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Health Communication Research Unit (HCRU)

The Health Communication Research Unit (HCRU) is a recognised research entity at Wits University. We are a research group concerned with understanding the unique challenges of cultural and linguistic diversity in health and community care contexts.

Over the past two decades, the HCRU has engaged with clinical and community sites and developed research-based recommendations and communication skills training programmes to improve the quality of care.   

Our research focuses on health care communication, a fledgling field in South Africa that uses methods from the social sciences and linguistics to study communication and care variables in diverse contexts. This work is interdisciplinary, drawing from fields such as applied linguistics, the social sciences, public health and bioethics.

We believe that at the interface of humanities and health lies the solution to many of the problems we face in this country as we tackle its devastating diseases and their social consequences. At the same time, there is a need for curriculum review and transformation of practices and research methods through incorporating innovative, community based, participatory approaches.

The challenges brought about by diversity are not unique to our context, and South Africa has much to offer the rest of the world in this regard. Ironically, in our setting, because systems of care are often underdeveloped or even malfunctional, because the monitoring of such systems may be erratic, and because of profound resource limitations imposed by the needs of a developing country, these challenges have created opportunities for creativity, resourcefulness and adaptation.

Recent Publications

2024

Kazadi, A., Besharati, S., & Watermeyer, J. (2024). Narratives on the frontline: A qualitative investigation of the lived experiences of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. Health SA Gesondheid special issue, 29, 1-10. [Scopus/DHET]

Watermeyer, J., Nattrass, R., Beukes, J., Madonsela, S., & Scott, M. (2024). Considerations for paediatric student-led telepractice in speech-language therapy: A pilot observational study from South Africa. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 59(2), 665-677. [WoS]

Scott, M., Watermeyer, J., & Wessels, T. (2024). “We are just not sure what that means or if it’s relevant”: Uncertainty when gathering family history information in South African prenatal genetic counselling consultations. Social Science & Medicine, 342, 116555. [WoS]

de Lange, S., Muller, D., & Dafkin, C. (2024). Biomedical research on autism in low- and middle-income countries: Considerations from the South African context. Developing World Bioethics. [WoS]

de Lange, S., Muller, D., & Dafkin, C. (2024). Relationships between autistic traits, motor skills and socioeconomic status. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. [WoS]

Cronje, R., Beukes, J., Masenge A., du Toit, P., & Bipath, P. (2024). Investigation of Neopterin and Neurophysiological Measurements as Biomarkers for Anxiety and Stress. NeuroRegulation [Scopus]

De Lange, S., Kearns, A., Fuhrer, L., Dobbe, J.H.M., Mielke, K., Hulme, L., Lim, A., Oueslati, R., Acampora, M., De Mol, Z., & Khaleghzadegan, S. (2024). Creating a rewarding research experience in the early-career stages: Challenges and insights from the rEACH Summer School participants. Patient Education and Counselling

Marchetti-Mercer, M., Laher, S., Watermeyer, J., & Hassem, T. (2024). Loadshedding, safety concerns and mental health in South Africa. South African Journal of Psychology. [WoS]

Nattrass, R., & Watermeyer, J. (2024). Where trouble starts: Communication breakdown in a complex emergency call. Health Communication. [WoS]

Scott, M., Watermeyer, J., & Wessels, T-M. (2024). A balancing act: Non-directive counselling, risk perceptions, and meeting patient needs in genetic counselling: A South African Case Study. Journal of Genetic Counselling. [WoS]

Watermeyer, J., & Kanji, A. (2024). Lessons from a qualitative survey on simulation opportunities for clinical learning in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology in South Africa. Teaching and Learning in Medicine. [WoS]

Watermeyer, J & Aylward, C. (2024). Modifications to consent documentation with adults with communication disorders following brain injury: an exploratory trial. Developing World Bioethics. [WoS]

Kanji, A., & Watermeyer, J. (2024). Simulation approaches for communication and counselling skills in clinical education in audiology programmes around the world: A scoping review. American Journal of Audiology. [WoS]

Kanji, A., Watermeyer, J., & Hassim, A. (2024). Audiology students’ clinical communication during simulated peer role play consultations: An exploratory study. American Journal of Audiology. [WoS]

2023 & 2022

Azevedo, F., Pavlović, T., Rego, G. … Watermeyer, J., et al. (2023). Social and moral psychology of COVID-19 across 69 countries. Scientific Data, 10, 272. [WoS]

de Lange, S., Muller, D., & Dafkin, C. (2023). The relationship between balance and urinary cortisol and neopterin in autistic children. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, 16, 100216. [Scopus]

Gallant, A., Watermeyer, J., & Sawasawa, C. (2023). The teletherapy experiences of South African speech-language therapists during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative survey. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 58(5), 1468-1480. [WoS]

Kanji, A., Watermeyer, J., Ismail, M. (2023). Audiology students’ practices and perspectives of their communication skills: The impact of a brief intervention. Speech, Language, and Hearing, 26, 31-39. [Scopus]

Madonsela, S., Ware, L., Scott, M., & Watermeyer, J. (2023) The development and use of adolescent mobile mental health (m-mhealth) interventions in Low-Middle-Income Countries: a scoping review. South African Journal of Psychology, 53(4), 471-483. [WoS]

Mills, L., & Watermeyer, J. (2023). A meta-ethnography on the experience and psychosocial implications of providing elective abortion care. Social Science and Medicine, 38, 115964. [WoS]

Scott, M., Watermeyer, J., & Wessels, T.M. (2023). A balancing act: Non-directive communication, risk perceptions, and meeting patient needs in genetic counseling: A South African case study. Journal of Genetic Counseling. [WoS]

Variava, T., & Watermeyer, J. (2023). A systematic review exploring the psychosocial factors affecting adolescent access to HIV treatment services. Adolescents, 3, 10-40. [DOAJ]

Van Bavel, J. J., Cichocka, A., Capraro, V., Sjåstad, H., Nezlek, J. B., Pavlović, T., …Watermeyer, J.,... & Jørgensen, F. J. (2022). National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic. Nature Communications13(1), 517. [WoS]

Watermeyer, J., Etheredge, H., Fabian, J., & Tager, S. (2022). Emphasising Organisational Routine: A Qualitative Study of Patient and Health Professional Experiences of Inpatient Oncology Care. Healthcare, 10, 2145. [WoS]

Watermeyer, J., & Kanji, A. (2022). Students' reflections during training workshops on communication and information exchange in audiology consultations: an exploratory qualitative study. American Journal of Audiology, 31(3), 541-551. [WoS]

Watermeyer, J., & Neille, J. (2022). The application of qualitative approaches in a post-colonial context in speech-language pathology: A call for transformation. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 24, 494-503. [WoS]

Watermeyer, J., Scott, M., Kapueja, L., & Ware, L. (2022). To trust or not to trust: An exploratory qualitative study of young people’s perceptions of vaccines in Soweto, South Africa. Health Policy and Planning, 37, 1167-1176. [WoS]

Wieringa, T. H., Pinker, I. H., Jain, N., Goulding, R., van Klaveren, C. W., Lu, W., Lanzen, C… & Scott, M. (2022). Fragmented world, connected community: success factors of the first online EACH Summer School for early-career researchers. Patient Education and Counseling, 105, 257-259. [WoS]

Watermeyer, J., Kater, K. A., & Khumalo, G. (2022). Experiences of a pediatric speech-language teletherapy practical at a South African university training site during COVID-19: an exploratory qualitative study. The Clinical Supervisor41(2), 149-166. [Scopus]

Variava, T., & Watermeyer, J. (2022). A systematic review exploring the psychosocial factors affecting adolescent access to HIV treatment services. Adolescents3(1), 10-40. [DOAJ]

Pavlović, T., et al. (2022). Predicting attitudinal and behavioral responses to COVID-19 pandemic using machine learning. PNAS Nexus, 1(3), pgac093.

Van Bavel, J. J., Cichocka, A., Capraro, V., Sjåstad, H., Nezlek, J. B., Pavlović, T., …Watermeyer, J.,... & Jørgensen, F. J. (2022). National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic. Nature communications13(1), 517.

Wieringa, T. H., Pinker, I. H., Jain, N., Goulding, R., van Klaveren, C. W., Lu, W., Lanzen, C… & Scott, M. (2022). Fragmented world, connected community: success factors of the first online EACH Summer School for early-career researchers. Patient Education and Counseling, 257-259.

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