Christy Ledford, PhD

Professor in the Department of Family Medicine | Augusta University

Augusta, GA, UNITED STATES

A leading expert in health and strategic communication

Biography

Dr. Christy Ledford is a professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.

Ledford is an acclaimed researcher who brings extensive experience in health and strategic communications to AU Health. Her work in health literacy and clinical communication has been published in several peer-reviewed journals, including "Family Medicine" and the "Journal of Health Communication."

She earned her bachelor's degree in corporate communication from the College of Charleston, a master's degree in technical communication from Colorado State University, a doctoral degree in health and strategic communication from George Mason University, and completed a fellowship in medical journalism with the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.

Areas of Expertise (4)

Medical Journalism

Technical Communication

Corportate Communication

Health and Strategic Communication

Accomplishments (3)

Fellow (professional)

Academy of Communication in Healthcare

Editor’s Choice (professional)

2021-04-23

MedEdPORTAL

Best Research Poster Award (professional)

2021-04-23

Annual Meeting of the American Society of Preventive Oncology, Portland, Ore.

Education (1)

Society of Teachers of Family Medicine: Fellow, Medical Journalism

Affiliations (3)

Former public affairs specialist for the U.S. Air Force Academy
Former public affairs specialist for the F.E. Warren Air Force Base
Fellow with the Academy of Communication in Healthcare

Links (1)

Faculty Profile

Articles (3)

Geographic and Race/Ethnicity Differences in Patient Perceptions of Diabetes

Health Expectations

Christy J. W. Ledford, Dean A. Seehusen, Paul F. Crawford

2019-05-15

The present study takes a culture-centered approach to better understand how the experiences of culture affect patient’s perception of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study explores personal models of T2DM and compares personal models across regional and race/ethnicity differences. Methods: In a practice-based research network, a cross-sectional survey was distributed to patients diagnosed with T2DM at medical centers in Nevada and Georgia. In analyses of covariance, controlling for age, health literacy, and patient activation, geographic location, and race/ethnicity were tested onto 5 dimensions of illness representation.

Critical Factors to Practicing Medical Acupuncture in Family Medicine: Patient and Physician Perspectives

The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine

Christy J. W. Ledford, Carla L. Fisher, David A. Moss and Paul F. Crawford

Although an increasing number of physicians are completing medical acupuncture training, only half of those physicians are able to successfully incorporate acupuncture into practice. We conducted a qualitative study to identify the factors and barriers that can enhance and impede physicians' delivery of and patients' engagement in medical acupuncture within the family medicine clinic.

Influence of Provider Communication on Women's Delivery Expectations and Birth Experience Appraisal: A Qualitative Study

PubMed

Christy J W Ledford, Mollie Rose Canzona, Jasmyne J Womack, Joshua A Hodge

Although current research suggests that patient-provider prenatal communication and expectation-setting affects women's outcomes, more needs to be understood about the kinds of communication experiences that shape women's expectations, the nature of expectations that women hold, and how those expectations influence their appraisal of labor and delivery. The goal of this study is to draw connections between provider communication, birth experience expectations, and birth experience appraisals.