appropriate timing, partnerships, and resources that meet community needs

C13

Identify audiences and generate nuanced audience profiles (e.g., type, level, segmentation) to guide communication

C14

Implement the appropriate approaches for communication initiatives based on context and audience characteristics

C15

Plan and implement appropriate evaluation of communication initiatives

C16

Communicate in a culturally competent and safe manner in a way that is informed by the relationship between culture, language, and health

C17

Attend carefully to the barriers to and the unintended consequences of impactful health communication, which may limit effectiveness and exacerbate harms and health disparities

C18

Effectively apply communication skills in activism, advocacy, and partnerships to improve individual health, population health, and health equity

C19

Mobilize evidence and different ways of knowing to inform policy and practice decisions in public health

C20

Use specialized communication (e.g., crisis, risk, clinical) to interpret, translate, and tailor complex information to guide action

C21

Create and use a range of communication materials (e.g., policy brief, news media article, presentations, recordings, stories) and types (e.g., oral, written, visual) that meet audience needs and reflect their values