Communication Design Quarterly Mar 2023 Open Access

Exploring Healthcare Communication Gaps Between US Universities and Their International Students: A Technical Communication Approach

Akshata J. Balghare Texas Tech University

Abstract

US healthcare is a complicated system not just for US-born citizens but also international students in the US. While universities inform international students about how US healthcare functions, these students still struggle with navigating healthcare owing to the cultural and technical challenges they face with the system. This paper investigates how US healthcare information can be conveyed effectively by universities so that international students navigate healthcare with fewer challenges. This research was conducted using qualitative methods with 12 international student participants at a US university. Using the collected data, the study provides recommendations to improve healthcare communication on campuses and insights to increase the scope of this study to further investigate international students' healthcare access challenges.

Journal
Communication Design Quarterly
Published
2023-03-01
DOI
10.1145/3563890.3563892
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
OA PDF Gold
Topics
technical communication qualitative research multilingual writers
Export
BibTeX RIS

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

  1. Balghare et al. (2026)
    Investigating User Empowerment Through the Fertility App Glow
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Madson (2024)
    The Packaging and Labeling of Cannabis Edibles: Opportunities for Professional …
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication

References (37) · 10 in this index

  1. 10.32674/jis.v10i1.1097
     ↗
  2. Agboka (2013)
    Participatory Localization: A Social Justice Approach to Navigating Unenfranchi…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Batova T. (2010)
    Writing for the participants of international clinical trials: Law, ethics, and culture
    Technical Communication
  4. 10.32674/jis.v6i1.481
     ↗
  5. Cheng H. I. (2004)
    Being ill in a foreign land: International students' perceptions of and experiences with …
    A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research
Show all 37 →
  1. Cleary et al. (2012)
    Preparing Technical Communication Students to Function as User Advocates in a S…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. 10.5555/600280
     ↗
  3. Egbert N. (2009)
    Health literacy: Challenges and strategies. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 14(3)
  4. 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.0512.x
     ↗
  5. 10.1080/10810730.2010.499986
     ↗
  6. Gonzales et al. (2018)
    A Dialogue with Medical Interpreters about Rhetoric, Culture, and Language
    Rhetoric of Health and Medicine
  7. 10.1016/j.pec.2005.05.004
     ↗
  8. Hughes M. A. (2009)
    A research primer for technical communication: Methods, exemplars, and analyses
  9. 10.32674/jis.v7i3.287
     ↗
  10. Melonçon L. K. (2016). Patient experience design: Technical communication's role in patient health informatio…
  11. Meloncon (2017)
    Patient experience design: expanding usability methodologies for healthcare
    Communication Design Quarterly
  12. Meloncon et al. (2015)
    Special issue introduction: Charting an emerging field: the rhetorics of health…
    Communication Design Quarterly
  13. Nelson A. R. (2002)
    B. D., Stith
  14. 10.1080/01405110600772830
     ↗
  15. 10.1080/10810730.2010.499994
     ↗
  16. 10.1080/08841241.2016.1212451
     ↗
  17. Redish J. C. G. (2000)
    What is information design
    Technical Communication
  18. 10.5555/2835547.2835548
     ↗
  19. 10.5555/2007456.2007457
     ↗
  20. Renguette C. (2016)
    Technical communication, academic research, and patient education: A multidisciplinary co…
    Technical Communication
  21. Rose et al. (2017)
    Community-Based User Experience: Evaluating the Usability of Health Insurance I…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  22. Rude (2009)
    Mapping the Research Questions in Technical Communication
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  23. Saldaña J. (2013)
    The coding manual for qualitative researchers. SAGE
  24. 10.36923/jicc.v9i1.476
     ↗
  25. Amant (2015)
    Aspects of access: considerations for creating health and medical content for i…
    Communication Design Quarterly
  26. Amant (2017)
    The cultural context of care in international communication design: a heuristic…
    Communication Design Quarterly
  27. 10.1002/wmh3.323
     ↗
  28. St.Amant (2020)
    Guest Editor’s Introduction: Culture and Causal Chains of Care—A Perspective on…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  29. St.Amant K. (2019)
    Contextualizing care in cultures: Perspectives on cross-cultural and international health…
  30. 10.4324/9781315200927
     ↗
  31. Tracy S. J. (2012)
    Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact
  32. What (2022)
    Retrieved
CrossRef global citation count: 2 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Related Articles

  1. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Mar 2018
    Negotiating Multilingual Quality in Component Content-Management Environments ↗
    Tatiana Batova
    rhetorical criticism genre theory collaborative writing technical communication qualitative research multilingual writers
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Oct 2014
    Increasing Accessibility with a Visual Sign System: A Case Study ↗
    Wendy Winn
    technical communication qualitative research multilingual writers
  3. Computers and Composition Jun 2026
    “Article laundry” or “tutor in pocket?”: Multilingual writers’ generative AI-assisted writing in professional settings ↗
    Qianqian Zhang-Wu
    writing pedagogy teacher development professional writing qualitative research digital rhetoric artificial intelligence multilingual writers
  4. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication May 2026
    The User Experience of Virtual Reality for Longitudinal Writing: A Diary Study of Immersive Graduate Dissertation Composing Experience ↗
    Jason Tham; Rich Shivener; Niveditha Pookkottuvariam; Sarah Riddick
    rhetorical criticism graduate education technical communication archival research empirical research qualitative research
  5. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Mar 2026
    “It's Hard to Show ROI When You’re Preventing Things from Happening”: How Impact Storytelling Frames Community Health Initiatives for Executive Audiences ↗
    Margaret Hsiao
    technical communication professional writing qualitative research