Components of Consumer Health

Components of Consumer Health
What is consumer health?

Consumer health is not just about buying health products and services. It is also about
making decisions and having a clear and deeper understanding to make wise choices Consumer health has three
components: health information, health products, and health services. Health information plays a big role in the life of
individuals. It gives details that people can use to make informed decisions about their health and of others.
What is 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 various considerations such as but not limited to health history, drugs and alcohol
consumption, and eating disorders. All information about the health products are included in this area. It gives the
materials used in manufacturing the product, date, uses, expirations, and even cautions.
Some Reliable Sources of information

1. Medical and health professionals (Family and school doctors, dentists, nurses, health
science educators)
2. Government agencies like Department of Health (DOH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bureau of Food and
Drugs (BFAD), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
3. Websites ending in gov, edu, and org.
4. Local health officials
5. Educational institutions
Some Unreliable Sources of Health Information

1. Outdated customs, practices, and superstitions without scientific basis
2. Information based on ignorance and prejudice
3. Commercialized health information
4. Personal options and incomplete information
5. Quack or pseudo healers
What are 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.
Examples: eyeglasses, appliances, medicines, grooming aids, car, etc.
What is a Healthcare Service?

Healthcare services refer to the furnishing of medicines, medical or surgical treatments, nursing, hospital service, dental
service, optometric service, and complementary health services. These 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.
Examples: medical and dental consultation and treatment, services from beauty parlors and barber shops, etc.
Health services are usually offered by healthcare providers. “A healthcare provider is a

trained professional who provides people with healthcare”. Health services are offered by
health service providers. There are three types, as follows:
I. Health Professionals. These are individuals who are licensed to practice medicine and
other allied health programs and work in the medical profession. Examples: doctor, nurse,
nutritionist, etc.
II. Healthcare Facilities – These are places or institutions that offer healthcare services.
Examples: hospitals, walk-in surgery center, health center, extended healthcare facility.
III. Health Insurance - It is a financial agreement between an insurance company and an
individual or group for the payment of healthcare costs.
Philippine Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is a government-owned and controlled

corporation (GOCC) created through Republic act 7875 also known as the National Health
Insurance (NHI) Act of 1995. It aims to provide health insurance coverage for all Filipinos and
ensure affordable, acceptable, available, and accessible health care services for all citizens of
the Philippines (Learner's Material on the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth)
- Grade 10 2017).
Healthcare Providers and Fraudulent Services

Health professionals are licensed to practice medicine. Knowing each of these professionals and their functions can give
benefits such as the application of immediate and appropriate treatment, avoidance of time and resources wastage, and the
like. Knowing them will not also lead someone to avail of fraudulent health services.
As a wise health consumer, you should know the different health services provided by these professionals. Some of these
services are as follows:
1. Feeding program for elementary school children
2. Immunization for different diseases intended for infants and children from age 2 and above.
3. Prenatal check-up for mothers and babies
4. Free maternity clinic
5. Family planning program
Health services are usually offered by healthcare providers. A healthcare provider is a trained professional who provides
people with healthcare.
Health Professionals. These are individuals who are trained and licensed to practice medicine along with allied health
programs and work in the medical profession.
Examples: doctor, nurse, nutritionist, physician, etc.
There are different types of physicians based on their area of specialization.
a. Pediatrician – specializes in children’s health care and treatment of diseases.
b. Psychiatrist – specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.
c. Obstetrician – specializes in the care of women during pregnancy and childbirth.
d. Ophthalmologist – specializes in diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases and disorders.
e. Anesthesiologist – specializes in administering various anesthetics to assure proper operative procedures.
f. Dermatologist – specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases.
g. cardiologist – specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of the heart and blood vessels.
h. Allergist – specializes in diagnosing and treating body reactions resulting from unusual sensitivity to food,
medicine, dust and other substances.
i. Pulmonologist - specializes in diseases of the lungs and respiratory tract.
j. Neurologist – specializes in providing diagnosis and surgical treatment of diseases of the nervous system.
k. Gastroenterologist – specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in the gastrointestinal system.
l. Geriatrician – specializes in care of elderly and the diseases that affect them.
m. Surgeon – specializes in performing surgical operation in treating diseases, injuries and deformities.
n. Urologist – specializes in diseases and abnormalities of the gastro-urinary tract.
o. Gynecologist – specializes in diseases and care of the female reproductive organs.
6. Healthcare Facilities – These are places or institutions that offer healthcare services. There are different types of
healthcare facilities.
These are the following types of healthcare facilities:
a. Hospital - It is an institution where people undergo medical diagnosis, care and treatment. In the Philippines,
there are two classifications of hospitals: general and specialty. General hospitals have complete medical,
surgical, and maternal care facilities. On the other hand, specialty hospitals handle a particular disease or
condition or deal with only one type of patient.
b. Walk-In Surgery Center - It is a facility that offers surgery without the patient being admitted in the hospital.
c. Health Center - It is a facility that caters 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.
7. Health Insurance - It is a financial agreement between an insurance company and an individual or group for the
payment of healthcare costs.
Example: PhilHealth, Private Healthcare Plans
Consumers received health information, products, and services from various sources, thus individuals may be prone to
frauds. An example of which is quackery.

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Components of Consumer Health

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Components of Consumer Health

What is consumer health?

Some Reliable Sources of information

Some Unreliable Sources of Health Information

What are Health Products?

What is a Healthcare Service?

Health services are usually offered by healthcare providers. “A healthcare provider is a

Philippine Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is a government-owned and controlled

Healthcare Providers and Fraudulent Services

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