April 19  

April 12

April 5

March 29

March 22

March 15

March 1

Feb 23

Feb 16

Feb 9

Feb 2

Jan 26

Jan 19  Last evening we engaged in our first live chat on the web board.  You did a great job for  your first experience in this mode of communication.  It will get easier with experience.  Just remember, no shyness. Just jump in with your comments and questions.  It may seem a bit out of order, but my job is to keep us on task.  

In summary, we discussed the stages of health prevention; primary, secondary, and tertiary (found in your book in chapter 11).  This discussion was initiated because of your responses to the Study Questions Module 2.  Our culture of health care consumers have been trained to believe that health care costs are escalating and the health care industry, including insurance companies, are doing something to reduce those costs through prevention services such as mamograms and prostate screening.  If we just believe this media hype, we will perpetuate the health care expenditure crisis in this country. I want you all to really understand the essence of prevention and the economic issues associated.  Current prevention methods promoted in the media and by insurance companies are for illness detection, for the purpose of treating and curing, which most likely won't reduce the overall cost of health care spent in the country.  True primary prevention methods and programs, such as immunizations, healthy eating classes, seat-belt laws, childhood health education programs, tai chi classes at the senior center, reduce the incidence or severity of health problems in later life, thus reducing the overall cost of health care expenditures.  Our contribution is through education, advocacy, and role modeling. The people's actions and desires will eventually change the health care industry.  This is why we see health insurance companies now reimbursing for alternative health care; because it is what the people wanted!

We will be meeting weekly in the chat room, Tuesdays at 8pm.

Jan 12