IndexIntroductionKey Concepts of Shannon-Weaver Information TheoryApplication of the Shannon-Weaver ModelImportance of Health LiteracyConclusionReferencesIntroductionTo understand information theory, we must start where everything has began. The idea of ​​information theory has, in fact, been around since 1948. Created by Claude Shannon, a mathematician, and Warren Weaver, an electrical engineer, in 1948 the theory became known as the "mother of all models", Shannon - Weaver model or simply “information theory”. Their theory was introduced in an article titled "A Mathematical Theory of Communication" for the Bell System Technical Journal. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The premise of the information model is based on six (6) key concepts: sender, encoder, channel, noise, decoder, and receiver ( Shannon, 1948) Each concept plays an important role in the transmission of information, whether it of humans talking to each other, of humans listening to the radio or watching television, or of other species communicating with each other. We will examine the concepts of the theory and their impact on communication and health informatics. Key Concepts of Shannon-Weaver Information Theory Basic communication can be observed every day in the animal kingdom. An animal transmits some type of encoded information to another animal, and once the message is received, an action or reaction must occur. This is communication at its core: sharing information. “Information is encoded into a signal by an individual. When received from another animal, the information is decoded while maintaining a specifiable relationship with the encoded information” (Owren, 2010). Although the application of Shannon-Weaver theory initially concerned telephone lines and their transmission capacity, it was applied to communication and the provision of information. Basically, the idea is that one event can “carry” information, or signals, about another event. These signals can therefore be informative because they allow the recipient to draw conclusions about their surroundings. Of course, humans are intentional with language because they take into account various factors about their listeners when they speak, so their communication is more effective than members of the animal kingdom who do not possess such an ability. As we continue to navigate the 21st century, we must realize that we are living in a wonderful age with seemingly limitless possibilities, especially when it comes to communication. Today we can access information faster, at any time and by any means we choose. Perhaps we are now in the age of communication, a new era with unlimited potential for what communication can do. Communication impacts all aspects of our lives, every day. The study of communications includes all the characteristics of a communication system, including its technical, personal, social and organizational forms. Models are important tools for studying communication (Al-Fedaghi, 2012). In fact, the Shannon-Weaver model is the most commonly used communication model for technical information, even though it is not really a communication model. In reality, it is a model for the flow of information through a medium. When dealing with data transmission, you need to know something about the format and type of data being transferred. The sender and recipient must also use the same format for correctdata transmission. Shannon used entropy, or degree of disorder or randomness, to explain and measure the technical amount of information in a message. The amount of information in a message is measured by the extent to which the message decreases entropy. (Staggers, 2018). The unit of measurement is a bit and is represented by a zero (0) or a one (1). Ultimately, computer codes were built on the concept of bits of information. The measurement can be used by a communications engineer to consider how a message should be encoded to be transmitted electronically (Wise, 2012). The symbols must be represented by a code and the more symbols there are, the longer the code will be. However, the measure does not take into account two factors: the symbols are correct and they have meaning. So, based on entropy, different messages can have the same information content simply because they contain exactly the same symbols. For example: the dog is brown and ogt bis rhw eon. The second message has no meaning, but based on the encoding and value assignment they are considered to have the same content. Hence the need to verify the accuracy of the data, as well as the clear meaning. Applying Shannon-Weaver ModelWeaver added interpretation to understand semantics in messaging. He used Shannon's theory to explain the correlation with interpersonal communications. If someone shares information that is unfamiliar or unknown to the other person, the issue is with the delivery method. If the person hearing the message has hearing problems, then the problem is with the receiver (the person's ear) rather than the message itself. Errors happen in communications. Speakers make mistakes quite often, but what impact should such mistakes have on the interactions between parties in the conversation? It depends on how the parties involved deal with these errors. Errors can occur in the choice of message or in the way signals are generated. Sometimes, communication happens only one way: from speaker to receiver, without any feedback loop. This means that the listener must decide the meaning or take action. Requests for clarification are a kind of feedback that allows the recipient to communicate that he did not fully understand the statement (Benz, 2012). If communication patterns allowed for multiple interactions, then we can assume that speakers and listeners can observe the outcome and adapt as needed. What we need to worry about are errors that occur when sharing information regarding a patient's health, medications, procedures, etc. etc. Shannon's original work recognized that errors occur when one symbol is transmitted but a different one is supposed to be used. This situation can be addressed, but only with additional information to help detect errors. Therefore, the error will result in the transmission of more information and thus further disorder or randomness (entropy). Importance of Health Literacy Health literacy is an important component of improving patients' health and use of healthcare systems. A 2017 study with health literacy leaders in the academic, clinical, educational, and administrative fields found that the majority of health literacy issues had to do with the message and system components, followed by communication tools and from action (Kim, 2017). . This suggests that there is a clear need for improved provision of health information and further education to develop literacy skills. Although the need for. 48, 102-110.