Biomedical communications units and their parent organizations: a survey

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Communications
• Health Sciences Education
• Academic Health Centers

Background:

• Biomedical communications units are integral to health sciences institutions.
• Understanding their organizational structure and perceived importance is key to optimizing their function.
• The landscape of these units within U.S. institutions has not been recently surveyed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey the organizational placement and perceived importance of biomedical communications units.
• To assess the extent of physical decentralization and instructional development support provided by these units.
• To compare the role of biomedical communications units in instructional development with other units within parent organizations.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted across 89 biomedical communications units in U.S. health sciences institutions.
• Data collected included unit placement (e.g., academic health center headquarters, constituent schools, single schools).
• Perceived importance, physical decentralization, and instructional development support responsibilities were assessed.

Main Results:

• 32 units were located at academic health center headquarters, 39 within constituent schools, and 18 in single schools.
• 65 units were perceived as highly important by their parent organizations.
• 81% of parent organizations provide instructional development support, with biomedical communications units frequently delegated this role.

Conclusions:

• Biomedical communications units are predominantly situated within academic health centers and are highly valued.
• These units play a significant role in instructional development support, often exceeding the responsibilities of other units.
• The findings highlight the strategic importance and functional scope of biomedical communications in health sciences education.