To ask what health promotion is?

[Princessgeorgina]

stumbled over this on the NHS site.

What is it and what do people do who work in HP?

Sounds like marketing in some way to the public.

Leafleting...? (Waits for a cross reply...) ;0)

It's telling you not to smoke, not to drink to excess, to excersise more, loose weight etc etc.

Means promoting good health, ie smoking cessation, eating well, being active, drinking within sensible limits, it's the hp job to advise and support in this areas

Mhm..ok, doesn't sound that exciting. It looked interesting when I read about it.

continues daydreaming of an alternative career

Or am I missing something? [hopeful]

It's about changing other peoples behaviours to help them live more healthy lifestyles, everything from smoking cessation to weight management to oral health care. Also takes in health equalities and looks at effects of poverty etc.

The idea is that you keep people healthier for longer.

Imagine a fast flowing river with a bridge over it. People gravitate towards the bridge and jump over it into the water. Some are saved, some aren't. The act of saving a person in the water is healthcare itself, your active treatment etc. health promotion is the higher guard rail on the bridge making it more difficult for people to fall in.

Health promotion does cover thinks like drinking/smoking etc, but it's also about wider education. For example, healthy eating in schools. Or adverts (vinnie jones and the hard and fast CPR or FAST for dealing with strokes). There are also schemes to highlight the existence of pressure ulcers (not only do they cost a lot to treat but they are also fucking painful and can lead to lots of complications including death). So it's not just your usual pink and fluffy "oh let's get everyone to watch what they eat" but it addresses a huge range of different issues.

Princess I've studied it in detail and although it can be hugely exciting and rewarding, it isn't for everyone. That said, a huge amount of health work now is to do with health promotion (eg I'm in quality and patient safety, and even this involves health promotion to an extent). It touches a great number of "disciplines" iyswim

Attempting to prevent the determinants of ill health

ohfourfoxache "although it can be hugely exciting and rewarding, it isn't for everyone"

Would you mind elaborating?

There are different forms of health promotion. As others have said, you have the big campaigns that encourage us all to change our lives and live healthier like change 4 life and stopping smoking. One of the biggest was to do with HIV back in the 80's.

Others are leaflets in hospitals/drs surgeries with information about certain conditions and illnesses that you should be aware of. It's a more targeted as it's trying to get the target audience where they are.

Then us healthcare professionals are involved in health promotion in our everyday jobs. My role as a nurse envolves encouraging my patients to take charge of the management of their condition/healing. To be empowered to make the right choices and to be happy with the care they are receiving. Examples of health promotion I do on a daily basis include bowel health (making sure you keep regular and advising you what to do when you are - mainly after surgery or when taking certain painkillers), wound care, diet and nutrition etc.

Hope that helps. It was scaring when I first started my nursing training but I'm now near the end and it's just an everyday thing now.

Great post meerkat! Thank you (:

Some people find it exciting and rewarding, others can feel that it's boring and that you spend your time bashing your head against a brick wall - as you know what people should be doing but free will, patient choice and human right complicate things!

Just depends on your personality really

Oh, I see your point . Thanks.