Concepts in Health Care

World Health Organization (WHO)

  • Role and Scope: The World Health Organization (WHO) serves as the directing and coordinating authority for health within countries belonging to the United Nations system.

  • Key Responsibilities:

    • Providing leadership on global health matters.

    • Assessing global health trends.

World Health Organization Emblem

Definitions and Core Concepts of Health

  • WHO Definition of Health: Defined simply by the World Health Organization as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

  • Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986):

    • Affirms the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of health.

    • States that to attain health, "an individual or group must be able to identify and to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment."

    • Establishes health as a "resource for everyday life, not the objective of living."

    • Emphasizes health as a positive concept rooted in social and personal resources as well as physical capabilities.

Five Components of Health

  • Physical Health:

    • Achieved when the physical body is strong, fit, and completely free of disease.

    • Directly influenced by biological genetics and lifestyle choices.

  • Emotional Health:

    • Extends beyond the mere absence of negative emotions.

    • Defined as the ability to adapt appropriately to changing circumstances.

    • Occurs when individuals feel good about themselves and maintain:

      • Strong self-esteem.

      • Self-control.

      • Self-awareness.

      • A sense of security.

      • The capability to give and receive from others.

  • Social Health:

    • Achieved through maintaining stable, satisfying, and positive relationships.

    • Socially healthy individuals interact with others using respect, warmth, and openness.

    • Poor social health is characterized by showing little regard for others and exploiting people for personal gain.

  • Spiritual Health:

    • Achieved through a firm belief in a purpose greater than oneself.

    • May or may not involve affiliation with a formal religion.

    • Spiritually healthy individuals possess a clear understanding of personal morality (right vs. wrong), and their daily actions actively reflect those core beliefs.

  • Intellectual Health:

    • Achieved by maintaining an active, creative mind across the entire lifespan.

    • Involves the capacity to analyze information, reason logically, and solve complex problems.

    • Characterized by open-mindedness and an eagerness to learn.

    • Poor intellectual health manifests as a passive approach to life, including non-participation in community or world events and a lack of desire to engage with others.

Healthcare Models in Canada

  • Definition of Healthcare Models: A systemic framework for conceptualizing health and designing healthcare delivery. Influences care priorities, treatment modalities, resource allocation, financial funding, and health outcomes.

  • Medical Model:

    • Defines health simply as "the absence of disease."

  • Holistic Model:

    • Defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being."

  • Wellness Model:

    • Defines health as "a process, a state of feeling, people assume responsibility for their own health."

Distinction Between Health and Wellness

  • Wellness Characteristics:

    • Subjective experience.

    • Reflects a dynamic, ongoing relationship between individuals and their environment.

    • Defined as a state of overall well-being or total health; it is an active way of life involving daily decisions and choices.

  • Health Characteristics:

    • Objective process characterized by functional stability, balance, and structural integrity.

    • Dynamic rather than static.

    • Heavily shaped by environmental context and individual life circumstances (e.g., healthy individuals engaging in fitness routines, students balancing academic study with active recreation).

Social Determinants of Health

  • Definition: The conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. These conditions are shaped by the global, national, and local distribution of money, power, and resources.

  • Health Inequities: The unfair and avoidable disparities in health status observed within and between different countries, caused primarily by social determinants.

  • Primary Determinants of Individual & Population Health: Living conditions are the primary drivers of health outcomes for Canadians, taking precedence over medical interventions or individual lifestyle choices.

  • The 14 Canadian Social Determinants of Health:

    1. Income and Income Distribution

    2. Education

    3. Unemployment and Job Security

    4. Employment and Working Conditions

    5. Early Childhood Development

    6. Food Insecurity

    7. Housing

    8. Social Exclusion

    9. Social Safety Network

    10. Health Services

    11. Aboriginal Status

    12. Gender

    13. Race

    14. Disability

  • Broader Influencing Determinant Categories:

    • Income and Social Status

    • Social Support Networks

    • Education and Literacy

    • Employment/Working Conditions

    • Social Environments

    • Physical Environments

    • Personal Health Practices and Coping Skills

    • Healthy Child Development

    • Biology and Genetic Endowment

    • Health Services

    • Gender

  • Resilience and Health: Good health provides the physical and emotional resilience required to navigate personal challenges (such as workplace difficulties, relationship stresses, or bereavement), regain personal balance, and live fully.

Sustainability in Health and Healthcare

  • Pillars of Sustainability:

    • Identified at the 2005 World Summit on Social Development: Economic Development, Social Development, and Environmental Protection.

    • Incorporate long-term thinking focused on future generations.

Pillars of Sustainability Diagram

  • Basic Ecological Conditions for Human Health:

    • Clean air

    • Clean water

    • Nutritious and safe food

    • Rest and stress management

    • Shelter

    • Safety

    • Physical exercise

    • Ecological Interdependence: Human survival relies on Earth's climatic, chemical, and biological systems. Disruption or destabilization of these natural ecosystems directly compromises human health and daily wellness.

  • Definition of Sustainable Healthcare (CASHA / Conference Board of Canada):

    • The appropriate balance between cultural, social, and economic environments designed to meet the health and healthcare needs of individuals and populations across the full continuum (from health promotion and disease prevention to health restoration and end-of-life support).

    • Achieves optimal health outcomes without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own health needs.

  • Conference Board of Canada Framework for Sustainable Health and Healthcare:

Framework for Sustainable Health and Health Care
*   *Foundational Principles (Base Steps):*
    1. Accountability for results
    2. Fair and timely access
    3. Value for money
    4. Appropriateness
*   *Six Core Pillars:*
    1. Effective disease prevention and health promotion
    2. Effective health and healthcare systems
    3. Funding models that drive desired behaviours
    4. Leveraging innovation and innovative technologies
    5. Optimal development, alignment, and support of human resources
    6. Strategic alignment with determinants of health

  • Social, Economic, and Environmental Interconnections:

    • Sustainability extends beyond environmental conservation; health, prosperity, and social relationships are interconnected through the environment.

    • Actions that are environmentally damaging ("unenvironmental") are inherently uneconomic and damaging to human health.

  • Institutional Definition of Sustainability (AASHE / Fleming):

    • According to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), "Sustainability encompasses human and ecological health, social justice, secure livelihoods and a better world for all generations," aligning with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Summary and Professional Implications

  • Impact of Health Beliefs: A person's individual perception and belief system regarding health dictates how they address personal health issues, navigate health care systems, and perform as a healthcare professional.

  • Core Synthesis: Personal health, population health, and systemic healthcare delivery are deeply interconnected with ecological integrity, social justice, and long-term sustainability.