Consumer

Health

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I. Introduction

All of us are consumers. We acquire health

information, purchase health products, and avail of
health services to appraise, improve, and maintain
our health. Health information is any idea that we
hear from people around us, read from books and
other printed materials, or from the media that
influence our health. Health products are items
that we consume to improve our well-being, like
medicine, food, clothes, furniture, electronics, etc.
Health services are programs we avail from
various providers such as physicians, nurses,
therapists, health workers, hospitals, clinics, and
the government. Some examples of these health
services are insurance, treatment and cure,
complementary and alternative medicine. In this
light, we must all be educated consumers who
make wise selection of information, products, and
services that are scientifically proven and legally
approved. It is our duty to evaluate and examine
the reliability of the sources. Let us find out how
we can be educated in consumer health

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Pre-Test
Direction: Fill in the blanks
1. Quackery is
______________________________________
______________________________________
2. Health products are _____,_____,and ________
that are used by consumers.
3. Health services are given by the
______________________________________
4. _______ is done by putting upside down cups
with flaming cotton inside
5. Health information are advice that give aid to
the ______ ______ of an individual.

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Health Information

Health information is any concept, step, or

advice that various sources give to aid the health
status of an individual. The type of information
varies depending on “diseases,
sexual health, weight loss/gain,
drugs and alcohol,
depression/mental illness,
violence, smoking, eating
disorders, acne/skin care, local
clinics, and sexual assault. The
information is critical as it may
alter the health conditions of a
person. Another important
characteristic of health information
is that it is continuously and rapidly
changing. Thus, it “should be
timely, relevant, culturally
appropriate, accessible, and delivered in a
relevant format”. There is a great need to update
oneself regarding current research and evidence
available in the field.

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Health Products

Aside from health information, people also

consume health products. Health products are
food, drugs, cosmetics, devices, biologicals,
vaccines, in-vitro diagnostic reagents, and
household/urban hazardous substances and/or a
combination of and/or a derivative thereof (FDA
Act, 2009). These products may be purchased
from various places like supermarkets,
pharmacies, and hospitals.

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Health Services
Health services are often connected to
healthcare. These programs aim to appraise the
health conditions of individuals through screening
and examinations, cure and treat disorders, prevent
and control the spread of diseases, provide safety,
emergency care, and first aid, and ensure a follow-
up program for individuals who have undergone
treatments.

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I. Health Professionals

Individuals who are licensed to practice

medicine and other allied health programs. An
example of a health professional is a physician. A
physician records the medical history of individuals,
provides diagnoses, performs medical examinations,
and prescribes medications. There are different
types of physicians based on their area of
specialization.

II. Healthcare Facilities

Healthcare facilities are places or institutions

that offer healthcare services. There are different
types of healthcare facilities (Meeks, et al., 2011).

a. Hospital

It is an institution where people undergo medical

diagnosis, care and treatment. A hospital offers
different types of medical care like inpatient and
outpatient care. Inpatient care refers to care given to
individuals who need to stay inside the hospital to
receive proper treatment, monitoring and care. On
the other hand, outpatient care refers to treatment
that does not require an individual to stay inside the
hospital.
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 There are different kinds of hospitals: private,
voluntary, government, and teaching (Meeks, et al.,
2011). A private hospital is operated by individuals
to gain profit. A voluntary hospital does not require
profit because it is owned by a community or an
organization. A government or public hospital is
being run by the state and the treatment fees are
subsidized. A teaching hospital includes a school for
medical students.

In the Philippines, there are two classifications of

hospitals: general and specialty. General hospitals
have complete medical, surgical, and maternal care
facilities. Some examples are the Philippine General
Hospital, Baguio General Hospital, Cebu General
Hospital, and Davao Medical Center. On the other
hand, specialty hospitals handle a particular disease
or condition or deal with only one type of patient.
Some examples are the Philippine Heart Center,
Lung Center of the Philippines, and National Kidney
Transplant Institute.

b. Walk-In Surgery Center

It is a facility that offers surgery without the

patient being admitted in the hospital.

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c. Health Center

The services in a health center cater to a

specific population with various health needs.

d. Extended Healthcare Facility

A facility that provides treatment, nursing care,

and residential services to patients, often the
elderly…

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III. Health Insurance

`“Health insurance is a financial agreement

between an insurance company and an individual or
group for the payment of healthcare costs” This also
may pertain to a “protection that provides benefits
for sickness and injury”. It offers various types of
coverage: “medical insurance, major medical
insurance, hospitalization insurance, surgical
insurance, and disability insurance”. Medical
insurance pays for the fees of the health
professionals, laboratory tests, and prescription
drugs. Major medical insurance offers payment for
long-term or chronic diseases such as AIDS and
cancer. Hospitalization insurance pays for the stay
of the patient inside the hospital. Surgical insurance
pays for surgery fees. Disability insurance provides
financing for members who meet accidents or suffer
from illnesses.

Health insurance may be sourced from both

public and private companies. An example of public
health insurance is PhilHealth. As mandated by law
in the country, employees of both public and private
companies avail of PhilHealth. It requires a small
monthly contribution from its members. These
contributions are saved and used for the medical
care needed by a PhilHealth member.
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 A health maintenance organization (HMO) is a
healthcare provider that offers medical services that
are availed through a prepaid amount of money. It is
a business that requires a relatively reduced monthly
fee for subscribers. The difference of an HMO with
other insurance companies is that it hires or trains its
own health professionals and healthcare
practitioners.

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Naturopathy

“Naturopathic medicine views diseases as a

anifestation of an alteration in the processes by
which the body naturally heals itself” (Donatelle,
006). Naturopathy offers a wide range of natural
practices including herbal medicine acupuncture,
acupressure, nutritional therapy, and ventosa
upping massage therapy.

Herbal medicine

There are 10 herbs that are proven and tested to

have medicinal value and approved by the
Department of health

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Examples of Alternative Medicine
1. Acupuncture

It is a form of energy medicine where long thin

needles are inserted to specific parts of the body to
affect the energy flow. Acupuncture is believed to
treat musculoskeletal dysfunctions.

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2. Ventosa cupping massage therapy

This procedure is done by placing inverted

glasses that have flames from burning cotton, on
specific points in the body. It is believed to relieve
muscle and joint pains.

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3. Reflexology

Similar to acupuncture, reflexology focuses on

treating specific disorders through massaging of the
soles of the feet

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4. Acupressure

Acupressure uses the same technique as that of

acupuncture. The only difference is that acupressure
does not use needles but hands to apply pressure
on certain points of the body.

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5. Nutrition Therapy

Nutrition therapy approaches treatment

of a medical condition by providing a tailored
diet for the patient.

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Quackery

Quackery, a form of a health fraud, is any

advertisement, promotion, or sale of products and
services that have not been scientifically proven safe
and effective. It is being operated by a quack. A
quack is an individual that has little or no
professional qualifications to practice medicine.
He/She also pretentiously uses meaningless
medical jargon and relies on scare tactics, paranoid
accusations, and quick fixes.

There are three major characteristics of health

quackery . First, it is a big business. A huge amount
of money is spent on fraudulent health products and
services. Second, it multiplies and spreads fast.
Lastly, it thrives on individuals who are diagnosed
with illnesses that are known to have no cure.

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Post-test
Direction: Define the following
1. Quackery

2. Naturopathy

3. Health Services

4. Health Products

5. Health Information

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