What is consumer

health?
 Consumer Health
It has three
components;
health information
health products,
and health services.
 Health Information
Plays a big role in the life
of individuals. It is
information that people
require to make wise
choices and decisions
about their health or the
health of others.
 Health Information
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 disorder, acne/skin
care, local clinics, and sexual assault.
It is continuously and rapidly
changing.
It is critical as it may alter the
health conditions of a person.
It should be timely, relevant,
culturally appropriate,
accessible, and delivered in a
relevant format.
Health Products
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.
 To be noted!
People acquire health
information and products
from various sources like
people, media, and
technology. It is important
to identify the reliability of
these sources.
Unreliable sources
of information and
products are those
from people who are
not experts in this
field.
 Health Services
Often connected to health
care.
These programs aim to
appraise the health
conditions of individuals.
Usually offered by
healthcare providers.
Types of Healthcare Providers
Health professionals
Individuals who are
licensed to practice
medicine and other
allied health
programs.
Healthcare Facilities
Place or
institutions that
offer healthcare
services.
 Facilities
Hospital
It is an institution
where people
undergo medical
diagnosis, care and
treatment.
Walk-In Surgery
Center
Offers without the
patient being
admitted in the
hospital.
Health Center
Cater specific
population with
various health
needs.
Extended Healthcare
Facility.
Provides treatment,
nursing care, and
residential services to
patients, often the
elderly.
 Health Insurance
A financial agreement between
an insurance company and an
individual or group for the
payment of healthcare costs.
It may pertain to a protection
that provides benefits for
sickness and injury.
Medical insurance pays for
the fees of the health
professionals, laboratory test,
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
surgical fees.
Disability insurance provides
financing for members who
meet accidents or suffer from
illness.
 HMO
Healthcare provider that
offers medical services that
are availed through a
prepaid amount of money.
A business that requires a
relatively reduced monthly
fee for subscribers.
The difference of HMO
with other insurance
companies is that it
hires/ trains its own
health professionals and
healthcare practitioners.
 R.A. No. 8423
Traditional and Alternative
Medicine Act of 1997
 Provisioned the creation of
the Philippine Institute of
Traditional and Alternative
healthcare (PITAHC), which
works closely with the
Department of Health.
 PITAHC
Law-making body
with regards to the
effective use of
traditional and
alternative medicine.
PITAHC-Approved Alternative
Modalities
Naturopathy
 Naturopathic medicine views
diseases as a manifestation of
an alteration in the process
by which the body naturally
heals itself. (Donatelle, 2008)
Offers wide range of
natural practices
including herbal
medicine acupuncture,
acupressure, nutritional
therapy, and ventosa
cupping massage therapy.
 Herbal Medicine
 Acapulko
 Ampalaya
 Bawang
 Bayabas
 Lagundi
 Niyog-niyogan
 Sambong
 Tsaang gubat
 Pansit-pansitan
 Yerba-buena
Examples of Alternative Medicine
Acupuncture
 Form of energy medicine
where long thin needles are
inserted to specific parts of
the body to affect the energy
flow.
 Believed to treat
musculoskeletal dysfunctions.
Ventosa Cupping Massage Therapy
This procedure is done by
placing inverted glasses
that have flames form
burning cotton on specific
points in the body.
Believed to relieve muscle
and joint pains.
 Reflexology
Similar to acupuncture,
reflexology focuses on
treating specific
disorders through
massaging of the soles
of the feet.
 Acupressure
Uses the same technique
as that of acupuncture.
The only difference is that
acupuncture does not use
needles but hands to
apply pressure on certain
points of the body.
Nutrition Therapy
Approaches
treatment of a
medical condition by
providing a tailored
diet for the patient.
 Quackery
Is a form of health fraud,
advertisement,
promotion, or sale of
products and services that
have not been
scientifically proven safe
and effective.
Quack
An individual that
has little or no
professional
qualifications to
practice medicine.
He/she pretentiously
uses meaningless
medical jargon and
relies on scare tactics,
paranoid accusations
and quick fixes.
Characteristics
It is a big business.
It multiplies and spreads
fast.
It thrives on individuals
who are diagnosed with
illness that are known to
have no cure.
 Forms of Quackery
Medical Quackery
Includes cures,
treatments and remedies
of various health
conditions that are
drugless or bloodless in
nature.
Nutrition Quackery
Involves promotion of
food fads and other
nutritional practices that
claim to be all-natural.
These believed to have
beneficial properties of
multiple plants in one
product.
Device Quackery
Makes use of
miraculous gadgets
(such as dials, gauges,
electrodes, magnets,
and blinkers) that are
believed to cure certain
health conditions.
CREDIBILITY
This tells about
the source and
recency of the
information.
CONTENT
This tells about the
accuracy,
disclaimer, and
completeness of
information.
DISCLOSURE
This tells about
the purpose and
caveat of the
information.
INTERACTIVITY
This tells about the
feedback mechanism
and means of
information exchange
between the source and
the consumer.
Health Insurance
Should cover standard
risks of illness and injury
for family members.
There are two expenses
involved in health
insurance.
Covered Expenses
Refers to the coverage
of medical services
that can be paid by
the company issuing
the health insurance.
Exclusions Insurance

Are specific
services that are
not paid by the
issuer.
Evaluating Health Insurance
Obtain and read carefully
a copy of the health
insurance plan.
Ask questions of
representatives from the
health insurance plan.
Shop around for other
options.
Choose plans that give
the most
comprehensive
coverage at the most
affordable price.
The government
plays an important
role in consumer
protection. A
consumer has rights
mandated by the law.
Consumer Act of the Philippines
Is a law that protects the
interest of the consumer,
promotes general
welfare, and establishes
standards of conduct for
business and industry.
Right to ___________
Guarantees survival,
adequate food,
clothing, shelter,
Healthcare, education,
and sanitation.
Right to _________
To be protected against
the marketing of goods
or the provision of
services that are
hazardous to health
and life.
Right to _________
Protected against dishonest
or misleading advertising or
labeling and the right to be
given the facts and
information needed to
make an informed choice.
Right to ________
Right to choose
products at
competitive prices
with an assurance of
satisfactory quality.
Right to ________
Right to express
consumer interests in
the making and
execution of
government policies.
Right to _______
To be compensated
for
misrepresentation,
shoddy goods or
satisfactory services.
Right to _________
To acquire the
knowledge and
skills necessary to
be an informed
customer.
Right to ________
To live and work in an
environment that is
neither threatening nor
dangerous and, which
permits a life of dignity
and well-being.