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