Warm-up List 5 influences on your choice of health care products or services. Circle the two that most often affect your decisions Remember yesterday we talked about choices. Keep in mind what type of choices you have when choosing a product or service? Are you limited in your choices because of external factors? Answer these questions after circling the two factors that affect you most.

Consumer Issues Lesson 3

objectives Identify factors that influence consumer decisions about health care products, services and information Demonstrate ways to utilize criteria to evaluate health products, services and messages Identify, describe, and assess available health-related services in the community that relate to disease prevention and health promotion Identify the impact of technology and medical advances on personal, family, and community health

Making Consumer Choices Health Consumer: anyone who purchases or uses health products or services Become an informed consumer

Influences Internal Factors: habits, personal taste External factors: family members, friends, cost, MEDIA

Media The various methods of communicating information Tv Radio Magazines Newspapers Internet

Advertising Written or spoken media message designed to interest consumers in purchasing a product or service Problems: Primary purpose of advertising is to get your attention and sell the product Figure 3.1 page 49: Techniques advertisers use to persuade consumers to purchase their products Look at the advertisement you brought it. What category does it fall in to? Does it fall into more than one? What message does the ad communicate? How could this message affect you as a consumer? STOP after first bullet Pull out the advertisement you were supposed to bring today. Lay it on your desk and we will walk around looking at the various ads. Discuss a common theme among the ads. What is the ads primary goal? Is it wise to make your purchasing decisions based upon these ads? NO

Comparing Choices Comparative Shopping: method of judging the benefits of different products by comparing several factors, such as quality, features and cost Look at the labels Product name and use Directions Warnings Ingredients, active ingredients If 2 products have the same ingredients listed, which would be the better one to buy?

Criteria Cost: What is your price range? Features: What product features are most important to you? Quality: look for well made products, a brands reputation Warranty: company’s agreement to repair a product or refund your money if it does not function properly, how much does the warranty cover? Safety: utmost importance! Does the product meet safety guidelines set? Recommendations: Talk to people who have used the products you are looking at. After all they, themselves are already informed consumers because of using the product.

Consumer Rights Right to safety Right to choose Right to be informed Right to be heard Right to have problems corrected Right to consumer education

Choosing community Health Services Health Care System: all the medical care available to a nation’s people, the way they receive care, and the method of payment. General Care Primary Care physicians- medical doctors who provide physical checkups and general care School nurses Dentists Specialized Care Specialists- medical doctors trained to handle particular kinds of patients or medical conditions

Facilities Private Practices- single doctor, office Clinics- community clinic Group Practices- multiple doctors, shared office Hospitals- inpatient and outpatient care Emergency Rooms- potential life threatening situations Urgent Care Center- non life threatening emergencies. Patients normally go when their primary care physician is unavailable

Trends in Health Care Birthing Centers- homelike setting, involving family members in the birth of a a baby Drug treatment centers- specialize in treating people with drug and alcohol problems Continuing care/ assisted living facilities- short and long term care for people who need help with daily tasks but do not need professional medical care Hospices- care for terminally ill, experts at managing pain and providing emotional support for patient and his or her family Telemedicine- practice of medicine over distance through telecommunication equipment

Problems with Products Fraud: deliberate deceit or trickery Health Fraud: sale of worthless products or services that claim to prevent diseases or cure other health problems Weight loss products Beauty and anti aging products Mal Practice: failure by a health professional to meet accepted standards Medicare Fraud Fact Sheet From www.stopmedicarefraud.gov Diet pills, fad diets claiming people can lose weight over night, could be harmful, same applies to the beauty and aging products. Look for FDA approval

What Do YOU Think? Who should be held responsible when a consumer is “taken in” by a misleading claim—the advertiser or the consumer? Why? Does it depend on the product or service?

Homework Watch television for 15 minutes. During that 15 minute time period, record the advertisements you see. Next to the product, decide whether the advertisement “convinced” you to buy the product or service. Why or why not? Remember advertisements include commercials and products mentioned during a television show. Be prepared to discuss this next class!