Applying Weick's model of organizing to health care and health promotion: highlighting the central role of health communication

Abstract

Objective: Communication is a crucial process in the effective delivery of health care services and the promotion of public health. However, there are often tremendous complexities in using communication effectively to provide the best health care, direct the adoption of health promoting behaviors, and implement evidence-based public health policies and practices. This article describes Weick's model of organizing as a powerful theory of social organizing that can help increase understanding of the communication demands of health care and health promotion. The article identifies relevant applications from the model for health communication research and practice.

Conclusion: Weick's model of organizing is a relevant and heuristic theoretical perspective for guiding health communication research and practice. There are many potential applications of this model illustrating the complexities of effective communication in health care and health promotion.

Practice implications: Weick's model of organizing can be used as a template for guiding both research and practice in health care and health promotion. The model illustrates the important roles that communication performs in enabling health care consumers and providers to make sense of the complexities of modern health care and health promotion, select the best strategies for responding effectively to complex health care and health promotion situations, and retain relevant information (develop organizational intelligence) for guiding future responses to complex health care and health promotion challenges.