Which of the following is not a focus of a typical community health pro? The answer may surprise you! These community health professionals focus on changing people’s behaviors to prevent illness, lowering prescription costs, and more. However, these goals are not necessarily related. Listed below are the three main goals of a typical community health pro:
Educating people about preventable causes of health problems
Often, pharmaceutical companies and other healthcare providers will focus their efforts on preventing diseases and conditions rather than on treating the underlying cause. While pharmaceutical companies can save money by helping people prevent disease, they can also impact health outcomes by causing serious side effects. The focus of community health promotion programs is to prevent diseases and encourage healthy living by educating the public about these issues.
The most effective community health professionals will work with residents to determine priorities and approaches for chronic disease prevention. They will work through local organizations and agencies to map local assets and identify health concerns. In addition to developing prevention education programs, community health professionals should engage in collaborating with local governments to create healthier communities. They can also work with local media to promote healthy messages and reduce tobacco-related advertising.
Community health professionals can help communities reduce health disparities and improve overall well-being. They can work to improve access to essential preventive health services for children and adults. Changing laws and policies can improve access to these services. Fortunately, these changes can improve health outcomes for communities in the long term. Regardless of the focus of community health professionals, there are some things that every organization should consider.
In addition to addressing health disparities, community health professionals can advocate for policies and programs to promote healthy lifestyles. In addition to developing healthy neighborhoods, businesses can also work on economic development, mentor community organizations, and support job training programs. To combat health disparities, providers can advocate for community education and health promotion efforts. They can incorporate risk factor assessment into their screening forms and protocols.
Lowering prescription costs
Many people are concerned about how much expensive prescription medications are. However, the cost of drugs is largely driven by pharmaceutical companies, which are a major driver of the health-care system. By lowering prescription costs, community health pro’s can help the average person lead a healthier life. But lowering prescription costs is not a typical focus of community health practitioners. Let’s examine why this is the case.
First, community health organizations are a great source of affordable health care for people who cannot afford it. These organizations have funding in place to focus on the most pressing health problems, but they need to find other funding sources for other issues. While lower prescription costs may not be the focus of a typical community health pro, it is important to understand the cost of medication to ensure access to affordable and quality care.
Typically, community health providers provide low or no-cost care and medical providers who can speak multiple languages. Because healthcare costs are rising, community health providers are focusing on downstream social determinants of health. They also help traditional underserved communities access the care they need, and often provide preventative care to reduce health risks and costs. And by improving the overall health of patients, they are able to lower prescription costs and improve outcomes.
Currently, prescription costs in the United States are increasing dramatically. Increasing drug prices are the primary culprit behind this trend. Drugs with new indications are becoming more expensive, and the availability of inexpensive alternatives is increasing. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services predict that prescription costs will be the fastest growing health care category in the next decade. As a result, many strategies are being tested to reduce prescription costs while maintaining or improving health outcomes. However, these strategies must be viewed separately from other types of medical care. Neither type of care is free of challenges, and neither should be treated as an exception.https://www.youtube.com/embed/mvljECmG00g