Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Introduction/background: Communication is essential to every position and function in public health. The constantly evolving information environment and the complexity of modern public health challenges make effective communication more important than ever. In response to calls for modernized and updated communication competencies, this Canadian Institutes of Health Research-funded project is using a multi-step process to develop a contemporary health communication competency framework that will contribute to public health systems transformation. Methods: Through a collaborative consensus-building process involving experts and the public health workforce, we developed a comprehensive and modernized competency framework with the goal of transforming communication in public health education, professional development, and practice. Results and analysis: The new framework will be presented, which reflects the values, knowledge, skills, and behaviours essential for tackling complex public health issues. The framework consists of 18 competency statements, including statements about foundational values and attitudes statements, how-tos, communication processes, and outcomes. The presentation will explore the differences between the Core Competencies for Public Health in Canada communication-related competencies and the competencies contained within the framework and how they apply to various roles in public health. Conclusions and implications for policy, practice or additional research: The competency framework provides an important tool for enhancing public health practice. Its adoption has the potential to significantly improve the effectiveness of health messaging, foster trust, and mitigate misinformation. The framework can also inform workforce planning, help understand the skills needed in communication-facing roles, and inform the development of training and education opportunities in health communication.