Chapter 15: Becoming a Responsible Health Care Consumer

1
Chapter 15 Becoming a Responsible Health Care
Consumer

• The traditional attitude towards health care has
  been passive
• People now realize that they must assume more
  responsibility for safeguarding their health
• Health fatalism is the attitude that no
  information can be trusted

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Guidelines for Evaluating Health Information

• An appropriate approach to health information is
  to adopt a skeptical and suspicious attitude,
  especially toward extreme and sensational health
  claims
• Avoid jumping to conclusions because of
  oversimplification or generalization
• Remember that health discoveries take time

3
Guidelines for Evaluative Health Information

• Beware of headline reading, which may present a
  partial truth that leads to a wrong conclusion
• Health information that can be trusted is based
  on scientifically controlled studies that yield
  consistent results over time
• A study should be
• valid (truthful)
• reliable
• statistically significant

4
Knowing the Terms

• A statistical relationship indicates the degree
  of association between two or more variables it
  does not mean there is a cause and effect
  relationship
• Risk factors are health habits or practices that
  increase the risk of getting certain diseases
• Epidemiological studies are population studies in
  which the health habits and lifestyles of many
  people are observed over time
• A study should have a sufficient number of people
  in it to make the information applicable

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Questions to Ask

• What type of study was used?
• What was the funding source of the study?
• Where they scientifically controlled studies?
• What were the characteristics of the people in
  the study?
• How many people were in the study?

6
When to Get Help

• Signs and symptoms that warrant immediate medical
  attention are
• Signs of internal bleeding
• Abdominal pain with nausea
• A stiff neck accompanied by fever
• Serious first aid emergencies and injuries
• Trust your instincts you know best about your
  health
• Adults rarely need to seek help for a fever
  unless it is greater than 102?F that has shown no
  improvement for 72 hours

7
Entering a Hospital

• When entering a hospital, know the hospitals
  accreditation status
• Decide on accommodations before admission
• Know your rights as a patient
• Discuss all treatments and procedures, and ask
  questions if you do not understand something
• Informed consent is your agreement to a procedure
  after having been informed about it and the risks
  involved

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Managing Health Care

• Implied consent is nonverbal authorization for a
  medical procedure
• The primary care physician manages the general
  care of patients and directs them to specialized
  services as needed
• Patients who do not insist on being heard may get
  plenty of advice and medications, but they may
  not get the best results

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Managing Health Care

• The best way to communicate with a physician
  about health problems is to
• Be specific about conditions
• State the most important problem first
• Know your family medical history
• Know the names of medicines you are taking
  (including herbal and vitamin supplements)
• Know your diagnosis
• Know how to follow recommended treatments

10
Making Choices

• A second opinion is appropriate for chronic pain,
  recurring illnesses, and elective surgery
• Alternative (complementary) medicine is the use
  of therapies not taught in U.S. medical schools
  it is generally unavailable from doctors or
  hospitals

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Physical Exams

• People over 45 can benefit from a physical exam
  every year those under 45 should see their
  physician at least every 2 years
• The medical history is the most important part of
  the physical exam
• The hands-on examination consists of touching,
  looking, and listening
• Diagnostic laboratory tests for specific symptoms
  may be invaluable a periodic exam includes
  laboratory tests as needed

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Health Care

• Defensive medicine involves prescribing tests and
  procedures in order to protect the doctor from
  medical-malpractice lawsuits
• Adults should be immunized against influenza,
  pneumonia, hepatitis, measles, rubella, tetanus,
  diphtheria, and chicken pox
• Insurance policies influence health care options