Storytelling for Health Communication

Stories (also referred to as narratives and tales) have been used for centuries to pass down cultural beliefs and histories, share information and knowledge, impart morals and values, and entertain. Stories tap into emotion, humanize ideas and concepts, and transport people into situations and experiences; and in doing so, stimulate imagination, inspire passion, and motivate change. They can be told factually, with embellishment, by improvisation, and in several mediums (i.e., written, spoken, audio, images, or videos). In public health, storytelling has been used for branding, communication, education, training, advocacy, research and behavior change interventions. Public health professionals are incorporating health information, messages, and data into engaging and entertaining narratives and stories to influence health-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and outcomes.

In this section of the #HealthComm Toolbox, you will find information, tools, and resources for creating:
  • Data stories
  • Digital stories
  • Entertainment education stories
Resources for Storytelling for Health Communication
​These tools and resources will help you to understand the use of storytelling in public health, as well as how to implement it as part of your health communication efforts:

1. Data Storytelling for Health Communication

Data storytelling uses data, visuals (data visualization), and narratives to synthesize and communicate tailored data insights for target audiences.

2. Digital Storytelling for Health Communication

Digital storytelling involves using digital media (e.g., images, video, animation, sound, narration, and text) to create stories in the form of multimedia videos.
Resources for Digital Storytelling for Health Communication
​These resources will help you in your digital storytelling efforts:

3. Entertainment Education for Health Communication

Entertainment education (also referred to as entertainment-education or edutainment) involves weaving educational messages about social and health issues into entertaining and engaging stories. These stories can include health-related storylines in popular entertainment films, television series, radio shows, podcasts, and other programming. Entertainment education can also include storylines embedded in other formats, such as board, online, and video games and museums and other exhibits and experiences.
Resources for Entertainment Education for Health Communication
​These tools and resources will help you to understand the use of entertainment education in public health, as well as how to implement it as part of your health communication efforts:
Need help with your health communication?
Let's Talk Public Health can conduct and support your health communication, marketing, promotion, and education-related activities. We provide services for digital communication and marketing, digital media design, edutainment and experiential learning, digital engagement, health branding, and capacity-building.