Module 11: Health Self-care

Time Frame
This module will take approximately 20 hours to complete. The exact number of lessons will vary according to the time available for each lesson.

Foundational Objectives and Learning Objectives

Level A - Extend Knowledge Base

Foundational Objectives
Students will access health related information and analyze it in terms of its source and accuracy.

Students will increase their knowledge of health services offered by many health care providers.

Students will acknowledge that the growing popularity of self-care places more responsibility for health care in the hands of the consumer.

Students will consider rising health care costs as they examine health insurance needs and coverage, now and in the future.

Learning Objectives
Students will acquire and evaluate information in order to:

• list sources of health related information and compare them for accuracy
• list sudden and long-term symptoms for which they should seek medical help
• identify and categorize health care providers
• give examples of different health care facilities and types of treatment
• determine how to select good medical care
• explore the emergence of self-care
• describe new trends in the delivery of health care
• compare types of health insurance
• identify and categorize some health-related products
• describe the factors that influence their choice for products and services
• define health care quackery and consumer fraud
• examine three types of health care consumers
• practise some of the skills required to become a wise consumer
• name agencies that protect consumers and promote public health.

Level B - Make An Informed Decision

Foundational Objectives
Students will begin making decisions about health related information, services and products, recognizing that these decisions have a direct influence on their health now and throughout the future.

Learning Objectives
Students will:

• state their individual challenges concerning health self-care
• identify strategies (alternatives) to meet their personal challenges in managing their health care
• project potential consequences of each alternative
• select the best strategy to meet their challenges in managing their health care.

Level C - Carry Out Action Plan

Foundational Objective
Students will develop the ability and the confidence to design, implement and assess realistic action plans to manage their health care.

Learning Objectives
Students will:

• design action plans to manage some of the health care in their personal lives, and carry out the short-term portion of the plan
• evaluate their health self-care action plans and revise as necessary.

The selection of the following C.E.L.s for emphasis in this module does not preclude the development of other C.E.L.s in the suggested activities and strategies.

Foundational Objective (C)
Students will develop their abilities to use language (listening, speaking, reading, writing) for differing audiences and purposes which are relevant to the students and to the health care system.

Learning Objectives
Students will:

• identify and understand persuasion and propaganda techniques in all media (e.g., music, loaded words, unsubstantiated claims, etc.)
• distinguish between primary and secondary sources of information.

Foundational Objective (N)
Students will develop their abilities to understand the uses and abuses of mathematical concepts in everyday life.

Learning Objective
Students will:

• develop an awareness of the reporting techniques commonly used by special interest groups to shape the impact of quantitative data and influence the uncritical reader, listener, viewer, or consumer.

Foundational Objective (CCT)
Students will develop both intuitive, imaginative thought and the ability to evaluate ideas, processes, experiences and objects in meaningful contexts.

Learning Objectives
Students will:

• compare similarities and differences in claims, ideas, opinions or events
• identify sources of information used to solve problems and consider authority of sources employed.

Foundational Objective (TL)
Students will develop a contemporary view of technology.

Learning Objective
Students will:

• explore the technical, social and cultural implications of present technology and of impending technological developments as they arise within the health care system.

Foundational Objective (PSVS)
Students will develop a better understanding of the personal, moral, social and cultural aspects of the health care system.

Learning Objective
Students will:

• explore social and economic inequities and their effects as encountered in the health care system.

Foundational Objective (IL)
Students will develop a positive disposition toward lifelong learning.

Learning Objective
Students will:

• work on in-depth studies of their choice.

Foundational Objective (IL)
Students will develop their abilities to meet their own learning needs.

Learning Objective
Students will:

• work and communicate with others as a means to meeting learning goals.

Foundational Objective (IL)
Students will develop their abilities to access knowledge.

Learning Objective
Students will:

• seek out information from people who may be knowledgeable (e.g., teacher-librarian, parents, teachers, elders, health care agencies and health care individuals in their community).