A sense of well-being is the psychological aspect that encompasses a person’s beliefs, expectations, attitude and motivation towards his health. The second element is the capacity to acquire resources needed for health, take care of the self and community, and use of medical care. The third definition entails a person to practice well-informed decisions in health-related matters and adopt healthy behaviors.

Prominent Diseases

The two most prominent diseases are obesity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The lack of health care resources, more often than not, results in longer morbidity and mortality rates. The lack of health care systems also contributes to the economic burden on the nation. To address the issue of health care needs, the federal government has allocated funds for the construction of health facilities and medical care facilities nationwide.

Primary health care is preventive health care. This term pertains to the primary medical care provided to an individual by health professionals. These health professionals may be general practitioners such as physicians, family practitioners, or pediatricians, or specialists such as cardiologists, surgeons, or nurses. In primary health care, doctors try to prevent diseases through various techniques such as administering immunizations, diagnosing symptoms, prescribing medicines, and monitoring patients’ health. This is considered as the first line of defense against diseases because it does not have the capability to cure the disease; rather, it seeks to prevent disease onset through various means.

Tertiary medical care is obtained after treating a patient through primary health care. During the course of treatment, health professionals learn more about the body and educate patients on their health. Allied health professionals are health care professionals that provide additional specialized services. Allied health professionals may include nurses, physician assistants, physical therapist, psychologists, or pharmacists.

In contrast with primary care health professionals to deal with situations on an acute basis, tertiary care health professionals deal with health issues over a period of time. Tertiary health professionals may refer their patients to physicians or other health professionals such as physicians or nurses when the patient has problems that require further evaluation and assessment. Examples of tertiary health professionals include nurses, physician assistants, therapists, and physical therapist. Public health agencies also conduct research studies in the field of health.