Training Room 4

Introduction

What are the roles, rights, and responsibilities for wellness shared between the individual and society?

Public health addresses the health needs of communities and individuals. Two levels of government, provincial and federal, work together to provide public health. The primary focus is on prevention and population health needs rather than individual health needs.

The role of the Public Health Agency of Canada is to

• promote health
• prevent and control chronic diseases and injuries
• prevent and control infectious diseases
• prepare for and respond to public health emergencies
• serve as a central point for sharing Canada‚Äôs expertise with the rest of the world
• apply international research and development to Canada‚Äôs public health programs
• strengthen intergovernmental collaboration on public health and facilitate national approaches to public health policy and planning

Public Health Agency of Canada

For more information, visit the Public Health Agency of Canada website.

In Training Room 4 you will study the following topics:

• Who Is Responsible for Your Health?
• Determinants of Health
• The Language of Health and Wellness

In Training Room 4 Project you will research and present the causes, treatment, and prevention of a disease or condition of your choice. You will bring together your discoveries from this course and examine how public health serves individuals.

Outcomes

Training Room 4 addresses the following outcomes:

• Describe the 12 key determinants of health as defined by Health Canada.
• Summarize the shared roles and responsibilities of individuals, community, and government involved with health care.
• Define terms related to wellness.

Focus

Keep these guiding questions in mind as you work through Training Room 4:

• How does disease occur?
• How can disease be prevented?
• What are the responsibilities shared between the individual and society to prevent and treat disease?

Who Is Responsible for Your Health?

Canada’s health care system provides universal coverage for medically necessary health care services through a partnership between the federal government and each of the provinces and territories.

Health Canada’s responsibilities include

• setting and administering national principles for the health care system through the Canada Health Act
• delivering health care services to specific groups‚Äîfor example, First Nations and Inuit people
• partnering with each province and territory to plan and develop initiatives around health care human resource planning, medical technologies, and the delivery of primary health care
  

In Alberta the provincial health ministry is Alberta Health. The responsibilities of Alberta Health include

• administration and delivery of health-care services using transfer funds from Health Canada
  
• issuing health care cards and administering the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan
  
• planning and delivering health support and services to more than 3.7 million adults and children living in Alberta through Alberta Health Services

This health care flow chart gives an overview of the various levels of service provided and who covers the costs.

Determinants of Health

Do you remember the 12 determinants of health from Training Room 1? The Public Health Agency of Canada ranks these key determinants according to their impact on health and wellness.

Social and Cultural Effects on Health and Wellness

The Language of Health and Wellness

Training Room 4 Summary

You investigated the public health system in Canada and defined terminology related to health and wellness. In Training Room 4 Project you will research the causes, treatment, and prevention of a disease or condition of your choice.

Real World

Many Canadians take pride in the Canadian health-care system when compared to other countries around the world. With an aging population, there are increased pressures on the system and increased costs associated with the system. Gaining a greater awareness of preventable diseases and taking steps to minimize the chances of developing these diseases is one way to lessen the stress on the public health-care system.

Instructions

Step 1: Work through Training Room 4.

Step 2: Choose a major disease or condition on which to base your research; for example, diabetes, AIDS, a particular form of cancer, or a major surgery, such as heart surgery or knee or hip replacement. Confirm the topic with your teacher before getting to work.

Step 3: Research the disease or condition you have chosen, making sure to keep track of all your sources of information. Make sure you answer these questions:

• What are the causes of the condition or disease?
  
• What determinants of health might play a role in the occurrence of the condition or disease?
  
• What body systems are affected by the disease or condition? Is the disease one that grows from the cellular level? Does the disease or condition affect the whole body or only one organ?
  
• What is the treatment for the disease or condition? Include mainstream medical treatments as well as alternative or complementary therapies.
  
• How transferable is the disease or condition? Consider all levels of transfer, including genetic and person-to-person. How can the disease be contained?
  
• How can the disease or condition be prevented? Include mainstream medical treatments, such as vaccinations, but also consider alternative or complementary options.
  
• What roles do physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices play in preventing this disease or condition? Can physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices play a role in the treatment?
  
• Who pays for treatment of the disease or condition? What levels of health care are involved‚Äîfederal, provincial, local? What are the implications for someone who does not have medical insurance coverage other than what is provided by the government?
  
• What are the rates of occurrence of the disease or condition in Alberta and Canada? What is the prognosis for someone who is affected by the disease or condition?

Step 4: Compile all your information into an appropriate, visually appealing, well-organized, and easy-to-read format. Edit your presentation for matters of correctness, such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Step 5: Respond to the Formative Self-Assessment Reflection Questions. Save your responses in your project subfolder. Name the file “TRR5_Self_Reflections.”

Step 6: Submit your presentation and reflection to your teacher for assessment.