Notes

Health science is a field of study that includes academic research and the application of research, technology, and practice to improve the health of patients.

heath care is the application of heath science research to improve the health of paitents.



diagnostic - identify the specifics of a paitients disease

therapeutic - work directly with patients to improve their health over period of time

health informatics - manage imformation related to patients

support service -ensure that facilities and equipment run smoothly

biotechnology - develop and research technology to improve health care

most of the careers in these feilds require study in the subject of heath science.

there are many fields of study that are relevant for health science workers.

biology- is the study of living things. There are many specific areas of study within biology, such as the study of plant life. The many areas of study within biology are called the life science. Biology is an essential subject of study of many health care workers including doctors , nurses, and many others. Anatomy and physiology are necessary subjects of study for many health science workers. They are branches of biology that focus on the human body.

Anatomy is a branch of science that studies the physical structure of the human body, including its internal systems.

Physiology is a branch of science that deals with the internal workings of the human body, called functions, rather than the body's shape or structure.

Anatomy and physiology are important subjects of study for many healthcare workers. Study in these subjects gives healthcare workers the knowledge to help people live longer, healthier lives.

Chemistry is the study of the structure, reaction, and composition of different kinds of substances.

Chemistry is an important part of how the human body works. The cells that make up a human body perform millions of chemical reactions each second.

For example, when you eat an apple, a chemical reaction turns the nutrients in the apple into energy for your body. Chemicals help transmit messages from the brain to other parts of the body.

It is important for people in the health science field to understand how chemical reactions occur and how those reactions can impact a person's health.

Bioengineering is the application of engineering principles for designing and constructing machines and structures for use in health science.

Bioengineers try to solve healthcare-related problems using creative tools and techniques. Common applications include the design of artificial limbs, organs, and joints.

Some bioengineers manipulate genes to cure diseases. Genes are tiny pieces of biological material that are passed from parent to child.

Whether you take a job sending out the bills in a doctor's office, or work as an emergency room nurse, math skills are essential in health science. Here are some examples:

Addition, subtraction, fractions, and percentages are needed to track a patient's weight or fill out the correct number of pills in a prescription.

Math is necessary to figure out how much money a patient might have to pay for a medical procedure if an insurance company will not cover the cost.

The metric system is crucial to ensure that patients receive the right doses of medication. Medications are often dispensed in milligrams, milliliters, and cubic centimeters. Knowing how to convert measurements from standard units, such as gallons and pounds, to metric units is also useful.

Knowledge of Roman numerals allows healthcare workers to indicate the proper dosage of a medication. Roman numerals are also used to order medicine.

Sometimes medical professionals use special language.

Terminology is a group of words or phrases that people in a certain profession use. These words and phrases are also called terms.

As you study health science, you will learn medical terminology, which is the technical language used by medical professionals.

Medical terms are often long words made up of smaller words or pieces of words.

In medical terminology, many of those common smaller words and pieces of words are formed from Greek and Latin words and phrases.

Learning some of the common words, phrases, and units of meaning can help also you interpret new terms you have not seen before.

Sometimes medical professionals use special language.

Terminology is a group of words or phrases that people in a certain profession use. These words and phrases are also called terms.

As you study health science, you will learn medical terminology, which is the technical language used by medical professionals.

Medical terms are often long words made up of smaller words or pieces of words.

In medical terminology, many of those common smaller words and pieces of words are formed from Greek and Latin words and phrases.

Learning some of the common words, phrases, and units of meaning can help also you interpret new terms you have not seen before.

Although everyone has their own methods for studying, many people find it helpful to use the following techniques for studying health science information:

Analyzing diagrams

Breaking down complicated terms and concepts

Practicing skills

Creating flash cards

Forming study groups

You will learn more about these methods next.

In health science, diagrams are simple drawings that show the basic shape or workings of a particular system in the human body.

Creating and analyzing diagrams can help you understand the relationship between the body's bones, tissues, and various systems.

Diagrams are commonly used in anatomy and physiology and other sciences to show how complex systems are structured. For example, a diagram of the skeletal system shows the bones in the body

There are many complex terms and concepts in health science that can be challenging to understand all at once.

It often helps to break down a term or concept into smaller parts.

For example, if you are learning the regions of the body, it can help to break the regions into small groups and focus on them one at a time.

Or, if you are learning complex vocabulary terms, you can often break down the word into smaller parts.

For example, the word esophagogastroduodenoscopy may appear to be a difficult and complex word. But if you break it down into smaller pieces, it becomes easier to understand.

esophago = esophagus (the canal between the throat and stomach)

gastro = stomach

duodeno = duodenum (a section of the small intestine)

scopy = view

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy means to scope, or view, the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum, all in one procedure.

There is a popular old saying that “practice makes perfect.” Practice may not make your skills completely perfect, but practice usually helps you improve.

For example, if you spend time conducting experiments in a chemistry laboratory, you are likely to become better at conducting experiments.

Practicing a skill is like taking your brain to the gym.

Doing and discovering, instead of just listening or reading, involves more of your muscles, and this can help improve your memory. Learning and improving by doing has a special name —kinesthetic learning.

Flash cards can also be helpful for learning new information. Flash cards are cards, often made from paper, with related information written on each side of the card.

For example, you might write a vocabulary term on one side and its definition on the other. Or you might write an important event on one side and its date on the other.

Flash cards are often used for learning factual information such as vocabulary terms, dates, names, and formulas.

Flash cards are small, so you can carry them around to study where and when you want. You can easily choose to focus on the cards you are having the most trouble with and can stop practicing with the others.

The process of creating flash cards may also help you learn the information through kinesthetic learning, since your muscles are involved as you create the cards.

Another technique that might help you learn complicated science material is to form a study group. A study group is a group of people who study together.

In a study group, all members participate by sharing ideas and coming up with new techniques to understand the material and solve problems. Members of the group also support and encourage each other.

Studying in a group allows students to share different points of view. As a result, students become more confident. They may also remember the material better.

Although health science and health care are different fields, both have one thing in common —patient care.

By working in health science, workers find new ways to improve the health of patients through research and technology.

Those in the healthcare field apply health science research and technology to help patients. Some healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses, work directly with patients. Others, such as laboratory technicians, work behind the scenes.

People seeking a career in health science usually need to study some, if not all, of these subjects.

Biology

Anatomy and physiology

Chemistry

Bioengineering

Medical mathematics

Medical terminology

Everyone has his or her own methods for studying. Some common techniques used for studying health science information include:

Analyzing diagrams

Breaking down complicated terms and concepts

Practicing skills

Creating flash cards

Forming study groups





As a result of this lesson, you should now be able to:

Differentiate between health science and health care.

Explain fields of study that are important to health science.
Antibiotics are substances produced by certain fungi and bacteria that are used to destroy disease-causing organisms within the human body.

Paul Erlich was a German scientist in the early 1900s who developed Salvarsan, an effective treatment against syphilis made up of special organic compounds. Syphilis is an infectious disease transmitted by direct sexual contact or passed from a mother to an unborn child.

Erlich's development laid the foundation for future discoveries of antibiotics; in particular, penicillin, which was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928. Penicillin is a group of antibiotics produced naturally by specific blue molds; it can also be produced using man-made compounds.

Antibiotics are widely used in medicine today to treat common bacterial infections such as streptococcus (which causes sore throats) and staphylococcus (which causes skin infections and other more serious conditions).

Early nursing was all about caring for people who were sick or injured, and assisting physicians in their medical practices.

However, Florence Nightingale, a nurse who provided wound care to soldiers during the Crimean War in the mid-nineteenth century, made influential changes to the nursing profession.

Nightingale started her own nursing school, which was the very first nursing program to offer formal nursing education and training for people who wanted to become nurses. This paved the way for nurses to develop their skills and knowledge, and have more professional opportunities.

Historically, individuals with mental illness were institutionalized (placed in a residential facility) rather than treated as though they had a medical condition. By and large, this was because doctors did not know how to treat their conditions.

Mental health and mental illness became a more important cause of concern for physicians beginning in the 1990s.

In the United States, the 1990s were called “The Decade of the Brain” because the US government decided to sponsor medical research that involved learning more about the brain and how it impacts mental health.

New tools developed during “The Decade of the Brain” included imaging machines that allowed doctors to see inside a patient’s brain and study the brain activity in relation to the patient's mental health. This helped doctors understand how to treat mental health conditions, which benefited patients.

Medical technology has consistently — and significantly — advanced since ancient times.

Ancient medicine relied on special handmade tools that were basic, but functional. Today, medical procedures are conducted using sophisticated equipment that evolved over time.

Advanced imaging machines, such as MRIs and X-rays, are just a few of the many accomplishments in medical technology; these machines have greatly impacted the ability of healthcare professionals to diagnose diseases.

From diagnoses to communications, medical technology plays a major role in health care.
Describe techniques for studying health science information.