Finally, click on our Hot Topics read about health and behavior issues that are right out of the headlines. T he Institute is mainly interested in the behavior of various partici pants in the healthcare system. This behavior, as illustrated by the graphic to the left, can be examined from various perspectives. Click on the graphic to see an enlarged version. From the perspective of the individual consumer of healthcare services, the maintenance of health and the proper prevention and treatment of disease requires people to engage in healthy behaviors, consult health care professionals when they experience the symptoms of disease, and participate actively in both the treatment of acute conditions and the proper management of chronic ones.
Illness behavior occurs when people notice the symptoms of illness in themselves and others.
Sick-role behavior occurs when people have consulted a healthcare professional, received a diagnosis, and begun a course of treatment. Impaired-role behavior occurs when an acute episode of illness turns to a chronic course, and the person has to adjust to a more permanent condition. But health behavior goes beyond the behavior of individual consumers, and includes the interpersonal, social and cultural levels of analysis. The behaviors of significant others, family members, friends, employers, and co-workers is also relevant to what the individual does to maintain health and treat disease. The behavior of healthcare providers is also relevant, both with respect to their interactions with patients and their interactions with each other, both within and between professions.