The Role of OT in Health Promotion

Hey bloggers!

I recently learned about the occupational therapist's role in health promotion, health literacy, and prevention. Two topics that stuck out to me that I wanted to further talk about today was health literacy and prevention.

Health Literacy: Yes, many people can't afford to buy healthy food items; but, this is not always the case. In some cases, people aren't capable of making better decisions about their health for themselves; they have poor health literacy. Health literacy is the extent at which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. It is dependent on the following: communication skills of people and professionals; knowledge of health topics by people and professionals; culture; healthcare and public health systems demands; and situational/contextual demands.

Prevention: Preventative measures consists of interventions that aim to reduce risks or threats to health. There are 3 types: primary, secondary, and tertiary. In primary prevention, health professionals strive to prevent disease or injury before it ever occurs. In secondary prevention, health professionals work to reduce the impact of disease or injury by detecting it early. The goal here is to prevent the client, whose disease/injury has already occurred, from getting worse. In tertiary prevention, health professionals aim to limit the impact of an ongoing illness or injury that has lasting effects. The goal here is to improve the client's overall quality of life.

Thanks guys, and until next time!

naturalOT

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