Question 1

It is important that people not look solely to medicine and doctors for their health, but rather that people engage in health-promoting behavior. Likewise, medical professionals must not only treat illness and disease but also work with the patient to promote a healthy lifestyle and self-image. This describes the ___________ approach.

Accepted Answer

The holistic approach emphasizes the importance of treating the whole person, including their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, rather than just focusing on symptoms or diseases. It also encourages individuals to take responsibility for their own health and well-being through healthy behaviors such as exercise, proper diet, stress management, and other measures. This approach is ideal for promoting preventative health and overall wellness, and it encourages medical professionals to work collaboratively with patients to address all aspects of their health.

Question 2

The __________ encompasses both local physicians and hospitals as well as global health-related industries such as insurance companies and pharmaceutical and medical supply companies.

Accepted Answer

The term "medical-industrial complex" refers to the various industries and organizations involved in healthcare, including physicians, hospitals, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical and medical supply companies. It is similar to the better known "military-industrial complex" which refers to the relationship between the military and defense industries. Choice A is a similar concept but doesn't encompass the wider industries, while choices C and D are not commonly used terms.

Question 3

Three states have more than 20 percent of its population not covered by health insurance. Which is not one of them?

Accepted Answer

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2018, the three states with more than 20 percent of its population not covered by health insurance are Texas, Florida, and New Mexico. Ohio's uninsured rate was 6.5 percent in 2018, making it the state with the 15th lowest uninsured rate in the country.

Question 4

Healing practices inconsistent with dominant medical practice taking a holistic approach to health is known as __________.

Accepted Answer

Alternative medicine refers to healing practices that are outside the realm of dominant medical practice, often taking a holistic approach to health. This can include practices such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, and homeopathy. Conventional medicine refers to the dominant medical practice, which generally relies on pharmaceuticals, surgery, and other Western medical treatments. Faith healing involves the use of religious or spiritual beliefs to promote healing, and may or may not be considered alternative medicine. Preventive medicine involves taking steps to prevent illness or disease before it occurs, such as through healthy lifestyle choices or vaccines, and is not necessarily alternative medicine.

Question 5

__________ is an approach to health care that focuses on prevention of illness and disease and is aimed at treating the whole person-body and mind-rather than just the part or parts in which symptoms occur.

Accepted Answer

The description given is characteristic of holistic medicine, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of physical, mental, and spiritual health, and seeks to address health and illness in a comprehensive and integrated manner. Preventive medicine also focuses on prevention of illness, but may not necessarily incorporate a holistic approach to care. Traditional and conventional medicine typically concentrate on treating specific symptoms or conditions rather than considering the whole person.

Question 6

According to sociologist Talcott Parsons, the sick role has four primary characteristics. Which of the following characteristics was not cited as a sick role characteristic?

Accepted Answer

Talcott Parsons did not include the characteristic that people who get sick are responsible for their condition as a defining aspect of the sick role. Instead, he emphasized that people who assume the sick role are temporarily exempt from their normal roles and obligations, must want to get well, and must seek competent help from a medical professional to hasten their recovery.

Question 7

In 1946, Great Britain passed the National Health Service Act. The government sets health care policies, raises funds and controls the medical care budget, owns health care facilities, and directly employs physicians and other health care personnel. Great Britain exemplifies a(n) __________.

Accepted Answer

Great Britain's health care system is an example of socialized medicine, where the government owns and controls the health care system, making it responsible for providing health care to all citizens regardless of their ability to pay.

Question 8

A __________ is a document stating the person's wishes regarding the medical circumstances under which his or her life should be terminated.

Accepted Answer

The document described is commonly known as a living will.

Question 9

The term __________ refers to the process whereby nonmedical problems become defined and treated as illnesses or disorders.

Accepted Answer

Medicalization refers to the process by which nonmedical problems, behaviors or institutions are defined and treated as medical issues or illnesses. This can involve the application of medical language, concepts and interventions to non-medical problems, and can result in the expansion of medical authority and the creation of new forms of medical knowledge and expertise. Demedicalization, on the other hand, refers to the process by which medical issues or conditions are reconceptualized as social or cultural phenomena, and are thus subject to non-medical forms of intervention or management. Non-medicalization and remedicalization are not commonly used terms in the field of medical sociology.

Question 10

After the communist takeover in China, the government attempted to educate their large public regarding health care and to provide for the treatment of illness and disease. One policy was to develop a large number of __________, who had little medical training but worked under the supervision of trained physicians.

Accepted Answer

The description matches the concept of physician extenders - individuals who work under the supervision of physicians but have lesser medical training than them. Physician assistants (B) typically have more formal medical education and training. Proletariat physicians (C) is not a commonly used term and is not related to the description given. Medical technicians (D) have a defined scope of practice and job responsibilities that typically do not include working under the supervision of physicians.

Question 11

The __________ theory emphasizes the political, economic, and social forces that affect health and the health care delivery system.

Accepted Answer

The conflict theory explores the relationships and dynamics of power between social groups and how they affect specific issues such as health care delivery. It focuses on how individuals' economic and social positions in society affect their access to health care services, resources, and social determinants of health.

Question 12

According to some analysts, a major weakness of sociologist Talcott Parson's sick-role model is that it __________.

Accepted Answer

Parson's sick-role model is criticized for not considering variations in how different racial/ethnic, class, and gender groups experience and respond to illness.

Question 13

Canada has a(n) __________ system, which is a health care system in which all citizens receive medical services paid for by tax revenues. In Canada, these revenues are supplemented by insurance premiums paid by all taxpaying citizens.

Accepted Answer

Canada has a universal health care system, which ensures that all its citizens receive medical services paid for by tax revenues. This is different from fee-for-service medical care or health maintenance organizations, and while it involves the government's role in funding and regulating it, it is not considered socialized medicine.

Question 14

Among the issues of concern to __________ theorists are the ability of all people to obtain health care; how race, class, and gender inequalities affect health and health care; power relationships between doctors and other health care workers; the dominance of the medical model of health care; and the role of profit in the health care system.

Accepted Answer

The issues mentioned in the statement align with the focus of conflict theory, which emphasizes power struggles and how they affect society. The unequal distribution of health care access and the impact of societal inequalities on health are key concerns for conflict theorists. The power dynamics between health care providers and the influence of profit in the healthcare system are also issues that align with this perspective.

Question 15

According to the __________ approach, if society is to operate as a stable system, it is important for people to be healthy and to contribute to their society. Consequently, sickness is viewed as a form of deviant behavior that must be controlled by society.

Accepted Answer

The functionalist perspective emphasizes the importance of various parts of society working together to maintain stability and balance. In this view, health and productivity are necessary for society to function properly, and illness is seen as a disruption to this functioning. As a result, society is expected to ensure that mechanisms are in place to control illness and encourage health.

Question 16

According to many __________ theorists, problems in U.S. health care delivery are rooted in the capitalist economy, which views medicine as a commodity that is produced and sold by the medical-industrial complex.

Accepted Answer

Conflict theorists argue that problems in health care delivery stem from the capitalist economy, which values profit over patient care. They view medicine as a commodity produced and sold by the medical-industrial complex, rather than a basic human right. Symbolic interactionists would focus more on the social interactions and meanings attached to health care, while functionalists would emphasize the role of health care in maintaining social stability and order. Postmodernists would likely argue that there is not one definitive truth or explanation for problems in health care delivery, but rather a range of subjective perspectives and experiences.

Question 17

According to __________ theorists, we socially construct "health" and "illness" and how both should be treated. For example, some people explain disease by blaming it on those who are ill. If we attribute cancer to the acts of a person, we can assume that we will be immune to that disease if we do not engage in the same behavior.

Accepted Answer

Symbolic interactionist theorists argue that concepts such as "health" and "illness" are socially constructed and that the meanings and definitions attributed to them vary across different cultures and societies. This perspective emphasizes how individuals interpret and give meaning to their experiences of health and illness, including how they understand and respond to diseases and conditions. Additionally, symbolic interactionism highlights the role of language, symbols, and social interactions in shaping health beliefs and behaviors.

Question 18

If all forms of alternative medicine (including chiropractic, massage, and spiritual) are taken into account, people spend __________ money on unconventional therapies than they do for all hospitalizations.

Accepted Answer

According to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health, people in the United States spend more money on alternative therapies (including chiropractic, massage, and spiritual) than they do on all hospitalizations combined. Therefore, option D is the correct answer.

Question 19

According to __________ theorists, physicians-who hold a legal monopoly over medicine-benefit from the existing structure because they can charge inflated fees.

Accepted Answer

Conflict theorists argue that physicians benefit from the existing structure because they hold a legal monopoly over medicine and can charge inflated fees, which contributes to the socioeconomic inequality and reinforces the power dynamics in society.

Question 20

__________ refers to a health care system in which the government owns the health care facilities and employs the physicians.

Accepted Answer

Socialized medicine refers to a system in which the government owns and operates the health care facilities and employs the physicians. This type of system is often associated with countries like the United Kingdom and Canada. Universal health care refers to a health care system in which all citizens have access to health care services, but does not necessarily mean the government owns the facilities or employs the physicians. Health Maintenance Organizations and fee-for-service systems are types of health care delivery models, but do not relate to government ownership or employment of health care providers.

Quiz 14: Health, Health Care, and Disability.