2.3

Accessing Health Services

• Healthcare is a fundamental right, and accessing health services is crucial for maintaining one's health.

Healthcare Professionals

• A primary care physician (PCP) provides primary care, including routine checkups, screenings, treatments, prescriptions, and preventive health services.
• A PCP can be a doctor of medicine (MD) or a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO).
• Physician assistants and nurse practitioners also provide primary care under the supervision of a PCP.

Types of Healthcare Facilities

• Inpatient facilities provide comprehensive diagnosis, treatment, surgery, therapy, and rehabilitation, and patients reside in the facility.
• Examples of inpatient facilities include hospitals, intensive care units, nursing homes, and addiction recovery programs.
• Outpatient facilities treat patients who do not need to stay in a healthcare facility, and most healthcare in the US is delivered in outpatient settings.
• Examples of outpatient settings include:
  • Doctor's offices and private healthcare clinics that provide checkups, physical therapy, day surgery, counseling, addiction treatment, rehabilitation, and eye and dental care.
  • Hospital emergency rooms.
  • Urgent care or walk-in clinics.
  • Health clinics and counseling centers in schools or communities.
  • County public health clinics.

Medical Specialists

• Cardiologist: Heart disease.
• Dermatologist: Skin conditions.
• Gastroenterologist: Diseases and disorders of the digestive system.
• Neurologist: Diseases and disorders of the brain, nerves, and spinal cord.
• Oncologist: Cancer.
• Orthopedist: Bone, joint, and muscle conditions.
• Pediatrician: Medical conditions of children from infancy through adolescence.
• Psychiatrist: Mental health conditions.
• Pulmonologist: Breathing conditions and lung diseases.
• Rheumatologist: Diseases of the joints, such as arthritis.
• Surgeon: Medical conditions requiring surgery.
• Urologist: Conditions of the urinary system and male reproductive system.

Insurance

• Health Maintenance Organization (HMO): Pays for basic healthcare services and many other medical services provided by doctors, hospitals, and devices within the HMO network.
• Preferred Provider Organization (PPO): Pays for healthcare services provided by doctors, healthcare providers, and hospitals, with more flexibility in choosing providers.

Payments

• Premium: A regular fee paid to the insurance company each month, even if no medical care is received.
• Deductible: The amount a person pays for healthcare services before the insurance company begins to pay.
• Co-payment: A fixed amount paid for medical services, such as $20 for a doctor's visit.

Creating a Health Management Plan

• A health management plan outlines actions for improving health and wellness, including:
  • Setting health goals related to physical, emotional, and mental health.
  • Identifying steps to achieve those goals using the SMART method:
    • Specific: Clearly state what you want to accomplish.
    • Measurable: Define the quantifiable result that means you achieved the goal.
    • Achievable: Break out the actions you will need to take to achieve the goal.
    • Relevant: Make sure the goal fits your values and what you want to accomplish.
    • Timely: Set a realistic and specific timeline for achieving the goal.

Knowing Your Rights

• People have the right to privacy, and federal and state laws protect this right.
• The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires patient consent before sharing private health information.
• People have the right to seek healthcare and give or withhold consent for treatment.
• Minors (under 18) do not have full rights to consent to healthcare, but they do have some rights to access certain healthcare services.
• State laws vary, but minors can seek healthcare for certain conditions, such as STI testing and treatment, reproductive health services, and prenatal care.

Getting Regular Checkups and Screenings

• Preventive healthcare involves getting regular checkups, vaccinations, and screenings for conditions like hearing or vision loss.
• A physical or wellness exam includes:
  • Recording basic health information, such as height, weight, heart rate, and blood pressure.
  • Examining the body to detect signs of abnormalities.

Local and Global Health Challenges

• The World Health Organization (WHO) studies the availability and cost of healthcare worldwide.
• Certain countries face challenges accessing healthcare due to:
  • Shortage of doctors, hospitals, and healthcare facilities.
  • Distance from facilities, transportation, and laws governing healthcare.
  • Affordability, leading to poverty in some cases.
• More than half of the world's population does not receive essential healthcare, and 100 million people fall into poverty each year due to healthcare costs.