C11 The Health System AOS2

Question 1

Traditional medical or health services

Answer 1

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).

Question 2

Community health centers

Answer 2

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.

Question 3

Online services

Answer 3

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).

Question 4

Telephone and counselling services

Answer 4

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).

Question 5

Mental health services

Answer 5

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).

Question 6

Preventative health services

Answer 6

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).

Question 7

What are the opportunities presented by digital technology?

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

What are the challenges presented by digital technology?

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

Digital technology

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

Diagnostic imaging

Answer 10

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.

Question 11

MRI scanning

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

CT scanning

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Pharmaceuticals

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

List 2 advantages of medical technology

Answer 14

A wider range of alternative treatment options;
Earlier diagnosis of disease

Question 15

List 2 disadvantages of medical technology

Answer 15

Cost and ethical considerations;

Question 16

Ethics

Answer 16

Just because we have the technology to achieve new things, it is not always necessarily ethical to use it.

Question 17

Equity of access to medical technologies

Answer 17

Equity of access to medical technologies is about ensuring those who are most in need get extra help to reduce the inequity they face.

Question 18

Information privacy

Answer 18

Develop rules that protect the collection and handling of personal data (e.g. medical records).

Question 19

Bodily privacy

Answer 19

Protecting people against invasive or inappropriate procedures.

Question 20

Privacy of communications

Answer 20

Protecting the privacy of main, telephones, email and other forms of communication.

Question 21

Territorial privacy

Answer 21

Protecting people in their environment (e.g. preventing intrusions into the home or other environments such as the workplace).

Question 22

Invasiveness

Answer 22

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.

Question 23

Freedom of choice

Answer 23

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.

Question 24

List patient rights in access to healthcare

Answer 24

Access, safety, communication, respect, participation, and privacy.

Question 25

List 4 patient responsibilities in access to healthcare

Answer 25

Attendance, honestly, respectfulness, and asking questions.

Question 26

Confidentiality

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

What are the expectations to confidentiality?

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

Health complaints commissioner (HCC)

Answer 28

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.

Question 29

The Victorian Ombudsmen

Answer 29

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.

Question 30

Who can make a complaint?

Answer 30

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.

Question 31

Who can complaints be made about?

Answer 31

Complaints can be made against any health service provider in Victoria, and about anyone who handles health-related information (e.g. schools).

Question 32

What are 4 possible outcomes of a complaint?

Answer 32

An apology, access to treatment, access or amendment to health records, a refund or compensation;