Biomedical Vs Preventative Health Care

Preventative Health Care Involves taking action to avoid illness occurring or returning and to detect illness at the earliest time possible

 Preventative healthcare takes all components of health into consideration.  It promotes healthy lifestyle choices and focuses on groups rather than individual (communities).  It aims a stopping illness occurring or returning and to detect illness at the earliest time possible to reduce severity.  Can you list some benefits of focusing on groups rather than an individual???  Can you list some advantages of stopping illness before it occurs??? (think of the money spent on health care treatment)  To achieve it’s aims there are 3 different levels of preventative healthcare.

Primary Prevention  prevents illness, injury and or disease.  Educating, raising awareness and promoting healthy lifestyles  Get moving and Go for your life are 2 examples of primary prevention because they promote healthy lifestyles by encouraging exercise and a healthy diet.

Slip slop slap Life be in it Quit smoking  Can you think of a primary prevention campaign that exists???  design your own primary prevention campaign and come up with a catchy slogan.  What is the cost difference between treating a patient with skin cancer (surgery) compared to a tube of sunscreen or buying a hat.

Secondary Prevention  Detects and treats illness at the earliest time possible.  It is directed at people who are at risk of a particular disease but have not yet fully developed it.  Risk factors that place people at risk may include a personal or family history of the disease, age or gender.  Example, a women over 50 has a mother who had breast cancer, she is a risk of the disease (hereditary). A mammogram is an example of a secondary prevention to detect breast cancer at the earliest time possible.  think of another example???

Tertiary Prevention  Provides treatment, rehabilitation and support for people who already suffer from a disease or illness.  It aims to improve the quality of life.  Example includes rehabilitation of a patient after a hip replacement.  Can you think of any other examples???

What preventative Heath care strategies do you practice????

Biomedical Healthcare Biomedical healthcare involves the diagnosis and treatment of the physical or biological aspects of disease and illness

 The focus on biomedical healthcare is on the medical profession and aims to treat the physical and or biological aspects of disease and illness.  It involves diagnosis (identifying illness through the use of test) and intervention (medical treatment to cure, control or treat illness)  Some times called the ‘fix it’ approach to healthcare.  Examples include blood tests, X-rays, medications and surgery.

Guess what the % the government spends on biomedical and preventative health care?

90 % 10%

Why is there so much more spent on Biomedical Healthcare  Medical facilities are expensive.  Most of the spending is on medical services, hospitals and pharmaceuticals.  Those who are ill need to be treated.  there is an increasing ageing population which is becoming a burden on the health system.  preventative health care is a new approach and the benefits will not be prevalent in the immediate future.

Why is preventative care becoming more important  Preventative health care is cost effective (cheaper) than biomedical care.  people can achieve the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle as well as being disease free.

Advantages of preventative health care  People are offered the information or services to reduce their chances of suffering from illness or to detect the illness at the earliest time possible to treat it.  People live healthier lifestyles and improved quality of life.  Increased life expectancy.  It is less expensive.

Disadvantages of preventative health care  People may not want to change bad habits and don’t listen to preventative health care strategies.  people may be isolated and don’t have access to the information about leading a healthy lifestyle.

Advantages of biomedical health care  People who are ill are treated.  there is a high success rates of treating those who are ill.

Disadvantages of biomedical health care  The treatment is very expensive  medical services, hospitals and pharmaceuticals are expensive.  It focuses on the fix it approach rather than preventing people from getting ill.

Alternative Health  Offers different options to conventional diagnosis and health services and are used to instead of conventional medical services.  complementary and alternative health services are various methods to promote health by helping the body to use its own natural healing ability.  Treatments include improving the nutritional status of the body, eliminating toxins, reducing stress and improving posture and physical alignment.  Complementary and alternative medicines are non prescription products that claim to have health benefits.  These medicines include herbal, homeopathic products, Chinese medicines, aromatherapy products and nutritional supplements.

 Alternative health care services provide a substitute for conventional health care.  complementary services work together with and complement health care services.