Health Services and Careers 7^th Grade Terms

Name:                                                       

Health care system- includes all the medical care available to a nation's people, the way they receive the care, and the way the care is paid for.

Preventive care- involves keeping disease or injury from happening or getting worse.

Primary care physicians- are the medical doctors who provide physical checkups and general care. School nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician's assistants are also part of primary care.

Specialists- are doctors trained to handle particular kinds of patients or medical conditions. Pediatricians, for example, deal with infants and children, and dermatologist deal with problems and diseases of the skin.

It is recommended that teens get annual checkups for preventive care. A preventive medical checkup for teens might include:

• Testing hearing and vision.
• Checking for sports injuries, especially in the knee.
• Checking for scoliosis, which is a disorder of the spine.
• Screening for high blood pressure.
• Screening for eating disorders and obesity.

Other type of regular checkups may include:

• Sports exams- insure that teens are healthy enough to participate in a particular sport.
• Immunizations- protect against specific diseases.
• Dental checkups- examine the health of the teeth and gums.
• The vision and hearing testing- determine how well the patient can see and hear.
• Eye examination- check for eye diseases and disorders.
• Skin-care- includes a screening and treatment for problems such as acne or skin cancer.
• Nutrition counseling- assists those who need help keeping their weight within a healthy range.
• Behavioral health assessment- helps identify mental and emotional problems.

Clinics- primary care physicians and specialists may provide outpatient care in a community clinic. Local clinics often receive government funding.

Private practice- primary care physicians and specialists who worked in private practice work for themselves.

Group practice- often two or more physicians join together to offer health care in a group practice. Doctors in a group practice share office space, equipment, and support staff.

Hospitals- most hospitals offer both inpatient and outpatient care. Some doctors worked only in a hospital. Others have offices elsewhere and use the hospital facilities when their patients need them.