chapter 8 (using health services) Flashcards
medical students’ disease
phenomenon of relabelling symptoms of fatigue and exhaustion as a particular illness resulting from learning about that illness; called medical students’ disease because overworked medical students are vulnerable to this labelling effect.
illness schemas
an organized set of beliefs about an illness or type of illness, including its nature, cause, duration, and consequences.
lay referral network
an informal network of family and friends who help an individual interpret and treat a disorder before the individual seeks formal medical treatment.
natural and non-prescription health products (NNHPs)
therapeutic products, including vitamins, minerals, herbal remedies/teas, and plant products, that can be self-administered or delivered by a complementary and alternative (CAM) practitioner.
cyberchondria
excessive and repeated searching on the internet for the meaning of symptoms and illnesses to find reassurance that instead results in increasing health anxiety.
worried well
individuals free from illness who are nonetheless concerned about their physical state and frequently and inappropriately use medical services.
somaticizers
people who express distress and conflict through bodily symptoms.
secondary gains
benefits of being treated for illness, including the ability to rest, to be freed from unpleasant tasks, and to be taken care of by others.
delay behaviour
the act of delaying seeking treatment for recognized symptoms.
appraisal delay
the time between recognizing that a symptom exists and deciding that it is serious.
illness delay
the time between recognizing that a symptom implies an illness and the decision to seek treatment.
behavioural delay
the time between deciding to seek treatment and actually doing so.
medical delay
a delay in treating symptoms, which results from problems within the medical system, such as faulty diagnoses, lost test results, and the like.
nosocomial infection
infection that results from exposure to disease in the hospital setting.
