Table of ContentsIntroductionKey Concepts of Shannon-Weaver Information TheoryApplication of the Shannon-Weaver ModelImportance of Health LiteracyConclusionReferencesIntroductionTo Understand Information Theory , we have to start where it all began. The idea of ​​information theory has actually been around since 1948. Created in 1948 by Claude Shannon, a mathematician, and Warren Weaver, an electrical engineer, the theory is known as the "mother of all models." -Weaver model or simply “information theory”. Their theory was presented 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 should not be banned”? Get the original essay The principle of the information model is based on six (6) key concepts: the sender, the encoder, the channel , noise, decoder and receiver (Shannon, 1948) Each concept plays an important role in transmitting information, whether humans talking to each other, humans listening to the radio or watching television, or other species that communicate with each other. We will examine concepts from the theory and their impact on communication and health informatics.Key Concepts of Shannon-Weaver Information TheoryBasic communication can be observed daily in the animal kingdom. An animal transmits some type of coded information to another animal, and once the message is received, an action or reaction must occur. This is the very essence of communication: sharing information. “Information is encoded into a signal by a single individual. When received by another animal, the information is decoded while maintaining a specifiable relationship to the encoded information” (Owren, 2010). While the application of the Shannon-Weaver theory initially concerned telephone lines and their transmission capacity, it eventually came to be applied to communication and the transmission of information. Basically, the idea is that one event can “carry” information, or signals, about another event. These signals can then be informative because they allow the receiver to draw conclusions about the environment around it. Of course, humans are intentional in their 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 this ability. As we continue to navigate the 21st century, we must realize that we live in a wonderful time with seemingly limitless possibilities, especially when it comes to communication. Today, we can access information faster, at any time and in just about any medium we choose. Perhaps we are now in the age of communication – a new era with unlimited potential for what communication can do. Communications impacts every aspect of our lives, every day. The study of communications encompasses all 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 fact, it is a model of information flow through a medium. When it comes to data transmission, you need to know the format and type of data being transferred. The senderand the recipient must also use the same format for correct data transmission. Shannon used entropy, or the degree of disorder or randomness, to explain and measure the technical amount of information contained 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. This measurement can be used by a communications engineer to determine how a message should be encoded in order 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 measurement does not take into account two factors: are the symbols correct and do they have meaning. So, based on entropy, different messages can have the same information content simply because they contain the exact 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 their clear meaning. The Shannon-Weaver ModelWeaver application 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, then the problem lies with the method of transmission. If the person hearing the message has hearing difficulties, then the problem is with the receiver (the person's ear) rather than the message itself. Errors occur in communications. Speakers make mistakes quite often, but what impact should these mistakes have on the interactions between the parties in the conversation? It depends on how the parties involved handle these errors. Errors can occur in the choice of message or in the way signals are generated. Sometimes communication only happens one way: from speaker to recipient, without a feedback loop. This means that the listener must decide the meaning or take action. Requests for clarification are a type of feedback that allows the recipient to communicate that they have not completely understood the statement (Benz, 2012). If communication patterns allowed for more interactions, then we can assume that the speaker and listener can observe the outcome and adjust if necessary. What we need to worry about are the errors that occur when sharing information regarding health, medications, procedures, procedures, etc. etc. Shannon's original work recognized that errors occur when one symbol is transmitted when another was supposed to be used. This situation should be addressed, but only with additional information to help detect errors. Thus, the error will cause more information to be transmitted and thus cause additional disorder or randomness (entropy). A 2017 study of health literacy leaders in academic, clinical, educational, and administrative settings found that most health literacy issues were related to message and system components, followed by communication tools and action (Kim, 2017). . This suggests that there is a clear need for improved provision of health information and additional education to develop health skills.. 48, 102-110.