AMIS AND PRINCIPLES OF HEALTH EDUCATION-TWO

 

3. It is necessary to discuss freely on the health problems and the solution and to ensure that all the good and bad points, advantages and disadvantages, difficulties, tec., are thoroughly dealt with. The educator should not be emphasizing only the good points and concealing any bad points. Otherwise the community may feel disturbed when their doubts are not fully cleared.

4. Education is the process or act employed to develop the mind, character and body by planned discipline. It is a methodical socialization of an individual. Since education aims at change of behaviour, the science of sociology, psychology and anthropology are essentially required in understanding human behaviour. A close study and application of these behavioural sciences becomes necessary for health education because it is concerned with individuals by themselves and in groups and society.

The educational process has to take into account the learning process and the teaching process. For this the educational content has to be developed based on the diagnosis of the socio psychological factors. Methods of teaching or providing learning opportunities also form part of the educational process. Lastly the media of communication has to be considered carefully for effective propagation of ideas.

5. The importance of a close, friendly and sympathetic attitude has been very much emphasized on the part of doctors, nurses, etc., while dealing with patients. Treating the sick has always been considered as a noble act and veterans in the medical profession have given special importance to bed-side manners and ethics, good doctor-patient relationship and a patient understanding of the suffering of the patients. A successful doctor or nurse puts the patient at ease and explains as much about the diagnosis, treatment, diet, precautions, etc., as possible not only to win the confidence of the patient but to ensure proper adherence to the treatment and all precautions necessary for getting cured or relieved.

 

It is common knowledge that patients like a particular doctor or nurse or para-professional health worker mainly because of that person’s good qualities and capability for discussing matters freely and in a helpful manner.

While it is not difficult to understand that a good doctor-patient relationship is of the essence, it is however, quite common to see the majority of doctors and nurses not realizing the need for health education in the daily activities in clinics and hospitals, etc.

 

Preventive and promotive care is not generally followed with dramatic results as curative care. Therefore, even without much effort at health education there is a possibility of people appreciating the objective of treatment if and when they undergo it. There is a great need for health education to make people understand the curative aspects of many diseases but in times of sickness people do resort to some care by and large. But in the matter of preventive and promotive care which include personal hygiene, healthy habits, maintenance of proper environmental health, medical cheek up, immunization, etc., people are not by themselves sufficiently aware of the various things that they have to do. Generally it is also difficult to demonstrate the beneficial effects of preventive and promotive care to enable people to realize their importance. A continued education is necessary in every community to help people to identify their health problems and to help them to understand what steps they have to take to prevent any sickness.