4 questions | Applied Sciences homework help
- When a health problem arises, they take an active role in its management. This entails understanding the nature of the problem and how to do their part in dealing with it. People with chronic illnesses, such as asthma, diabetes, or high blood pressure, should strive to become “experts” in their own care and use their physicians as “consultants.” 7. They communicate effectively. They present their problems in an organized way, ask appropriate questions, and tactfully assert themselves when necessary. 8. They are wary of treatments that lack scientific support and a plausible rationale. These are discussed throughout this book. 9. They are familiar with the economic aspects of health care. They obtain appropriate insurance coverage, inquire in advance about professional fees, and shop comparatively for medications, eyeglasses, and other products. 10. They report frauds, quackery, and other wrong- doing to appropriate agencies and law enforcement
Are you sufficiently informed to be able to make sound decisions? Do you maintain a healthy lifestyle? From what sources do you seek information when needed? Professional health organizations/individuals Health books, magazines, newsletters Government health agencies Advertisements, retail salespeople Newspapers Radio/television Laypersons you know To what extent do you accept statements in news reports at face value? To what extent do you accept statements in ads at face value? How well can you identify quacks, quackery, fraudulent schemes, and hucksters? When selecting health practitioners, to what extent do you: Talk with or visit before the first regular appointment? Check/inquire regarding qualifications/credentials? Ask friend/neighbor about reputation? Inquire about fees and payment procedures? Do you undergo appropriate periodic medical examinations? Do you undergo appropriate periodic dental examinations? When you have been exposed to a fraudulent practice, quackery, or a substandard product or service, to what extent do you report your experience? Consumer HealtH profIle Worksheet 1–2 This exercise can help you analyze your approach to health information and professional care. Place an X in the column to the right that best represents your answer. (VM = very much; M = much; S = some; L = little; N = none.) VM M S L N Part One Dynamics of the Health Marketplace12 officials. Consumer vigilance is an essential ingredient of a healthy society. Worksheet 1-2 can help you evaluate your approach to the health marketplace. summarY Consumer health encompasses all aspects of the mar- ketplace related to the purchase of health products and services. Although health care in America is potentially the world’s best, many problems exist. Health information is voluminous and complex. Many practitioners fall short of the ideal, and some are completely unqualified. Quackery is widespread. The marketplace is overcrowded with products, many of which are questionable. Rising costs and lack of adequate insurance coverage have reached crisis levels. Consumer protection is limited. Only well-informed individuals can master the com- plexity of the health marketplace. Intelligent consumers maintain a healthy lifestyle, seek reliable sources of information and care, and avoid products and practices that are unsubstantiated and lack a scientifically plausible rationale. referenCes* 1. Kaplan NL. Consumer health: The times they are a-changing. Health Education 11(6):3, 1980. 2. Schwartz B. The Paradox of Choice. New York, 2004, Harper- Collins Publishers, p 73. 3. Gunther M. Quackery and the media. In Barrett S, editor. The Health Robbers: How to Protect Your Money and Your Life, ed 2. Philadelphia, 1980, George F Stickley Co.