Simou Effie

Effie Simou is an Associate Professor of Communication, Mass Media and Public Health in the Department of Public Health Policy at University of West Attica-Greece, since 2018. She teaches, communication, mass media, public health, health policy, health marketing, conflict resolution and negotiations.

She has been teaching, carrying out research, published and has made many presentations in the fields of public health policy, health and risk communication, health communication campaigns, health and media literacy, doctor-patient communication, and patient empowerment. Her most recent work included several projects of doctor -patient communication, share decision making and chronic disease management campaigns. Latest projects include: (a) decisionaid.uniwa.gr: Patient decision aid for patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis (2022), (b) painfree.uniwa.gr: A national awareness campaign for the prevention and management of chronic pain (2021). 

She has served as coordinator and author of the National Action Plans for Public Heath and has participated in the planning and implementation of prevention campaigns managed by the Ministry of Health. She was the president of organizing committee of 2 conference concerning Health and Risk Communication: (a) Mass Media and Public Health ( b). Risk Communication: Principles, Practice, Tools, 2014. Her books include “ Risk Communication: Mass Media, Risk and Public Health” (Greek Edition, 2013). Doctor- Patient Communication (2016)  and Shared Decision Making ( Greek Edition, 2016), “Breast Cancer Screening: Guidelines and Implementation” (2009).

In addition, under humanitarian actions, she has participated in projects aiming to protect and to promote women’s health. She is the founder and president of The Institute of Health communication- Health and Media Literacy (www.hit.org.gr ) and the founder of the first national campaign relevant to doctor- patient communication, health literacy and patient adherence to medication (www.medandme.gr ).  

Effie Simou received her bachelor of science in public and community health (1994) from University of West Attica, her bachelor of science in communication and mass media (2011) from National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, a master of science in Epidemiology (1997) from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,  a diploma in Adult Education (2007 from Hellenic Open University and a doctor of philosophy degree in Philosophy with an emphasis on risk communication and mass media ( 2011 )  from the National and Kapodistrian  University of  Athens.

Research interests:

Mass Media and Pubic Health; Health Literacy and Public Health; Media literacy and public health. Fake news and disinformation; Health Communication; Risk communication; Doctor – Patient Communication and Shared Decision Making;  Negotiation Skills in Health Care Settings.