| Before we come to the practice of health care | | | | behavior to be to be acquired or actions to be |
| education, we must know the principles involved. | | | | mastered. They must be pertinent if the program |
| Health care education brings together the art and | | | | is to be appropriate and successful. |
| science of medicine along with the principles and | | | | The focus of health education is on people and on |
| practice of general education. The link is to be | | | | action. Its goal is to make realistic improvements |
| found in the social and behavioral sciences which | | | | in the basic quality of life. Many health education |
| include sociology, psychology and social | | | | programs hope, in some way, to influence |
| anthropology. | | | | behavior or attitudes. The implication of these |
| Health care education can not be 'given' to one | | | | newer concepts is that health care education is an |
| person by another. It involves, among other | | | | integral part of the national health goals. The fact |
| things, the teaching, learning and inclusion of habits | | | | remains that effective health education has the |
| concerned with the objective of healthy living. | | | | potential for saving many lives than has any one |
| The definition adopted by World Health | | | | research discovery in the foreseeable future. |
| Organization in 1969 and the Alma Ata declaration | | | | We all know that 'Prevention is better than cure'. |
| adopted in 1978 provide a useful basis for | | | | Health care education will bring us the knowledge |
| formulating the aims and objectives of health care | | | | how we can prevent the disease before it |
| education that may be described as -o To | | | | surfaces in any individual. In the US, more than |
| promote the proper use of healthcare service | | | | 130 billion dollars are spent last year to treat the |
| available to the general people.o To encourage | | | | patients suffering from diseases. By paying one |
| them to adopt and maintain health promoting | | | | fifth of the amount, incidence of many fatal |
| lifestyle and practices.o To develop interest, | | | | diseases can be prevented. The surplus amount |
| endow with newer knowledge, improve skills and | | | | can be spent to another developmental work for |
| change attitudes in making rational decisions to | | | | the society. |
| solve their own problemso To stimulate the | | | | Healthcare educating will make the standard of |
| individual and community self-reliance and | | | | living better. Therefore, the status of a particular |
| participation to achieve health development | | | | society will be lifted up. Better habitation, living, |
| through individual and community involvement at | | | | education, trade will make us a better human |
| every step from identifying problems to solving | | | | being. This is particularly important for the |
| them. | | | | developing countries where there is not enough |
| The educational objectives are aimed to the | | | | money to spend treating diseases through |
| group to be taught in the health care educational | | | | modern approach. It is always better to spend |
| program. The objectives flow from the health | | | | some money to healthcare education in order to |
| needs which have been discovered or invented. | | | | lift the level of health consciousness among the |
| They should be carefully and unambiguously | | | | common people. |
| defined in terms of knowledge to be acquired, | | | | |