Foundation Statement

Foundation Statement
Amsterdam Center for Health Communication (ACHC)
Version: 28-12-2015

A major challenge for health professionals and policymakers is to make optimal use of communication and media. The Amsterdam Centre for Health Communication (ACHC) aims to enhance implementation of health communication research to promote health and well-being.

Mission
The Amsterdam Center for Health Communication (ACHC) is a key institute for dissemination and valorization of outcomes of academic research in the field of health communication. A major challenge for health professionals and policymakers is to optimally use the potential of communication and media to empower individuals to adopt healthy behaviors, to improve effective outcomes in health care, to direct policy makers’ attention to important health issues, and to frame those issues for public debate and resolution. To address this challenge and to support health professionals to utilize effective communication and media strategies, the ACHC aims to a) disseminate how health communication research, education, technologies, and policies can promote health and well-being, b) enhance optimal implementation of study findings related to the broad domain of health communication, and c) promote collaboration and dialogue among academia, health professionals and policy makers. This is done in collaboration with a broad network of scientific experts from diverse research fields (e.g., health psychology, persuasive communication, behavioral medicine) and important stakeholders in society, such as public health promotion organizations, institutions in health care and patient organizations. We are a dedicated team of health communication researchers that advance the field of health communication by studying factors that explain the development, reach, processing and effects of health messages, unravelling the interplay between interpersonal and mediated communication, developing theory- and empirical based health interventions and disseminating knowledge resulting from this research. The final aim of the ACHC is to support the translation of our health communication research into effective public health programs and policies.
The foundation of the ACHC is in conformity with the recommendations of the recently conducted research assessment by the Quality Assurance Netherlands Universities (QANU). The committee concluded that “more effort could be devoted to involving stakeholders more explicitly in research projects” and acknowledged that “the newly established ‘Center for Health Communication’ reflects a clear strategy to connect with societal stakeholders”.

Activities
The ACHC will employ the following activities:
(1) Initiating and supporting studies into the dynamics that shape uses and effects of health communication and especially the implication of these processes for the design and distribution of interventions that promote people’s health status and physical and mental well-being. ACHC Foundation Statement -1-
(2) Valorisation by stimulating implementation of our research findings into practice. To this end, findings of the above studies will be actively disseminated to health professionals, policymakers, journalists, patient organizations as well as citizens with a general interest in health and health communication. Moreover, we will interact and cooperate with stakeholders, which will facilitate dissemination and will help verifying preliminary findings against their views and feedback. Key national stakeholders will also be stimulated to transfer findings to more local stakeholders. By applying both push (e.g., informing stakeholders of our study findings) and pull (conference meetings and thematic workshops to allow stakeholders to have input in the design of the studies), this will benefit science and societal stakeholders.
The activities will be facilitated by a website, press releases, an annual symposium and thematic workshops.

• Website
A bilingual website – Dutch and English – will be launched. Important elements of the website will be, among others, up-to-date information about: our research themes, our research findings, our position in current issues & debates in both academia and practice, organizations we cooperate with, ongoing studies and studies we intend to start in the near future.
The structure of the website will take into account that ACHC aims to inform and involve different audience groups, respectively: The academic community, public and professional organizations in the health care and health promotion field, professional health care workers, patient organizations, and citizens with a general interest in health and health communication.

• Annual symposium and thematic workshops
To promote knowledge exchange and cooperation with health academics, health professionals and their organizations, an annual symposium will be organized alongside a series of smaller thematic workshops.

Organization
The ACHC is located within the Department of Communication Science at the UvA.
Currently, the following researchers contribute to ACHC:
Board & senior staff
• Prof. dr. Julia van Weert, full professor of Health Communication, University of Amsterdam
• Prof. dr. Bas van den Putte, full professor of Health Communication, University of Amsterdam
• Prof. dr. Edith G. Smit, full professor of Persuasive Communication, University of Amsterdam
• Dr. Gert-Jan de Bruijn, assistant professor, University of Amsterdam
• Dr. Stephanie Welten, lecturer, University of Amsterdam
• Dr. Sandra Zwier, senior lecturer, University of Amsterdam

Contributors:
• Dr. Madelon Bronner, visiting researcher, University of Amsterdam
• Dr. Alexandra Dima, postdoctoral researcher, University of Amsterdam
• Dr. Nadine Bol, postdoctoral researcher, University of Amsterdam
• Dr. Nicola Diviani, postdoctoral researcher, University of Amsterdam
• Dr. Annemiek Linn, assistant professor, University of Amsterdam ACHC Foundation Statement -2-
• Prof. dr. Eugene Loos, special professor of old and new media in ageing society, University of Amsterdam
• Corine Meppelink, assistant professor, University of Amsterdam
• Dr. Saar Mollen, assistant professor, University of Amsterdam
• Remco Sanders, student-assistant, University of Amsterdam
• Dr. Sanne Schinkel, postdoctoral researcher and lecturer, University of Amsterdam
• Dr. Barbara Schouten, assistant professor, University of Amsterdam
• Dr. Eline Smit, assistant professor, University of Amsterdam
• Dr. Aart Velthuijsen, senior lecturer, University of Amsterdam
• Dr. Simon Zebregs, assistant professor, University of Amsterdam

PhD candidates:
• Monique Alblas, PhD candidate in Health Communication, University of Amsterdam
• Elroy Boers, PhD candidate in Health Communication, University of Amsterdam
• Sifra Bolle, PhD candidate in Health Communication, University of Amsterdam
• Kim Brandes, PhD candidate in Health Communication, University of Amsterdam
• Minh Hao Nguyen, PhD candidate in Health Communication, University of Amsterdam
• Rena Zendedel, PhD candidate in Health Communication, University of Amsterdam

Collaborations with stakeholders
The ACHC has a network of academic experts from diverse research fields and important stakeholders in society to support the development and performance of health-relevant studies and disseminate existing knowledge and new findings. This includes interdisciplinary collaborations with other departments at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), collaborations with other universities, collaborations with (public) health organizations and institutions, and collaborations with patient organizations.

Partners within the UvA (current collaborations)
Department of Geriatrics, AMC
Department of Medical Psychology, AMC
Department of Medical Informatics, AMC
Department of Psychiatry, AMC
GIOCA (Gastro-Intestinal Oncological Center), AMC

Partners outside the UvA (current collaborations)
Alliantie Nederland Rookvrij (Dutch Alliance for a Smokefree Society)
Amsterdam Center on Aging (ACA)
Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital – Netherlands Cancer Institute
ARPH (Association for Researchers in Psychology and Health)
Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University
CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Universiteit Maastricht
CCUVN (Dutch Crohn en Colitis Ulcerosa Patient Association)
Department of Communication Science, Radboud University
Department of Communication Science, VU University
Department of Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Leiden University
Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University ACHC Foundation Statement -3-
Department of Health and Society, Wageningen University
Department of Medical Decision Making, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC)
Department of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VUmc
Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Leiden University
Dienst Publiek en Communicatie van Ministerie van Algemene Zaken (Public Information and Communications Service, Ministry of General Affairs)
EMGO+ institute for Health and Care Research, VU & VUmc
Integraal Kankercentrum Nederland / IKNL (Dutch Integral Cancer Center)
GeriOnNe (Geriatric Oncology in the Netherlands)
Inholland University of Applied Sciences
IVO (Addiction Research Institute)
Kanker.nl
KWF Kankerbestrijding (Dutch Cancer Society)
Leven met Kanker (Living with Cancer, previously NFK)
NISB (Netherlands Institute for Sport and Physical Activity)
NeFCA (The Netherlands-Flanders Communication Association)
NIVEL (Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research)
Riscamsterdam, VUmc
Rutgers (International Center of Expertise on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights)
Sarphati Institute
Sint Maartenskliniek (Sint Maartenshospital)
Soa Aids Nederland / STI AIDS Netherlands
Stichting Be Aware (Organization for Addiction Education at School)
Stichting Voorkom (Organization for Addiction Prevention in Youth)
Trimbos Institute (Netherlands Institute for Mental Health and Addiction)
Vilans (Center of Expertise for Long-Term Care)
Voedingscentrum (Netherlands Nutrition Center)