Health Education

The doctor-patient relationship is of the greatest importance to the effective use of health services. Studies conducted in England and the United States show that many people resort to self-treatment, and that this is due to a barrier between the doctor and themselves, which makes them too diffident to consult the doctor. At the other end of the scale is the person who believes that the doctor is infallible and who expects miraculous treatment. Thus, the need for health education emerges at this point, not with the aim of making every man his own doctor, but rather with the aim of helping people to judge for themselves when they need professional help. For example, a simple cut on a finger will usually respond to first-aid and a simple dressing to protect it and keep it clean, which can easily be done at home. If the injury occurred in circumstances or places in which dangerous infection was likely – e.g. in cultivated land that might contain tetanus spores – then the patient should consult his doctor. In any case, he should be able to recognize the signs of inflammation, in which case he should consult his doctor.