Week 1: Core Definitions & Models of Health

What is the U.S. Medical (Biomedical) Model of Health?

A model that defines health as the absence of illness or disease. It prioritizes clinical diagnosis, medical interventions, and symptom treatment

What is the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of health?

A complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being (the Health Triangle/Biopsychosocial model), and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity

What is the World Health Organization (WHO)?

An international health organization formed in 1948, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, representing over 150 countries to focus on global health and healthcare delivery.

Illness

A person’s subjective perception and evaluation of how they feel.

Disease

A condition determined and evaluated by a medical professional

Quality of Life

An individual's satisfaction with life and self-perceptions of health, particularly following a medical encounter or treatment (incorporates comfort, respect, privacy, security, and autonomy)

Health Literacy (ACA Definition)

The degree to which an individual has the ability to obtain and absorb basic health information to make the best health decisions for themselves

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)

The conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, learn, worship, and age that affect health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes

What are the 5 Domains of SDOH?

• Economic Stability (income, employment, food security)

• Education Access & Quality (literacy, early education, health literacy)

• Healthcare Access & Quality (insurance, access to providers, preventive care)

• Neighborhood & Built Environment (safe housing, transportation, clean air/water)

• Social & Community Context (social support, family relations, safety, discrimination)

Health Equality vs. Health Equity

• Health Equality: Giving everyone the exact same resources regardless of need.

• Health Equity: Allocating resources custom-tailored to individual needs so everyone can achieve optimal health outcomes

Acute Illness

New, relatively severe, short-term/episodic condition; usually treatable (e.g., flu, pneumonia)

Subacute Illness

Short-term, ongoing condition requiring care after acute discharge; less severe but ongoing (e.g., post-acute sinusitis, low back pain)

Chronic Disease

Continuous, long-term condition requiring ongoing treatment; may not fully recover but can be controlled (e.g., diabetes, heart failure)

Primary Prevention

Prevent or avoid a disease or injury before it occurs

Secondary Prevention

Early detection and screening to treat disease before symptoms become severe

Tertiary Prevention

Manage existing disease, halt progression, and minimize complications/disability

Quaternary Prevention

Limit unnecessary medical interventions, invasive diagnostic testing, or medical overuse

Social Security Act

Federal program for retirement and disability benefits

Medicare

for seniors 65+

Medicaid

federal/state program for low-income populations

Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA)

ensures emergency care regardless of ability to pay