Core 1 IQ3: What role do health care facilities and services play in achieving better health for all Australians?

Question 1

Why are health care facilities and services vital in achieving better health for all Australians?

Answer 1

They provide the essential services of diagnosing, treating and rehabbing the ill and injured, as well as preventing illness and promoting health

Question 2

What are some examples of state and territory services specifically aimed at both the prevention of disease and the promotion of health? (2)

Answer 2

Immunisation programs, anti smoking campaigns

Question 3

What is the current role of the health care system in Aus?

Answer 3

To provide quality health facilities and services to meet the health needs of all Australians

Question 4

How has the new public health approach changed the emphasis of health?

Answer 4

Traditionally, health lacked a preventative focus, but this emphasis has been changed with the new public healath approach, to aim to increase health education and promotion, ultimately attempting to prevent illnesses

Question 5

What are the two different types of care in Aus?

Answer 5

Institutional and non-institutional care

Institutional care - services which provide beds and facilities for overnight care

Non-institutional care - These are non-stay, meaning patients receive treatment and then leave

Question 6

What are the 3 forms of institutional care in Aus?

Answer 6

Hospitals, Nursing homes

Other services including ambulance (according to textbook, but not according to pdhpe net or improving pdhpe, and it makes sense NOT to include this)

Question 7

What are the 4 forms of non-institutional care?

Answer 7

1. Medical services such as those provided by medical practitioners and specialists
2. Health related services; for example dental, optical, pharmaceutical, physiotherapy
3. Community and public health services such as supplying health equipment, aids and appliances
4. Research organisations such as the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)

Question 8

What are the 3 different types of hospitals? Only looking at 2.

Answer 8

Public, private, psychiatric

However, don’t really cover psychiatric hospitals

Question 9

What are public hospitals?

Answer 9

These are hospitals operated and financed by the state gov and the commonwealth gov. They serve a greater proportion of elderly and very young patients. They also appear to provide more specialised and complex services such as heart and lung transplantsss

Question 10

What are private hospitals?

Answer 10

These are owned and operated by individuals and community groups. They also provide same-day surgery and perform more short-stay surgery, elective procedures (non-emergency surgery) and less complex procedures involving less expensive equipment such as operations on the ear and mouth

Question 11

What is the main differences in services/payment provided by private vs public hospitals?

Answer 11

In public hospitals, patients are allocated a doctor by the hospital and are provided with a bed, free of charge. They can also do more complex procedures/surgeries. Medicare covers costs of public hospitals making them more accessible to socioeconomically disadvantaged people

Meanwhile, in private hospitals, the patient may choose their own doctor but must pay for the service and accommodation provided by the hospital and the doctor. Involves less complex surgeries. However, private hospitals require either full payment by the patient or a combined payment using a private health insurer

Question 12

What is equity?

Answer 12

Allocation of resources according to the needs of individuals and populations. Goal is to achieve equality of outcomes

Question 13

What is the main issue of equity of access to public hospitals?

Answer 13

Some evidence suggests that private patients have more rapid access to elective surgery such as plastic, ear, nose, throat etc. surgery, than public patients do. Affecting the ability to access elective surgery etc.

also, an individual’s ability to access health care facilities is a reflection of their socioeconomic status, knowledge of tech and services, geographical location etc. A knowledge gap may result in a decrease in equity of access to healthcare

Question 14

What are nursing homes?

Answer 14

Nursing homes provide care and long term nursing attention for those who are unable to look after themselves, i.e. the aged, the chronically ill, people with dementia, people with disabilities.

Question 15

What are the 3 types of nursing homes?

Answer 15

Private charitable, private for profit and state government , however the commonwealth gov assumes responsibility for most of the financial cost of running nursing homes in Aus

Question 16

What has been put in place to ensure that only highly dependent people are placed in residential care?

Answer 16

Aged care assessment teams have been established to be able to achieve this

Question 17

What are psychiatric hospitals?

Answer 17

These hospitals attempt to treat people with severe mental illness

Question 18

How has the treatment of those with mental illnesses changed over recent years?

Answer 18

Moved away from institutional care to a system of care that integrates both hospital services and continuing care within community settings

Question 19

How has the number of public psychiatric hospitals changed over recent years? Why?

Answer 19

Number of public psychiatric hospitals has fallen, which could be attributed to the reduction in extended hospitalisation of people with mental illness. However, there has alsoo been an increase in the number of beds in community based residential services

Question 20

What are some examples of the range of service provideers for mental health care today? (2)

Answer 20

General practitioners (GPs), private psychiatrists

Question 21

What are some examples of health related services? (5)

Answer 21

Ambulance work, dentistry, optometry, nursing, speech therapy and more

Question 22

What are medical services?

Answer 22

services to the community which are based in medicine. Doctors, specialists and other health professionals provide a number of services

Question 23

WHat is the most extensively used medical service?

Answer 23

GP - 82% of people aged 15+ had seen a GP at least once in 2014

Question 24

Where do GPs wwork?

Answer 24

Medical centres, hospitals, and many private surgeries

Question 25

How does Medicare help with payments to a GP?

Answer 25

All Australians are eligible to claim refunds for their payments for medical services outside hospitals. The whole or part of the cost of a GP consultation is reimbursed by Medicare (When whole cost is reimbursed, it is known as bulk billing). However, a GP may decide to charge more than what Medicare provides in some scenarios

Question 26

Why has the number of consultations with GPs increased over the last two decades?

Answer 26

Attributed to improved access to doctors and the increased promotion and awareness of individual illness prevention strategies such as immunisation

Question 27

WHat is an example of health related services? (4)

Answer 27

Pharmaceutical, dental, optical and physiotherapy

Question 28

Are dentists covered by Medicare?

Answer 28

No, and often they require the patients to either pay out of pocket or through their private insurer, however some can claim rebates through Medicare under the Chronic Disease Benefit Scheme, combined with the Allied Health Initiative

However the Child Dental Services Benefit allows free access to public dental services in NSW up to the age of 18

Question 29

What are most presscription drugs sold in Aus subsidised by?

Answer 29

Through the commonwealth government’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)

Question 30

What does the PBS do?

Answer 30

Through this scheme, the gov subsidises the costs of a wide range of prescription medicines

Question 31

What is the general patient contribution under the PBS vs those who are concession card holders?

Answer 31

General patient contribution - $30.00 max have to pay

Concession card holders - $7.30 max have to pay

Note: only for PBS covered drugs

Question 32

What is the purpose of the PBS Safety Net?

Answer 32

This caps the amount a family will pay for PBS subsidised medications in a calender year. The aim is to ensure noone is denied access to medicine they need for financial reasons.

In 2018, it is capped at $1563.50 a year for a normal person.

However, if the person already holds a concession card, they are eligible for a Safety Net card when they have spent $262.8 on prescriptions

A concession card is considered to people with age pensions, disability support pensions etc, attempting to increase equity of access

Question 33

What are community supports for health?

Answer 33

These are significant in providing an environment which is conducive to positive health. These supports promote health but aren’t recognised as part of the healthcare system.

Question 34

What is an example of community supports for health? (2)

Answer 34

The food industry implementing policies to ensure the production of food meets health regulations and food safety standards, also displaying nutrition information on food packaging

Another example could include town planners and engineers who provide infrastructure that is safe and promotes positive health such as safe roads, adequate sanitation and sewerage facilities

Question 35

What are allied health providers? Examples?

Answer 35

a diverse group of clinicians who deliver high-quality care to patients and clients across a wide range of care pathways and in a variety of different settings. However, these providers aren’t normally covered by Medicare. Examples include; physiotherapist, osteopath, chiropractor, psychologists, etc.

Question 36

What are the 5 levels of responsibility for health care facilities and services?

Answer 36

Commonwealth government
State and territory governments
Private sector
Local government
Community groups

Question 37

What is the role of the Commonwealth Gov for health care facilities/services? (6)

Answer 37

Predominantly concerned with the formation of national health policies and the control of health system financing through collection of taxes.

Provides funds to the state and territory governments for health care, and influences their health policy making and delivery

Also has direct responsibility for special community services, such as health programs and services for war veterans and the Aboriginal community

Funds Medicare and PBS

Contributes major funds towards certain health projects

Research for health

Question 38

What are the 5 things that the commonwealth gov contributes major funds to?

Answer 38

High level residential care

Medical services

Health research

Public hospitals

Public health activities

Question 39

What is the role of the State and Territory governments for health care facilities/services? (3; 5 and 3 and 1)

Answer 39

Provide services such as:

Hospital services
Dental health services
Home and community care
Mental health programs
Women’s health programs

They also provide major funds to:
Community health services, public hospitals, public health activities

Helps carry out health promotion

Question 40

What is the role of the private sector for health care facilities/services?

Answer 40

Provides a wide range of services such as private hospitals, dentists and alternative health services (i.e. Chiropractors). These services are approved by the Commonwealth Department of Health. Some private organisations such as the Cancer Council receive funding from both state and Commonwealth governments?

Question 41

What is the role of the Local government for health care facilities/services?

Answer 41

Mainly concern environmental control and a range of personal, preventative and home care services. They include the monitoring of sanitation and hygiene standards in food outlets, waste disposals, monitoring of building standards, immunisation etc.

Although the state health department controls some of these services such as immunisation, local councils are responsible for implementing them.

Question 42

What is the role of community groups for health care facilities/services? (LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY GROUPS I DID FOR ATSI FOR SAC)

Answer 42

These groups are formed on a local needs basis and established to address specific problems to an area or region. However, where concerns exist nationally, groups are more extensive, usually highly structured and linked in the provision of information, knowledge and support. Examples of prominent groups are Cancer Council NSW

Main role is to raise awareness of specific issues, promoting health and organising support services

For example, the Aboriginal Medical Services Redfern is a healthcare facility, which provides culturally appropriate healthcare to ATSI people. This is important as it recognises the issue that ATSI have high levels of distrust for medical services due to past experiences –> providing care which appeals to ATSI peoples to allow them to access healthcare and improve their healthcare. FUrthermore, it is known that Redfern has many Aboriginals allowing for a good target of population

Question 43

What is an individual’s ability to access health care facilities and services a reflection of? (6)

Answer 43

Socioeconomic status

Knowledge of available services

Geographic isolation

Cultural and religious beliefs

Lack of funding or equipment

Shortages of qualified staff

Question 44

What is a factor in the equity of access to health facilities and services? Give an example of this one factor. (3)

Answer 44

Disadvantaged groups will have limited access to certain services. For example, those living in rural and remote areas will have less access to health facilities and service, especially hospital services.

ATSI people have less access to health facilities and services, and also have a lack of trust for them

People with lower levels of education also have less access to health facilities and services which can limit their knowledge regaridng their health needs and ability to navigte the system

Question 45

How has the Aus gov tried to reinstiute services to provide access to specialists and services in rural and remote areas?

Answer 45

Using services such as the RFDS and Telehealth technology to provide access to specialists and other services which may not have been able to be previously accessed

Allowing for various health information to be displayed in various languages to allow for effective health promotion

Question 46

What has the gov been doing the address the issue of equity of access to health facilities and services?

Answer 46

Introduction of Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits scheme (PBS), ultimately removing cost as a barrier to a number of health facilities and services but not all.

There is also supporting programs such as the Medicare Safety Net (amount of what people need to pay is capped)

Question 47

How has cost hindered people from seeing a GP and dentist? (According to pdhpenet) (stats)

Answer 47

Cost hindered 2.4% of people from seeing a GP, 14.8% from seeing a dentist

Question 48

What is health care expenditure?

Answer 48

Allocation of funding and other economic resources for the provision and consumption of health services. Includes expenditure by Aus state and territory governments as well as private health insurance, households and individuals

Health spending on health related g+s by the gov

Question 49

How much did the Aus gov spend on health in 2022-23 budget?

Answer 49

$105.8 billion, representing 16.8% of Aus gov total expenditure

Question 50

How much did Aus gov spend on thee PBS safety net in 2022?

Answer 50

Committed $525.3 million over 4 years from July 2022 to lower PBS safety net thresholds

Question 51

How much did Aus gov spend on the 10 year Stronger rural health strategy over the next 4 year?

Answer 51

$224.4 million over 4 years to improve access to health services and support doctors working in rural and remote areas

Question 52

Why is it more expensive to cure vs preventing a disease from occurring? Use an example

Answer 52

It will cost more to cure a disease such as coronary heart disease once it has developed than to fund measures to prevent the illness from occurring, this is because procedures to help cure a disease, especially one which is complicated will require expensive procedures using advanced equipment

Early intervention may include focussing on education, healthy eating practices, weight control and active lifestyle activities (advertising). However, curative measures such as the treatment of th disease is much more costly and will contribute to health expenditure

Question 53

What must Aus do to achieve an effective health care model?

Answer 53

Seek early intervention and prevention as well as treatment of disease and illness

Health care expenditure still far exceeds expenditure on illness prevention and health promotion

Question 54

What are 4 examples of strategies that could be used to prevent illness and death in the community?

Answer 54

Educating school children on positive health behaviours

Better coordination among the various levels of government

Higher taxes on products such as alcohol and tobacco

Provision of support programs to heelp people give up addictive habits such as smoking and high alcohol consumption

Question 55

What are the 6 arguments for increasing the funding and support for preventative health strategies?

Answer 55

Cost effectiveness; would result in huge savings in funds and resources, as opposed to spending it on treatment

Improvement to quality of life; longer healthier life from positive health outcomes

Containment of increasing costs; contains the continually increasing costs of healthcare

Maintenance of social equity

Use of existing structures; uses existing and accessible community structures such as GPs rather than relying on special services and tech

Reinforcement of individual responsibility for health; Empowers individuals to take control of thir personal health by modifying behaviour

Question 56

Does health care expenditure in Aus exceed expenditure on illness prevention and health promotion?

Answer 56

Yes. DUe to an emphasis on medical treatments to cure illness dominating the allocation of public health resources and spending

Question 57

How is the new public health model different?

Answer 57

Focuses on the social factors that lead to ill health. Places emphasis on health promotion as the most cost-effective way to address social issues of health

Question 58

Does it take a few years before prevention measures translate into a reduction in incidence of lifestyle related diseases?

Answer 58

Yes

Question 59

What are some examples of preventative programs? (3)

Answer 59

SunSmart - cancer

Slip, Slop, Slap

Drink driving campaigns

Question 60

What have new training programs for GPs made them aware of?

Answer 60

Made them aware of the importance of preventative health for their patients and promoting positive lifestyles, especially because 82% of Australians see their GP at least once a year, so they are the frontline form of advocacy

Question 61

What are Australia’s main policies and regulations for health promotion? (3)

Answer 61

Seat belts in cars

Plain packaging for cigarettes

Mass immunisations

Question 62

What are the main early intervention strategies used in Aus?

Answer 62

Cancer screening programs (Breast, prostate, skin etc)

Question 63

How much is spent on preventative and early intervention strategies?

Answer 63

Around $2 billion a year, with main expenses going to immunisation, health promotion and cancer screening programs

Question 64

WHat are the impacts of emerging new treatments and technologies on healthcare?

WHat are the benefits of new treatments and technologies?

Answer 64

Includes benefits to health outcomes, but also an increase in cost and raise questions of equity of access.

Improvement in elective surgeries, resulting in less pains, shorter hospital stays and improved recovery from surgery

Question 65

What are 5 examples of emerging new treatments/technologies used in healthcare?

Answer 65

Development of new drugs that assist treatment of HIV. Many HIV sufferers can now look forward to a longer life expectancy

Genetic testing (which will enable healthcare professionals to find a disease earlier –> early intervention)

Advancements in developing prosthetics to replace missing limbs

Advancing the treatment of eye conditions with drugs rather than lasers

Development of tch such as MRI scans which are expensive but are critical in improving health outcoms

Question 66

What is the cost of new treatments and technologies in healthcare?

Answer 66

All tech comes at a price, and in the context of a largely publicly funded health care system, balancing the cost of new tech, limited resources and the need to maintain health at an acceptable level is difficult

Research, development, testing etc. amount to millions of dollars, making some tech unaffordable unless privately donated or subsidised by the government

Question 67

What are 2 examples of early detection?

Answer 67

Regular mammogram testing for breast cancer

Pap smears and use of vaccines to prevent HPV infection

Question 68

What is an example of a cancer which is the target of considerable research? Why?

Answer 68

Skin cancer is being targeted by research, as it is the most common form of cancer, making developing a prevention or early intervention method extremely important

Question 69

What is the benefit of early detection?

Answer 69

Screening programs are not as invasive as the surgery that might be required should the condition progress undetected. For example, a mammogram involving an x-ray of the breast, may reveal a tumour, requiring keyhole surgery, which is opposed to the breast needing to be removed if the tumour got worse

Question 70

How might access prevent some people from participating in early detection and treatment programs?

Answer 70

Socioeconomic circumstances and geographic location may influence health care to the point where the diagnostic, treatment and/or rehabilitation processes are not fully utilised. For example, cardiac patients may have limited access to exercise facilities in some areas, socioeconomic conditions may inhibit families
in poorly maintained houses from understanding and addressing childhood asthma, and language barriers may make it difficult for some people to understand the extent or locations of the screening services that are available to them.

Ultimately access is an issue affecting people from participating in early detection and treatment programs

Question 71

What is Medicare? How is it funded?

Answer 71

Medicare is Australia’s universal health-care system, established to provide Australians with affordable and accessible health care. Funds to operate the Medicare system are obtained from income axes and Medicare Levy, paid according to income level (currently 2% of a person’s taxable income)

Regardless of what doctors or specialists charge, every Australian is covered for 85 per cent of an amount that is set down by the government as a common (scheduled) fee. Some doctors charge more than the scheduled
fee. Many doctors bulk bill patients, which means the patient pays nothing and the doctor receives up to 100 per cent (85 per cent in the case of specialists) of the scheduled fee from Medicare.

Question 72

What does Medicare provide individuals with access to?

Answer 72

free treatment as a public patient in a public hospital

free or subsidised treatment by medical practitioners, including GPs, specialists, and some specified services of optometrists and dentists.

Question 73

What doesn’t Medicare cover? (3)

Answer 73

Private dentistry, physiotherapy, chiropractic treaatment

Question 74

When was Medicare introduced?

Answer 74

1984

Question 75

What are the disadvantages of Medicare? (4)

Answer 75

Little choice of care provider (They can choose their own GP, but if using hospital care, no choice other than hospital they go to)

Doesn’t have many ancillary benefits

Could be subject to long wait times

No choice of when and where you’re operated on and who performs the surgery

Question 76

WHat are the advantages of medicare?

Answer 76

Free or lower cost for prescription medicines (Under the PBS)

Guarantees free or cheaper access to a wide range of health and hospital services

Question 77

What are 6 reasons why people may choose private health insurance? (I.e. potential advantages)

Answer 77

Shorter waiting times for treatment

Ancillary benefits such as dental cover

Private rooms in hospital

Having a doctor of their own choice in hospital

Choice of own hospital

Cover overseas

Question 78

What are ancillary expenses?

Answer 78

Expenses such as dental, physiotherapy and chiropractic services

Question 79

How is private health insurance a social justice issue?

Answer 79

As equity of access is vital in improving the health of all Australians, and private health insurance is expensive and is designed to benefit the people with higher socioeconomic status

Question 80

What are some disadvantages of private health insurance? (2)

Answer 80

Quite expensive, could be paying thousands of dollars in premiums each year, with costs increasing annually

Could still end up paying a substantial amount, as a private health insurance policy may only cover part of the cost of a treatment or procedure

Question 81

How does the Aus gov incentivise private health insurance? (3)

Answer 81

Aged Based discount reduces the cost of starting private health insurance for people aged between 18 and 29. If purchasing hospital cover after 31st birthday, will have to pay the Lifetime Health Cover loading on top of premium, which increases each year over 30 yo.

Receiving a rebate from the Aus gov for Aussies with private health insurance to help cover cost of premiums. This is based on income and age

Medicare Levy Surcharge; Calculated at the rate of 1% to 1.5% of income which is paid on top of the Medicare Levy of 2%. People have to pay this if they don’t have private hospital cover and earn above a certain income

Question 82

Why does the Aus gov want to incentivise private heatlh insurance?

Answer 82

Fall in membership of private health insurance funds creates pressures on the public health system, especially due to the ageing population

Question 83

Is access to health care facilities and services equitable for all Australians?

Answer 83

The degree of access to health services relies heavily on an individuals sociocultural, socioeconomic and environmental determinants. This being, that the access to healthcare in Australia is more accessible for certain groups than others. There has been an attempt by the government to make the access more equitable for all Australians through numerous approaches

The Australian Government has made an attempt in the concern for equity in health services through health promotion initiatives and policies put into place. The purpose of doing this is to make access to health services a priority, and accessible for all Australians. A rather effective attempt of this approach is Medicare, which is an example of horizontal equity approach. The aim of Medicare is to provide public health to all Australians, regardless of socioeconomic status. For example, Medicare covers the costs of majority of GP visits by bulk billing, free of charge. This aim is to improve the equity of access to services for all peoples. Medicare provides basic healthcare to all Australians to assist in the equity of health services and does so by providing large amounts of funds. This heavily assists people of low socioeconomic status who may not have the money to pay for adequate health care that they need.

The Australian Government has also put the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme into place to reduce the inequities of health and ultimately improve access to health services. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) subsidises most prescription medicines to allow all individuals access to necessary prescription medicines. This scheme has proven to be effective in providing equity amongst Australians regarding health care as it allows individuals to have access to needed medicines.

Although the government has made a rather strong attempt at providing healthcare to all Australians, there are still certain groups at disadvantage of access to health services. This includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (ATSI) and Rural and Remote living people. These groups have inequities among their sociocultural, socioeconomic and environmental determinants of health. These determinants have a large impact in overall health status, and the approach to these groups regarding access to health care is slowly improving but is still lacking.

Inequities can also be largely seen in rural areas, however there has been approaches in reducing these inequities through vertical equity approaches, including the Royal Flying Doctors service, which assists in the delivery of healthcare to people in rural areas.

Question 84

What are two methods of looking at equality in access of healthcare?

Answer 84

Horizontal equity and vertical equity

Question 85

What is horizontal equity? Exampl

Answer 85

Horizontal equity takes the position that when the needs of two individuals are comparable, the treatment provided should be equal.

Consider the Medicare, Australia’s national public health insurance; all residents of Australia are able to access basic healthcare equally. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, also known as PBS, is another initiative provided by the Australian government which ensure that prescription medicine will be available to all Australian, at affordable prices.

Question 86

What is vertical equity?

Answer 86

Vertical equity is needed when groups or individuals are in high need of healthcare but are unable or have less access to services and facilities. Aboriginal and Torres Strait individuals as well as migrants, and refugees, who experiencing language and cultural barriers, fall under this category.

Question 87

What is complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)?

Answer 87

Refers to healing practices that don’t fall within the area of conventional medicine. Includes things such as hypnosis, meditation and acupuncture

Question 88

How many Australians use CAM treatments?

Answer 88

2/3 of Australians according to various gov surveys, according to textbook

Question 89

What are some reasons that people are increasingly using CAM treatments? (5)

Answer 89

Opportunity to exercise choice and exert greater control over their health through empowerment

Some CAM treatments are more effective for treatment for many people for whom modern med has become ineffective

Desire for natural/herbal medicines over synthetically produced medicines

Increased migration and increased acceptance by Australians of the value of multicultural influences. For example, this could lead to the introduction of various traditional Chinese medicines such as acupuncture, herbal medicine and more

WHO recognising the usefulness of many alternative approaches and its endorsement of a list of medicinal plants to be used in preparation of herbal medicines

Question 90

What are the 10 examples of alternative health care approaches?

Answer 90

Acupuncture
Aromatherapies
The Bowen Therapeutic Technique
Chiropractic
Herbalism
Iridology
Massage
Meditation
Naturopathy

Question 91

What is aromatherapy?

Answer 91

Use of pure essential oils to influence or modify the mind, body or spirit. Essential oils can be inhaled through vaporisers and applied through baths and massage. Aromatherapy is used in the treatment of depression, sleep disorders, stress symptoms and anxiety.

Question 92

What is the Bowen Therapeutic Technique?

Answer 92

Involves small moves of varying pressures at different parts of the body. Supposedly gently realigns the body and balances and stimulates energy flow. This has the effect of supporting the self healing properties of the body. The technique is believed to be effective in the treatment of soft-tissue injuries, musculoskeletal problems, arthritic symptoms, migraines,

Question 93

What are chiropractic approaches?

Answer 93

Chiropractors ‘adjust’ the spine using specific rapid thrusts delivered by the hand or small instruments

Question 94

What is iridology?

Answer 94

Iridology is the analysis of the human eye
to detect signs of the individual’s physical,
emotional and spiritual well-being. A range
of naturopathic treatments can then be
prescribed to improve general and immune
system health.

Question 95

what is a massage as a form of treatment?

Answer 95

Massage therapy is the practice of kneading or manipulating a person’s muscles and other soft-tissue in order to improve their wellbeing

Massage is one of the oldest and simplest
forms of therapy. It is an excellent method
of inducing relaxation. It helps reduce blood
pressure, stress and anxiety levels, and
overall it is beneficial to the immune system.

Question 96

What is meditation as a form of an alternative health care approach?

Answer 96

It is a state of inner stillness. It involves focusing on an object, breathing or verbally repeating a word (mantra). With practice, the individual can reach a meditative state, in which they experience inner peace and stillness. The benefits of meditation include strengthening of
the immune system, improved sleep, lower blood pressure and increased motivation and self-esteem.

Question 97

What is naturopathy?

Answer 97

Naturopathy focuses on the holistic treatment of the individual by seeking to address symptoms of illness as well as resolving underlying causes of illness.

Essentially uses techniques such as control of diet, exercise and massage

(essentially treatment without the use of drugs)

Question 98

What is acupuncture? (in depth)

Answer 98

Acupuncture originated from China approximately 3000 years ago. It involves inserting fine needles into specific points son the skin to restore balance and encourage body to heal itself. It is believed to be able to stimulate the central nervous system, which may stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities and promote physical and emotional wellbeing. Generally costs $70-100. Needs a bachelor degree in Aus.

Question 99

What is herbalism? (In depth)

Answer 99

Uses plants and herbs exclusively to treat illnesses or diseases. Herbalists use the whole plant form of a medicine rather than chemical extracts from plants.

Herbalists attempt to find the root cause of illness. Practitioners will choose herbs based on the symptoms or ailments a patient describes during the consultation. Benefits may include that it is natural healing and mitigates side effects. Costs range from $40-150. Will need a qualification in herbal medicine such as a Bachelor of health science (Western Herbal Medicine)

Question 100

How do you know who to believe for alternative health care approaches?

Answer 100

A person should look for qualifications, registration, regulations and research. Will need to research on the internet about certain complementary and alternative health care and need to make sure it is reliable info. May want to look at government websites as well as academic journal articles or academic professionals

Question 101

What should you ask a person/practitioner to ensure that they are people with experience and qualifications related to the field of question?

Answer 101

Ask the person questions such as: what qualifications do you have? Are your registered? What evidence is there for this treatment? Are there side effect? If so are they common? Will treatment affect other treatments I might or am receiving?

The person should have reasonable qualifications for their fields and be able to answer these questions, if they can’t they are not reliable sources

Question 102

What do you need to help you make informed decisions regarding alternative health care?

Answer 102

In order to make an informed consumer choices you should gather a reasonable amount of relevant information from reliable sources. Information should include: the philosophy behind the treatment, the process of the treatment, possible side effects of the treatment, qualifications needed to provide treatment, and academic evidence for the effectiveness of the treatment.

This information can be sourced from registration bodies or professional associations, or the complementary and alternative health practitioner. You should also consult your GP for any advice they may have.

Question 103

What medicines does the WHO recognise as valuable and significant treatments? (3)

Answer 103

Chiropractic medicine, naturopathy and acupuncture

Question 104

What are the principles of social justice?

Answer 104

Social Justice basically means upholding human rights, and it involves advocating for people, valuing diversity and more. There are three main principles of social justice which are equity, diversity and supportive environments.

Question 105

What is equity as a principle of social justice? What is an example of equity?

Answer 105

Basically means promoting fairness and achieving equality. It involves providing equal opportunities to everyone, and providing the resources for those who may not be doing as well to perform better in terms of health. Health promotion equity is about everyone having a good level of health.

An example of this is Medicare enabling everyone to have access to a minimum, equal health system

Question 106

What is diversity as a principle of social justice? What is an example of diversity

Answer 106

Diversity basically means the valuing of people for who they are and ensuring that the health promotion campaigns meet their needs and is developed in an appropriate manner, catering for all the different types of people. For health promotion, it has to take into account the diverse nature of the audience

An example of this is the Close the Gap campaign, in which health services are provided in different ATSI dialects/languages to cater for the different tribe languages.

Question 107

What is ‘supportive environments’ as a principle of social justice? What is an example of it

Answer 107

Supportive environments attempt to uphold basic human rights through the maintenance of healthy development of physical, social and online environments.

An example of this is schools having a strict ‘no bully’ environment

Question 108

What are the benefits of the development of new treatments and technology

Answer 108

Much of this relates to health technologies used in diagnostic procedures, such as ultrasound, keyhole surgery and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In Australia, non-invasive surgery (laparoscopy, for example) is
preferred in many cases to conventional ‘open’ surgical procedures. It generally results in less pain, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery times. These advantages are particularly significant for the elderly, because
they face reduced risks and improved recovery from surgery

Question 109

What % of Aus health expenditure is allocated to treating and curing illnesses?

Answer 109

90%

Question 110

What are some examples of new treatments as a result of new technologies (6)

Answer 110

HPV vaccine

Keyhole surgery

Genetic testing

New HIV drugs and chemotherapy

Artificial organs

Ultrasound, MRI used for imaging etc.

Question 111

What is the lifetime health care incentive?

Answer 111

Introduced from 1 July 2000, this incentive givess lower lifetime premiums to people who join a health insurance fund early in life and maintain their hoosspitala cover, compared ith the premiums for someone who joins aftter age 30

Question 112

What are thee benefits of Medicare? (5)

Answer 112

Allows for basic medical services (doctors and specialists)

Choice of General practitioner

Basic hospital seervices in public hosspitaalas

Specialist health care

Cover for 85% of the scheduled fee for medical services which aren’t bulk billed

Question 113

What aare the benefits of private heaalth insurance?

Answer 113

Hospital cover for (hospital services, doctor of choice, hospital of choice, private or public hospital)

Ancillary services such as dental and optical

Cover wwhile overseas