Health Belief Model: Johnson’s agenda for health psychology and Hillenbrand’s account
Health Belief Model: Johnson’s agenda for health psychology and Hillenbrand’s account
Behavioral factors have become clearer in illness causation and prevention. The success of the biomedical paradigm has profoundly influenced biomedical research and health care in the United States. However, towards the end of the 20th century, the model’s limits were more obvious. When infectious illnesses were no longer the primary cause of mortality in this country’s population, the biomedical approach was no longer effective in dealing with chronic disease. In this account, this paper will compare the approaches of Johnson’s agenda and Hillenbrand’s account to mental and physical health by both patients and healthcare practitioners concerning the health belief model.
How Johnson’s Agenda for Health Psychology Addresses Issues Raised by Hillenbrand’s Account
Physical and mental health workers have been accused of incorrectly diagnosing patients. In Hillenbrand’s report, this topic was brought up in great detail. While taking my temperature, my doctor took my thermometer out of my mouth and asked if I knew that my temperature was 1001. He was diagnosed with strep throat after undergoing a battery of testing. Although he was baffled by the other symptoms, the doctor ordered antibiotics and recommended that the patient consult an internist. After doing various tests and finding nothing wrong, her internist prescribed antacids (Laura, 2003). Things began to become worse after a few weeks.
As Johnson points out, the same problems exist in health care institutions. Johnson (2013) says that the biomedical model’s shortcomings were becoming more obvious, despite its multiple accomplishments and an enormous influence on U.S. health research and health care by the end of the twentieth century. When infectious illnesses were no longer the primary cause of mortality in this country’s population, the biomedical approach was no longer effective in dealing with chronic disease. Further, he said, faith in the biological model’s capacity to solve current health care challenges in the United States was eroded by its reliance on a separate “carved out” underfunded system that failed to treat mental health concerns (Johnson, 2013) appropriately.
Focusing on physical health rather than mental health leads to a recurrence when prescribed medication for a misdiagnosed condition. Because of the biomedical model’s emphasis on biological tests, interventions, research, and treatment, patients’ physical complaints are more weight. The opposite is true for mental or behavioral disorders, which are either not taken seriously or are given a low priority. Patients with these conditions receive treatment outside of the wider healthcare system because of a lack of resources. If the treatment failed to cure the illness, the same model would consider the possibility of a return (Johnson, 2013).
For one thing, Hillenbrand’s story depicts her repeated bouts with the same health condition despite the various medications and preferences of several medical professionals. She admits that relapses might occur for no apparent cause at all. She was coping better with the stress of living in constant dread of collapsing (Laura, 2003). Relapse may also occur if a patient fails to take the appropriate dose.
Patients may quit taking their medicine because their disease was misdiagnosed. Patients with chronic illness are generally required to do a variety of daily disease care duties at home, according to Johnson (2013). Medication administration, dietary and exercise adjustments, and physiological examinations are all examples of possible tasks (e.g., blood pressure monitoring or blood glucose testing). Patients often ignore treatment regimens, and poor adherence is frequently associated with worse results and greater healthcare expenses. Beyond patient behavior, physician conduct may also be problematic in the proper treatment of illness.
The Institute of Medicine produced a landmark study in 2000 stating that medical mistakes are the eighth largest cause of mortality in the United States because of their pervasive and dangerous nature. There is a belief that up to half of the medical advice given to patients is incorrect. Chronic illness management requires the cooperation of both the patient and the healthcare professional. The inadequacy of the biological paradigm to integrate behavior in its conceptual framework is the root cause of our nation’s chronic illness problems. Both speakers addressed the physical and patient habits that contribute to long-term ailments.
Hillenbrand’s Concerns That Is Not Addressed by Johnson’s Talk
Johnson’s discussion does not address Hillenbrand’s criticism that physicians fail to question or absorb all of the events that happen to individuals at the time of their first encounter with a doctor. Both mental and physical occurrences may occur. Hillenbrand begins her tale by tying her physical condition to the event while they were in a moving vehicle. In the latter part of the story, the narrator may have been disturbed by the near-collision with an animal. Doctors could have saved the narrator’s life had they considered all of her previous mental and physical health issues. Medical procedures are seen in a negative light in Johnson’s lecture.
Health Belief Model
Model of Health Beliefs There is a Health Belief Model that combines all of these topics and perspectives. The health belief model may guide models of health promotion. Health behavior changes in individuals are explained and predicted using this theory. Health habits may be better understood with the help of this paradigm. People’s beliefs about health threats, advantages of being healthy, and variables that influence whether or not they take action are all considered in a health belief model known as the Health Belief Model (HBM) (barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy). Health-related activities may be predicted by an individual’s thoughts about their condition. Health behaviors are influenced by variables such as perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, perceived advantages, and cues to action (Raingruber, 2014).
In general, certain elements lead to bad health outcomes outside the new trends in contemporary medicine’s medical procedures, and both health practitioners and patients are the key participants. Patients may stop taking medicine if their medical condition does not improve. Health care providers may have a significant role in this behavior if they fail to treat the sickness correctly.
References
Johnson, S.B. (2013). Increasing Psychology’s Role in Health Research and Health Care. American Psychological Association, 68(5), 311–321. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033591
Laura, H. (2003). A Sudden Illness Personal History. 79(18), 56. http://ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/233139581?accountid=10226
Raingruber, B. (2014). Health promotion theories. Contemporary health promotion in nursing practice, 53, 53-94. https://samples.jbpub.com/9781449697211/28123_CH03_Pass2.pdf