MEDICAL SELFCARE
WHY IS MEDICAL SELFCARE NECESSARY ?
The World Health Organization definition of the medical selfcare is as follows :
........Self-care is the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health,
prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.... [Reference : WHO consolidated guideline on self-care interventions for health: sexual and reproductive health and rights. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO. Page x.]
In other words medical selfcare includes but not limited to :
1. Health promotion
2. Disease prevention
3. Disease control
4. Self-medication
5. Providing care to dependent persons
6. Seeking hospital/specialist/primary care when necessary
7. Rehabilitation
8. Palliative care.
MOBIOS DIGITAL HEALTH APPLICATION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AIMED AT ACHIEVING OPTIMAL MEDICAL SELFCARE USING THE MODERN TECHNOLOGY
Evidence 1
According to the 2005 National Hospital Medical Care Survey, Americans went to hospital emergency departments 114 million times. It has been estimated that 55.4% of emergency department visits were for non-urgent conditions, such as headaches, sore throats, and stubbed toes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006). The average E.R. visit costs $383 which is about five to six times more than the cost of care in a health care provider’s office
Source: National Hospital and Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2006
Evidence 2
In addition, many people seek medical care for problems that could be treated at home using selfcare. According to the 2005 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, there were approximately 911 million visits (about 3 visits per person) to office based physicians. It is estimated that 25% of these visits, or 228 million, are unnecessary. Since the average doctor visit costs $60.00, a great deal of money is spent unnecessarily.
Source: National Hospital and Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2006
Medical self-care refers to a decision making process that helps increase efficient and
appropriate use of medical services and to make more informed health care decisions. It includes a number of skills that include knowing:
• When a real medical emergency occurs
• When and when not to see a physician
• When and how to treat oneself at home
• When to use outpatient rather than inpatient services
• When diagnostic tests are appropriate
The Benefits of Medical Self-Care
In addition to reducing unnecessary visits to physicians and emergency rooms, there are other benefits from teaching consumers to make better health care decisions. They include:
• Reduced health care costs
• Reduced absenteeism
• Saved time
• Increased patient satisfaction with their care
• Improved quality of care
• Increased patient empowerment and sense of control
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS ACCRUED BY REDUCING THE UNNCESSARY MEDICAL VISITS
1. Prevention of iatrogenic diseases
2. Support of Antimicrobial Stewardship
3. Prevention of medical malpractice
4. Prevention of medical diagnostic errors
5. Prevention of medical treatment errors
6. Prevention of medical referral errors
7. Prevention of Laboratory and imaging errors
8. Hospital and practice efficiency is enhanced
9. Increased management of efficiency of the patients
10. More time for deserving patients
SKILLS REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE OPTIMAL MEDICAL SELFCARE
SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Self-medication
self-treatment
Self-examination
self-injection
self-administration
self-use
SELF-TESTING SKILLS
Self-sampling
self-screening
self-diagnosis
self-collection
self-monitoring
SELF-AWARENESS SKILLS
Self-help
self-education
self-regulation
self-efficacy
self-determination
[Reference : WHO consolidated guideline on self-care interventions for health: sexual and reproductive health and rights. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO. Page x.]
WHO ACCEPTANCE OF SELFCARE AS A HEALTH SYSTEM SERVICE
World Health Organization acknowledges that medical self care has its own value and there is a considerable potential contribution for the overall quality of delivery of health care services. WHO also created a framework for medical self care as a way to expedite the Universal Health Coverage for the masses. These attempts are laying the foundation for a patient centered health care system globally.