Abstract
The article examines the positive concept of health as a goal of healthcare provision, as well as the political and ideological preconditions for its attainment. It focuses on Health Promotion and Health Prevention as important factors in health care and therefore health care policy, politics and management. Promotion and prevention are analysed as assistance to (a) achieving a healthy or else sound and robust life (a goal by itself) and (b) cost reduction. On a more general level the concept of health is approached versus concepts of political theory such as ‘dignity’, ‘liberty’ (‘positive’ and/or ‘negative’), ‘general will’ and ‘good life’. It then turns to discussion of critique against health promotion as an individual (-istic) matter related to personal behaviour and attitudes (exercise, diet, smoking), whereas social issues and choices of political factors (infrastructure, working conditions, access to primary care, spare time enough for exercise, access to information concerning promotion etc.) may prevail as causes of illness, whilst these causes are socio-political. It claims that similar points may be raised against health prevention mainly in the form of primary prevention as far as individual (-istic) choices in life-style are under question (possibly leading towards libertarian ideology), and secondary prevention as far as health-care infrastructure and services and accessibility to them are under question. The relationship between social, political, managerial and technical and medical sciences is stressed in the last part.
Highlights
Most, if not all, human endeavours are the pursuit of goals by the use of means within time limits
If not all, human endeavours are the pursuit of goals by the use of means within time limits. In this sense it is commonplace to mention that healthcare provision and maintenance systems have health as their goal
Questions related to healthcare provision have to be addressed via the lens of political science too
Summary
If not all, human endeavours are the pursuit of goals by the use of means within time limits. Once we (the polity) are informed over the implications of the absence of health, we may decide to take action either ex ante as to avoid, or ex post as to combat problems These decisions depend upon ideology, resources available and strength of political actors wishing (or not) to implement solutions. All need advanced technology on the one hand, but patient involvement too on the other The latter depends upon information (both about the need of secondary prevention and its techniques, and specific information about the ability and need to perform the checks on certain time on the other), alongside easy access to the medical facility itself, a fact requiring not just proximity but time allowances (e.g. leave of absence from work) too. (b) Are health prevention (either primary or secondary) and health promotion individual/private or social and political matters?
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