Health fair From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A health fair is an educational and interactive event designed for outreach to provide basic preventive medicine and medical screening to people in the community or employees at work in conjunction with workplace wellness. It can also be a public health intervention. Health fairs are typically offered in the community, on site corporations, work sites, churches or schools. The consist of a variety of vendors and exhibitors that educate on all aspects of health, wellness, fitness and lifestyle improvements. Topics can include such things as chiropractic, acupuncture, fitness clubs and hospitals.It is very common to see health screenings such as cholesterol testing or blood pressure screenings. Health Fairs are advertised and promoted ahead of time by print media, radio, or television and are usually a one-day event. Health fairs are often organized and run by professional health fair organization companies but can also be done by medical providers, benefits directors, medical students or nurses. One example of a health fair is the Florida Keys Health Fairs. Critics Some health fairs promote unnecessary and potentially harmful testing. Some tests performed are actually not screening tests, like weight and blood pressure, which are appropriate screening tests for the general population. Instead, they are specialized tests, like vascular ultrasound, which are only appropriate for patients with relevant risk factors. When these tests are performed on the general population, they lead to false positive diagnoses, and dangerous and expensive followup testing, which have a risk of strokes and death. Many doctors feel that it is
Transcript
Health fair
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A health fair is an educational and interactive event designed for outreach to provide basicpreventive medicine and medical screening to people in the community or employees at work inconjunction with workplace wellness. It can also be a public health intervention.
Health fairs are typically offered in the community, on site corporations, work sites, churches orschools. The consist of a variety of vendors and exhibitors that educate on all aspects of health,wellness, fitness and lifestyle improvements. Topics can include such things as chiropractic,acupuncture, fitness clubs and hospitals.It is very common to see health screenings such ascholesterol testing or blood pressure screenings. Health Fairs are advertised and promoted ahead oftime by print media, radio, or television and are usually a one-day event.
Health fairs are often organized and run by professional health fair organization companies but canalso be done by medical providers, benefits directors, medical students or nurses.
One example of a health fair is the Florida Keys Health Fairs.
Critics
Some health fairs promote unnecessary and potentially harmful testing.
Some tests performed are actually not screening tests, like weight and blood pressure, which areappropriate screening tests for the general population. Instead, they are specialized tests, likevascular ultrasound, which are only appropriate for patients with relevant risk factors. When thesetests are performed on the general population, they lead to false positive diagnoses, and dangerousand expensive followup testing, which have a risk of strokes and death. Many doctors feel that it is
unethical for hospitals and doctors to cooperate with commercial testing services that marketdirectly to the consumer, especially since many of the marketing claims are false.[1][2]
For example, a for-profit business called HealthFair offers four cardiovascular disease screeningpackages, all of which include the following six tests: echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, carotidartery ultrasound, abdominal aortic aneurysm ultrasound, hardening of the arteries test, andperipheral arterial disease test. HealthFair charges $179 for the six tests.
Public Citizen sent letters to 20 hospitals on June 19, 2014, urging them to cut their relationshipswith HealthFair. Public Citizen said that HealthFair's "heavily promoted, community-widecardiovascular health screening programs are unethical and are much more likely to do harm thangood," and cited peer-reviewed evidence in support of their claims. For example, the AmericanCollege of Cardiology Foundation and the American Heart Association recommend againstechocardiograms in asymptomatic adults without hypertension.[3]
In response, Terry Diaz, HealthFair's Chief Operating Officer, wrote, "Public Citizen is anorganization dedicated to the creation of a single-payer system of healthcare called 'Medicare forAll' which would be run and controlled by the government. This is strikingly opposite to our missionof helping make healthcare consumer-driven, a private choice between a patient and his/herphysician, free from government intervention. Our goal is to educate and empower the consumer todecide what is best for them."[4]
References
^ Erik A. Wallace, John H. Schumann, and Steven E. Weinberger (20 November 2012). "Ethics ofCommercial Screening Tests". Ann Intern Med. 157 (10): 747-748. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-157-10-201211200-00536.
^ Erik A. Wallace, John H. Schumann, Steven E. Weinberger (August 11, 2014). "HospitalRelationships With Direct-to-Consumer Screening Companies". JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.9500.
^ Public Citizen. HealthFair Cardiovascular Screening Packages Are Unethical, Mislead Consumers,Do More Harm Than Good. Public Citizen website. Press release. Accessed July 21, 2014.
^ HealthFair Response to Public Citizen Document. HealthFair website. 2014. Accessed July 21,2014.
External links
Health Screening | Corporate Screening | Mobile Health Screenings
Global Health Fair - Health & Fitness
health fair planning guide
health fair kit
Corporate health fairs
In Denver Colorado
In Massachusetts
Health Fair Guide / Health Fair Resources
Health Fair Services
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