Consumer Health

1
Consumer Health

• Introduction and Consumer Health Issues

2
Healthy People 2010Health Communication

• Health professional-patient relations
• Individuals exposure to, search for, and use of
  health information
• Individuals adherence to clinical
  recommendations
• Construction of public health messages campaigns

• Dissemination of individual population health
  risk information
• Images of health in the mass media and the
  culture at large
• Education of consumers about how to gain access
  to health care systems
• Develop telehealth applications

3
Healthy People 2010Effective Health Communication

• Accuracy
• Availability
• Balance
• Consistency
• Cultural competence

• Evidence base
• Reach
• Reliability
• Repetition
• Timeliness
• Understandability

4
Healthy People in Healthy Communities

• Educate and empower individuals and families to
  adopt healthy behaviors and lifestyles
• Educate consumers to make informed health and
  health care decisions, and
• Build community capacity to improve health.

5
Issues

• Misleading Information
• Quackery and Health Fraud
• Problems with Products
• Problems with Services
• Problems with Costs
• The Need for Consumer Protection
• Intelligent Consumer Behavior

6
Issue1Misleading Information

• High volume and complex
• Media influence
• Radio TV
• Magazines newspapers
• Functions
• Entertain, inform, carry advertisements and make
  money

7
Issue 2Quackery and Health Fraud

• Definitions
• How its done
• Slogans buzzwords
• Make people feel their in control
• Characteristics of Victims

8
Issue 3Problems with Products

• Supplements
• Herbs
• Mail Order products
• Devices, audio video tapes
• Exercise equipment

9
Issue 4Problems with Services

• Clinical care
• Overprescribe
• Unnecessary surgery
• Work to fast
• Nutritionists weight loss counselors
• Alternative practictioners
• Health facility services

10
Issue 5Problems with Costs

• Cost of health care
• Waste
• Controlling Costs
• Insurance
• Prevention vs Health Care
• Effectiveness

11
Evaluating Health Education Programs - 2 Year
Results Hypothesized RelationshipsKoreen
Johannessen CLSW, U of Arizona.
Presentations in Classes
Awareness Weeks, Health Fairs
Classes in Halls, etc.
Stakeholders (Pres., VPs, Deans, Directors)
Media
Attitudes Perceptions
Knowledge
Behaviors
Policies
Possible Relationships
12
Evaluating Health Education Programs - 2 Year
ResultsEffect Size RelationshipsKoreen
Johannessen CLSW, U of Arizona.
Presentations in Classes
Awareness Weeks, Health Fairs
Classes in Halls, etc.
Stakeholders (Pres., VPs, Deans, Directors)
Media
Attitudes Perceptions
Knowledge
Behaviors
Policies
Weak Relationships
Strong Relationships - U of A and Social Norms by
Haines 5 Yr
13
Issue 6Problems with Costs
14
Issue 7Need for Consumer Protection

• Let the buyer beware
• Protective Forces
• Federal, state
• Accreditation
• Insurance
• Hospitals
• Professional organizations

15
Issue 7Intelligent Consumer Behavior

• Seek reliable sources of information
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle
• Select practitioners with care
• Assess own health
• Active health illness management
• Use scientifically substantiated health products
  and services
• Understand costs of health and illness
• Report fraud

16
Summary

• All aspects of the marketplace
• Health information
• The well-informed consumer