Project Reports & Empirical Findings

Key findings of the "CliMed - Climate and health communication by medical staff" project

In CliMed, Dr. Parichehr Shamsrizi, in collaboration with other members of the health communication research team, investigated how conversations about climate-related topics are received by medical staff – particularly with regard to acceptance, trust, and politicisation. Based on the research findings, we developed practical communication and action recommendations for the healthcare sector, policymakers, and relevant institutions.

CliMed was funded by the Mercator foundation.

Shamsrizi, P., Betsch, C., Korn, L., Tiede, K., Bauer, H., Eitze, S. & Sievert, E. (2026). CliMed - Climate and health communication by medical staff (project report). https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/6P9WY

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Key findings of the project "Health Games - Overcoming the social dilemma in vaccination decisions and the consumption of antibiotics"

Health decisions such as vaccinations or antibiotic use can have not only individual but also collective consequences. Vaccinations promote community protection, while inappropriate use of antibiotics favours resistance. This creates social dilemmas between individual and societal interests. In the first phase, vaccination decisions were examined as a moral, prosocial act and conditions for solidary behaviour were researched. In the second phase, this approach was applied to antibiotic use, in particular to the causes of overuse. Interactive "health games" proved to be effective methods for analysing and promoting collective health behaviour. The projects provide important theoretical insights and practical approaches for effective, risk-conscious health communication.

Health Games was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Böhm, R., Betsch, C., Korn, L., & Sievert, E. (2026). Health Games: Final report on a DFG-funded project over two funding phases at two locations.

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