UNIT 1 LAB QUESTIONS
What Makes Us Sick
- When Rishi Manchanda says, “Where health care begins is not the four walls of a doctor’s office, but where we live and work; where we eat, sleep, learn, and play; where we spend the majority of our time,” what specifically does he mean? How can work and play or where we eat and sleep impact our health?
- How is the way that Rishi Manchanda approached diagnosing and treating Veronica’s illness different from the way that other doctors might have approached it? Do you think Manchanda’s approach is helpful? Why or why not?
- What does Rishi Manchanda mean when he says that his approach to health care is an “upstream approach”?
- If what Rishi Manchanda says is true, and our living and working conditions have more than twice the impact on our health than our genetic codes have, why do you think that doctors don’t pay more attention to their patients’ living conditions?
- The term health equity is a hot topic these days. What do you think health equity means? Does Rishi Manchanda’s outlook on health care relate to health equity at all?
- Rishi Manchanda comments about all of the compelling stories that he hears about patients just like Veronica. Do you know anyone who has a similar story to Veronica’s and has fallen through the cracks of our health care system? Do you feel that they would benefit from an organization like HealthBegins? Why or why not?
- What are some potential issues that you see could arise with Rishi Manchanda’s organization HealthBegins? Why might these be issues?
- What can you do within your community to help promote health equity for all people? What could you do on a more widespread scale to promote health equity outside of your community?
- Pretend that you have to create a short docufilm about a change you would like to make in our nation’s health care system to better serve all patients. What would your docufilm be about? What would it be titled? What would you hope to accomplish with your film? Write a short blurb describing your perspective on health care and how you would make a film to promote a change that you find necessary in our health care system.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
The lecture on “What Makes Us Sick” by Rishi Manchanda directs our attention towards the upstream approach to healthcare by considering various factors that impact our health, including our living and working conditions and access to resources. The following are the answers to the questions related to the lecture.
1. Rishi Manchanda means that the social determinants of health have a significant impact on our physical and mental wellbeing, and they are beyond the traditional healthcare system’s scope. Work and play, where we eat and sleep are elements that can impact our health since they can expose individuals to toxins, poor nutrition, lack of access to healthcare services, among others.
2. Rishi Manchanda’s approach entails considering the patient’s whole life and the factors that influence their health rather than the specific symptoms that they present. Unlike traditional doctors, he considers factors such as the patient’s living conditions, financial stability, and social connections. Manchanda’s approach is helpful since it leads to a more comprehensive and personalized healthcare approach that can address the root cause of the problem.
3. The upstream approach prioritizes identifying and addressing the determinants of health that lead to diseases, rather than treating the symptoms only. In Rishi’s case, the symptoms of Veronica’s illness, such as her asthma, were addressed by ensuring that her living conditions were improved instead of merely prescribing medication for her asthma.
4. Doctors have limited time with patients, and the healthcare system primarily focuses on treating symptoms rather than addressing the cause of the problem. Also, patients’ social determinants of health are not typically part of their medical record, making it difficult for doctors to consider these factors.
5. Health equity refers to the fair and just distribution of health resources and opportunities. Rishi’s approach is related to health equity since it seeks to address social determinants of health that can result in healthcare disparities.
6. HealthBegins organization caters to people facing healthcare disparities, especially those in vulnerable communities. If I know someone that has a similar story to Veronica’s, I believe that they would significantly benefit from an organization like HealthBegins, which prioritizes considering the social determinants of health.
7. Some potential issues that could arise include inadequate resources since the organization primarily focuses on addressing the social determinants of health. Additionally, not all doctors may have bought into the upstream approach, which may limit the number of people reached.
8. Within my community, I can help promote health equity by advocating for policies that aim to address healthcare disparities and volunteering my healthcare services to vulnerable communities. On a more widespread scale, I can participate in healthcare advocacy groups that push for policies that prioritize healthcare equity.
9. My docufilm would be titled “The Price of Inequality in Healthcare” and would focus on healthcare disparities and the impact of social determinants of health on individuals’ wellbeing. By telling compelling stories of people affected by the healthcare system’s flaws, I would aim to raise awareness and encourage policymakers to support equitable healthcare policies.
