MED3072

Health promotion

Dr Bridget Hsu-Hage (Medicine)

Objectives On completion of the subject, students should be able (1) to acknowledge people as the main health resource, to support and enable them to keep themselves, their families and friends healthy, and to accept the community as the essential voice in matters of its health, living conditions and well-being; (2) to actively play the roles that doctors may be called upon to play in health promotion; (3) to understand the basic principles of behaviour change and management, the scientific, social, cultural and economic bases of health promotion, as well as the political and ethical issues that affect health promotion activities; and (4) to suggest appropriate strategies for individual, community and media levels of health promotion.

Synopsis This subject is designed to introduce students to the concept and process of health promotion in modern medical practice. It contains approaches to the practice of self-care, patient education, behavioural and attitudinal change, health enhancement, as well as health protection both in clinical and community settings. Students meet and learn from individuals and community groups. Major health issues, such as asthma, diabetes, cancers, CVD, aging, smoking and alcohol abuse, are covered in a lecture series. The roles that a doctor may be called upon to play in promoting a patient's health during illness are illustrated, where appropriate, using real life examples. Students also participate in workshops and learn specific skills for health promotion. The project work involves a group of four to five students in one particular area of health promotion and provides students with 'hands-on' experience.

Assessment Project presentation and report: 60% · Examination (MCQ and short answer): 30% · Workshop report: 10%

Required reading

Hsu-Hage B H-H and Jones K V (eds) Student workbook: Health promotion Department of Medicine, Monash U, 1997

Preliminary reading

Egger G and others Health promotion strategies and methods McGraw-Hill, 1990
Hawe P and others Evaluating health promotion: A health worker's guide MacLennan and Petty, 1990

Recommended texts

Abelin T and others Measurements in health promotion and protection WHO Regional Publications, European Series no. 22, 1987
Badura B and Kickbusch I Health promotion research: Towards a new social epidemiology WHO Regional Publications, European Series no. 37, 1991
Kaplun A (ed.) Health promotion and chronic illness: Discovering a new quality of health WHO Regional Publications, European Series, no. 44, 1993
Mc Neil J and others A textbook of preventive medicine Edward Arnold, 1990
Murtagh J Patient education McGraw-Hill, 1996
Naidoo J and Wills J Health promotion: Foundations for practice Bailliere Tindall, 1994
Internet access to course material (http://www.monash.edu.au/health)

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