Core 1 - Better Health for Individuals Flashcards
What is epidemiology and who uses it?
Epidemiology is the study of patterns and causes of health and disease in a population. This is used by researchers, medical practitioners, health care manufacturers and the government.
What are the limitation of epidemiology?
-Doesn’t measure overall quality of life
-Doesn’t show influence of determinants of health
-Results can be manipulated
What are the measures of epidemiology? List trends relating to this.
Mortality: death rate -> decreasing, leading cause is coronary heat disease
Infant mortality: deaths of children <1 -> 2.8/1000 NI, 5.2/1000 ATSI, has decreased
Morbidity: Disease and illness-> steadily decreasing
Life expectancy -> 83, lower around 8 years for ATSI
How does the government identify priority health issues?
SPPPC
* Social justice principles: equity, diversity support environments
* Priority population groups: particular groups with signficantly poorer health (ATSI, Low SES)
* Prevalence of the condition (extent of issues, increasing/decreasing)
* Potential for prevention or early intervention: health promotion, e.g. breast cancer screening
* Costs of the issue for individuals and the community: financial or social burden
What are social justice principles?
-Equity: resources are allocated in accordance with the needs of individuals and populations. The desired goal of equality
of outcomes.
-Diversity: Refers to differences that exist between individuals and people groups.
-Supportive environments: environments that promote positive behaviour to improve health
Why is it important to prioritise health issues and population groups?
-Productive use of resources (they can make a difference)
-Reduce costs to individuals and the community
-Reduce the prevalence by reducing the incidence of disease
-Help particular population groups, while being equitable in the process by utilising the social justice principles
What are the priority population groups?
-ATSI
-Rural and remote communities
-Low socioeconomic status
-Elderly
-Disabled people
-Overseas people
Explain the nature, extent and determinants around ATSI health inequities.
The ATSI community experiences significantly worse health in multiple area in comparison to non-Indigenous.
* Lower life expectancy of around 8 years
* Infant mortality rate 2x higher
* More likely to develop CVD, cancer and diabetes as well as experience low SES.
Sociocultural: language barrier, generational trauma, domestic violence, cultural medicine preference
Socioeconomic: 2.5 x lowest income bracket, poor education (1/2 likely finish yr12), limited job opportunity, low health literacy
Environmental: rural and remote locations, low access to facilities and services, inadequate housing
What are the roles of individuals and communities in addressing health inequities for ATSI?
**Individual: **promoting their own health, educating themselves/ health literacy to make proactive and protective choices, participating in initiatives and accepting support
Community: Support groups, involving people in decision making, collaborating with health professionals, participate in policy development
What are the roles of the government in addressing health inequities for ATSI?
-Funding for health (chronic disease package, improving treatment and management)
-Increasing access (having more services and facilities in these areas, royal flying doctor)
-Long term initiatives and health promotion -> Close the gap campaign establishes clear goals and providing support and resources to minmise inequities in their health.
Explain the nature, extent and determinants around Low SES health inequities.
Individuals with low SES experience significantly decreased health in comparison to the rest of Australia.
* Lower life expectancy and are at greater risk of developing chronic illness and disease
* 3.6x more likely to engage in daily smoking
Sociocultural: Domestic violence, poor upbringing with smoking and substance abuse, food choice, attitudes towards exercise and mental health
Socioeconomic: lower education, limited job opportunity, low health literacy, low income, homelessness
Environmental: rural and remote locations, low access to health services and technologies, greater levels of homelessness, limited access to benefits (Centrelink),
What are the roles of individuals and communities in addressing health inequities for low SES?
**Individual: ** promoting their own health, educating themselves/ health literacy to make proactive and protective choices, participating in initiatives and accepting support
Community: Raising awareness of health issues, holding support groups, getting involved in community decisions
What are the roles of the government in addressing health inequities for low SES?
- Larger health promotion and funding to improve inequities being experienced
- Reducing risk factors such as smoking, binge drinking by implementing educational programs
Explain the nature, extent, determinants, risk afactors and groups at risk for CVD
-Coronary heart disease: not enough blood going to the heart due to blocked arteries
-Stroke: not enough blood getting to the brain
-Peripheral vascular disease: limbs not receiving enough blood
Sociocultural: family history, lifestyle choices, drinking and smoking, inactivity
Socioeconomic: income limiting food and exercise options, education and health literacy
Environmental: low access for early detection and treatment, smoking and obesity in rural and remote
Risk: family history, age, males, obesity, smoking, inactivity
Protective: early testing, exercise, diet, BP
Groups: males, ATSI, low SES, elderly
Outline health care expenditure vs expenditure on early intervention and prevention
160 billion is being spent per year on health care, mainly at hospitals and primary health care.
Yet only 2.2 billion is being spent per year on early intervention such as cancer screening for breast, prostate and skin and preventative measures includes immunisation and health promotion.
Focusing on early intervention and prevention is much more effective as it reduces the need for health care expenditure and is less costly
What are the responsibilities for health facilities are services for the federal government, state government and private?
Explain the nature, extent, determinants, factors and groups at risk for Cancer
-Skin, lung, breast are all increasing
Sociocultural:
Socioeconomic:
Environmental:
Risk: smoking, poor diet, genetics
Protective: sunscreen, testing, healthy diet
groups:
Explain the nature, extent, determinants, factors and groups at risk for diabetes
-Type 1 is genetic while type 2 is lifestyle
Sociocultural:
Socioeconomic:
Environmental:
Risk: poor diet, genetics, lack of exercise
Protective: exercise, eating healthy, testing
groups:
What is healthy ageing?
Concept encouraging health lifestyles to increase quality of life, dependence and life expectancy of Australians as they age.
How has the ageing population impacted the health system and workforce?
With a growing ageing population, disease prevalence has increased with multimorbidity, particularly in dementia and Alzheimer’s. This puts great strain on the health care system as there are insufficient facilities and too long over waiting times. This impacts the quality of the service, meaning people are not getting the support required. The health care workforce is additionally at a major shortage, with not enough people in specialist roles. More carers and volunteers are also needed to look after the elderly.
What are the range of health care facilities and services in Australia?
Institutional: hospitals and nursing homes
Non-institutional: GPs, dentist, pharmaceutical services
What measures have improved equity of access to health facilities and services
Medicare: allows public health for all Australians…
PBS: Pharmaceutical benefits schemes: minimizes the price of pharmaceuticals to elderly, ensuring the price is suitable for them
Screening vans: improve access to early detection and treatment
What are the impacts of emerging new treatments and technology in health care?
Keyhole surgery: non-invasive surgery to performance treatment inside the body for diagnosis, removing damaged or diseased organs. Limited scarring.
Pacemakers: sense through wires abnormal beating of the heart, sending electrical impulses to stimulate the heart to normal rate
Compare Medicare vs private health care
Medicare is paid through taxes, allowing free hospital, GP and subsidized specialist. However, there is no choices of provider, wait time vary and ….
Private health can can be expensive but beneficial for those who can afford it. This provides choices of specialist, private hospital care and rooms and reduced wait time
What is complementary health care?
Complementary health care is used in conjunction with conventional medical treatments. For example, acupuncture can be used alongside chemotherapy to minimise the impacts discomfort and other side effects.
What is alternative health care?
Alternative health care is used in place of conventional health practices. An example of this is an individual dealing with acne choosing herbal medicine of Accutane as it provides greater benefits for them such as being less invasive.
Why is complementary and alternative health approaches growing?
Unconventional health approaches are beginning to become more wildly accepted amongst society. This is due to government approval of them as well as regulation and requirement required to provide these treatments. These approaches also have minimal side effects, focus more on preventative measure and can be lower in cost.
What must be considered to make an informed choice when choosing complementary and/or alternative health care?
-cost
-side effects
-qualification
-registration
-regulation
-reliable sources and research
List examples of complementary and alternative health care
-Acupuncture, aromatherapy, herbalism, chiropractic, yoga
