QUACKERY

QUACKERY
• Quackery is a problem that affects consumers.
• Some health fads fall into the category of quackery.
• It is the practice of a dishonest deliberately takes advantage
of consumers by pretending to have medical knowledge
and skills.
• He/She provides health misinformation of "secret”
remedies.
QUACKERY
• It may include treatments, plans, devices, cosmetics, drugs,
foods, and many more.
• The person who is practicing quackery is called quack.
• Quacks have been around for many years.
• Today they have more ways than ever to sell their wares.
QUACKERY
• In addition to TV, radio, magazines, newspapers,
infomercials, mail, and even word-of-mouth, they now can
use the Internet - websites offer miracle cures; e-mails tell
stories of overnight magic.
• Older people are often the target of quack with their health
care fraud.
• Quacks prey on people who are afraid of pain and those
living with chronic and life-threatening diseases.
QUACKERY
• They easily fall for a false promise of a quick and painless
cure.
• Quackery is a serious problem because unproven remedies
that promise false hope may be harmful.
• It may also waste money for a treatment not needed and not
effective.
• It is often the cause of delayed proper medication for an
illness.
QUACKERY
• Most often when the patient seeks proper medical help for
an illness the problem has gotten worse or treatment is no
longer possible.
• Types of Quackery (Medical, Nutrition, Device) and
Harmful Physical and Psychological Effects
• There are lots of medical quackery that promise quick cure.
Types of Quackery (Medical, Nutrition, Device) and Harmful
Physical and Psychological Effects
• There are lots of medical quackery that promise quick cure.
• These products or services are fraudulent.
• Medical quackery offers fake treatment that delays people
from seeking effective medical treatment for their serious
illness.
Types of Quackery (Medical, Nutrition, Device) and Harmful
Physical and Psychological Effects
• Quacks claim that a certain food supplement or diet pill is
very effective in reducing weight without informing the
consumer about the need for exercise, wise calorie intake,
and seeking doctor's advice.
• Eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise are the best
ways to maintain an ideal weight.
Types of Quackery (Medical, Nutrition, Device) and Harmful
Physical and Psychological Effects
• Do you encounter people selling devices they claim to help
treat diabetes, arthritis, and many more?
• Sale of these worthless devices that claim to prevent
diseases or cure other health problems is quackery or health
fraud.
• Here are some signs of health quackery.
Types of Quackery (Medical, Nutrition, Device) and Harmful
Physical and Psychological Effects
• If you see these phrases on their advertisements or if you
hear these from persons endorsing or providing treatment
then suspect quackery.
• Cure all diseases or guaranteed cure
• No other person/agency has it or not available anywhere
• Not accepted by medical professionals
• Secret remedies or quick cure
• Painless cure
• Better than any other products/treatments
Types of Quackery (Medical, Nutrition, Device) and Harmful
Physical and Psychological Effects
• Proper health knowledge is your best protection as a
consumer against quackery.
• Falling into the prey of quacks and becoming their victim
causes you physical and psychological harm.
• Health fraud results in wasting money on products and
services that do not do what has been claimed.
Types of Quackery (Medical, Nutrition, Device) and Harmful
Physical and Psychological Effects
• While their products or services may not hurt you, they are
costly and aren't likely to help much either.
• This only delayed the correct treatment or care you really
need.
• Knowing afterward that you have been victimized will
cause you stress that affects your physical, emotional,
social, and mental health.
HEALTH SERVICES
AND HEALTH
SERVICE
PROVIDERS
Introduction
• In your efforts to take care of your health you purchase and use a
variety of products and services.
• These products and services affect your health, so it is very
important to select health products and health services intelligently.
• The best way to safeguard yourself from misleading information,
dishonest packaging, and selling of unsafe products and services
and other malpractices is sound knowledge on consumer health
education.
Introduction
• Consumer health deals with decisions made on the purchase and
use of available products and health services that will have direct
effect on one’s health.
• It includes all aspects of the healthcare delivery system.
 HEALTH
INFORMATION
Health Information
• Choosing the right sources of information before investing your
money on health products and health services is very necessary.
• Poor consumer choices can be harmful to health.
• For example, a person with serious illness may delay seeking
medical help due to fear, ignorance, or seeking advice from
unqualified person.
• Seeking correct information from health professionals is very
necessary in maintaining one’s health.
Health Information
• It does no only improve your health and appearance but also help
you to save your money, time, and effort.
• Seeking health or medical advice from a friend who is not a health
professional is a wrong decision.
• An advice to go to a quack doctor for treatment is a faulty advice.
• Correct and accurate health information and advice can be obtained
from reliable sources.
Health Information
• They are health professionals like physicians, dentists, nurses,
health teachers, and others who have specialized training and
education regarding health.
• Health information coming from mass media should be critically
examined before believing in them.
• Is the source a reliable individual, agency, organization, or
institution?
• If not, then it may not be reliable.
Health Information
• As a wise consumer, you must be critical of the health information
advertised through mass media.
• Is it adequate, accurate, scientific, and reliable?
• If your answer is yes, then you can make your decision to use the
health products and services.
• The most reliable source of health information is a competent
doctor.
• The doctor can give correct medical advice and treatment.
Health Information
• In choosing the best health services, the most reliable come from
the services provided by a doctor, dentist, or other medical
professionals and professional health agencies such as:
• Philippine Medical Association
• Philippine Mental Health Association
• Philippine Dental Association
• Philippine Cancer Society
• Philippine Tuberculosis Society
Health Information
• It is very important to remember that not all you see, hear, or read
about health is correct.
• It is important that you know how to evaluate the reliability of the
information.
• Here are the criteria that you can use in evaluating health
information:
• Credibility
• Content
• Disclosure
• Interactivity
Health Information
•Credibility
• It means the source must be from competent and reliable
individual, agency, or organization.
• The information must be up-to-date.
Health Information
•Content
• It means you should look at the following:
• Accuracy – The information must be correct and complete with scientific
basis.
• Disclaimer – Does it state the restrictions, scope, purpose, authority, and
freshness of the information, and the source of health information? It must
emphasize that the health information is general and it is not a medical
recommendation.
• Completeness – The information must be complete and balanced. There must
be no hidden or missing facts about the subject.
Health Information
•Disclosure
• It means it should include the purpose for giving the health information. Is
it a marketing product and service, or a primary information content
provider?
•Interactivity
• It must provide means for consumer’s comment or to give their
feedback about the health information.
 HEALTH
PRODUCTS AND
HEALTH
SERVICES
Health Products and Health Services
• There are so many products that are being promoted through
advertisement.
• Keep in mind that you have to critically analyze the information
provided by the advertisement.
• Some might be misleading since the target is to persuade
consumers to purchase the product.
• You as a consumer, must make wise purchasing decisions.
• You can do that by doing comparison shopping.
Health Products and Health Services
• Comparison shopping is judging the benefits of different products
by comparing several factors, such as quality, features, and the
cost.
• The criteria in evaluating health products and services are the
following:
• Cost
• Features
• Quality
• Warranty
• Safety
• Recommendations
Health Products and Health Services
1. Cost – Compare the price of the same brand or similar brands at
several stores before you decide to buy.
2. Features – Look for the features that are beneficial, or useful to
you.
3. Quality – Look for a well-made product that works well.
4. Warranty – Before buying an expensive product, ask for
warranty. That is repairing, replacing the product if it does not
work properly, or refunding your money.
Health Products and Health Services
5. Safety – You should always consider safety when buying home,
recreational, sports equipment/products, or using health services.
6. Recommendations – Ask some trusted adults who have used the
product/services that you plan to purchase. They can give you
reliable information about it.
Health Products and Health Services
• Remember, the decision is yours.
• Decide if the information you get about the products and services
are useful or information.
• You are a wise consumer if you know how to judge or evaluate the
products you purchase and the services you use.
• You may ask the following questions to evaluate health products
and services:
Health Products and Health Services
1. Do I really need the product or service?
2. Is it safe to use or to experience?
3. Is it of most excellent quality?
4. Is it made or performed by a reliable and credible provider?
5. Is it cost-effective? Does it contribute to a positive consumer
outcome?