C11 The Health System AOS2 Flashcards
Traditional medical or health services
Services that support a range of dimensions of health and wellbeing that are often accessed directly by individuals, either with or without a referral from a general practitioner (e.g. chiropractic, radiation, physiotherapy etc).
Community health centers
Designed to meet specific health needs of the local community and they generally offer a range of services and supports. Community centers are based in local or regions in both metropolitan and rural areas.
Online services
Health services online that individuals can access to promote their health and well-being or that can put them in touch with other services to assist them. These services range from online support symptom checkers to online training courses (e.g. HealthDirect).
Telephone and counselling services
Another type of community health service that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They can offer advice, support, and information to help people with a range of issues as well as being able to refer individuals to more specialized services if necessary (e.g. Kids helpline).
Mental health services
Designed to specifically deal with complex and varied issues relating to mental health with some of the services targeting a particular age or cultural group as well as the broader population (e.g. Headspace).
Preventative health services
Government and non-government organizations that play a significant role in the Australian healthcare system through the development of a range of health-promotion initiatives (e.g. the cancer council).
What are the opportunities presented by digital technology?
The ability to improve access and the effectiveness of healthcare in Australia allowing health information to be accessed for free for websites. Individuals can research health information anonymously and privately and information is available all day every day.
What are the challenges presented by digital technology?
The risk of misinterpretation of information, difficulty determining the reliability of information and issues with misdiagnosis as digital media promotes self-diagnosis of patients which can lead to unnecessary stress.
Digital technology
Medical technologies include a broad range of diagnostic tools and equipment, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and equipment, new medical procedures, and improved knowledge and administrative support systems.
Diagnostic imaging
The use of x-ray, ultrasound, radioactive isotopes, or magnetic resonance to produce a visual display or representation of structural and or functional information of the inside of the human body.
MRI scanning
A scan used for a medical imaging procedure that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to take pictures inside the body. It is helpful when collecting pictures of soft tissue (e.g. organs and muscles) that do not show up on x-ray examinations.
CT scanning
A scan that is made up of computer-generated combinations of many x-ray images taken from different angles to produce a cross-sectional image of areas of a scanned part of the body, allowing the user to see inside without cutting.
Pharmaceuticals
New vaccines and medications developed with some being new medications to treat or prevent conditions or that are more effective and have fewer side effects. For example, statins are a medication invented to reduce cholesterol, and tamoxifen is a medication that is used to prevent and treat breast cancer.
List 2 advantages of medical technology
A wider range of alternative treatment options;
Earlier diagnosis of disease
List 2 disadvantages of medical technology
Cost and ethical considerations;
Ethics
Just because we have the technology to achieve new things, it is not always necessarily ethical to use it.
Equity of access to medical technologies
Equity of access to medical technologies is about ensuring those who are most in need get extra help to reduce the inequity they face.
Information privacy
Develop rules that protect the collection and handling of personal data (e.g. medical records).
Bodily privacy
Protecting people against invasive or inappropriate procedures.
Privacy of communications
Protecting the privacy of main, telephones, email and other forms of communication.
Territorial privacy
Protecting people in their environment (e.g. preventing intrusions into the home or other environments such as the workplace).
Invasiveness
Invading the body (e.g. operating on the body or examining the inside of the body). New technologies should provide consideration regarding how invasive the procedure is going to be and weigh this up against the potential benefits.
Freedom of choice
The right to be included in decisions and to make choices about your healthcare. It is important that people have relevant information about the risks and benefits of procedures to enable them to make an informed choice about their own healthcare and having a choice about your healthcare is a significant determinant in people having a positive perception of their own health.
List patient rights in access to healthcare
Access, safety, communication, respect, participation, and privacy.
List 4 patient responsibilities in access to healthcare
Attendance, honestly, respectfulness, and asking questions.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality means keeping information safe and private. This is particularly important when dealing with personal health-related information. Health information can include things that are discussed with health professionals, information that health professionals include in files (digital or hard copy), and treatment.
What are the expectations to confidentiality?
Exceptions to confidentiality exist to protect patients in the case of a minor who may be at risk of ending their own life, risk of or harming someone else. Confidentiality might also be broken for very serious cases, such as legal reasons like a court hearing or other statutory requirements, including child.
Health complaints commissioner (HCC)
An independent and impartial organisation responsible for resolving complaints about health. The health complaints commissioner (HCC), does not take sides, and it works with the provider and the person lodging the complaint in order to resolve complaints in a fast, fair and effective manner.
The Victorian Ombudsmen
An independent impartial office of the Victorian Parliament, responsible for investigating complaints about administrative actions of Victoria Government agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services.
Who can make a complaint?
Anyone can lodge a complaint with the HCC, including health service consumers themselves, a friend or family member of the consumer, a career, health service staff or volunteers, a concerned community member or a professional organisation.
Who can complaints be made about?
Complaints can be made against any health service provider in Victoria, and about anyone who handles health-related information (e.g. schools).
What are 4 possible outcomes of a complaint?
An apology, access to treatment, access or amendment to health records, a refund or compensation;
