cq1; how are priority issues for australia’s health identified?

Question 1

What is epidemiology?

Answer 1

Epidemiology is the study of the pattern of diseases in a population, including the apparent causes of disease

Question 2

What are the terms in which epidemiology considers the patterns of diseases?

Answer 2

• Prevalence
• Incidence
• Distribution (the extent)
• Determinants and indicators (apparent causes)

Question 3

What is prevalence?

Answer 3

The number of cases of a disease that exists in a defined populations at a point in time

Question 4

What is incidence?

Answer 4

The number of new cases of a disease occurring in a defined population over a period of time

Question 5

What is the role of epidemiology?

Answer 5

The role of epidemiology is to identify specific factors relating to health such as;
- number of cases of a disease/injury
- groups most affected
- rates of disease/injury
- trends (increasing / decreasing)

Question 6

What does epidemiology tell us?

Answer 6

Determine and indicate the seriousness and extent of a health issue
Identify whether the health issue;
- has a common determinant
- is modifiable
- should be prioritised relative to other health issues

Question 7

Who uses epidemiology?

Answer 7

• Australian department of health (govt. and govt. bodies)
• World Health Organisation (WHO) (international groups)
• Researchers (medicine, science, health, pharmaceutical fields)

Question 8

What are the measures of epidemiology?

Answer 8

• Mortality Rate
• Morbidity Rate
• Life Expectancy
• Infant Mortality Rate

Question 9

What is mortality rate?

Answer 9

The measure of the number of deaths from a specific cause in a given period of time
- deaths per 100,000 people of the population

Question 10

What is the morbidity rate?

Answer 10

The rate for prevalence and incidence of disease, illness, injury, hospital admissions, doctor visits and disability

Question 11

What is life expectancy?

Answer 11

The average number of years a person of a given age and gender can expect to live

Question 12

What is infant mortality rate?

Answer 12

The measure of the annual number of deaths of children under 1 year of age per 1000 live births

Question 13

What is the most important indicator of a nations health status?

Answer 13

Infant Mortality

Question 14

What is social justice?

Answer 14

A set of values that recognises the impact of discrimination, past disadvantage, structural barriers to equality, as well as other social factors.

Question 15

What are the social justice principles?

Answer 15

• Supportive Environments
• Equity
• Diversity
• Participation
• Access

Question 16

What are supportive environments as a social justice principle?

Answer 16

Supportive environments are physical, social, and economic conditions that enable and encourage individuals and communities to make healthy choices and improve their overall health and well-being

Question 17

What is equity as a social justice principle?

Answer 17

Balanced distribution of resources to all groups relative to their need for it

Question 18

What is diversity and participation as a social justice principle?

Answer 18

Involvement of the community (participation) in making decisions about health, considering the community’s culture, values and beliefs (diversity), and how they construct a healthy environment.

Question 19

What are limitations of epidemiology?

Answer 19

Epidemiology does not account for;
- Quality of life
- Emotional factors
- Subjective biases
Therefore, the impact on disease is not well known or forecasted

Question 20

Why is it important to identify priority health issues?

Answer 20

Allows the government to provide sufficient funding for developing and implementing treatment and prevention strategies

Question 21

What are priority population groups?

Answer 21

Groups that experience the highest levels or are at greater risk of a particular disease, illness or injury.

Question 22

What are the priority population groups?

Answer 22

• ATSI
• Low SES
• People born overseas
• Elderly
• People with disabilities

Question 23

Why is prevalence of a condition important for identifying priority health issues?

Answer 23

Prevalence assists in the identification of risk factors, potentially changing health issues

Question 24

How can you prevent health issues?

Answer 24

Through educating people and making them aware of the risk factors of a particular disease

Question 25

What are factors that can decrease an individuals autonomy in implementing prevention and early intervention?

Answer 25

• Sociocultural
• Physical
• Environmental
• Economic

Question 26

What are the types of costs for a health issue?

Answer 26

• Direct or Indirect
• Community or Individual

Question 27

What are the direct and indirect costs to the individual?

Answer 27

Direct;
- Medication
- Treatment cost
- Loss of income

Indirect
- Emotional stress
- Depression
- Burden on others
- Reduced QOL

Question 28

What are the direct and indirect costs to the community?

Answer 28

Direct;
- Cost of hospitalisation
- Medicare
- Prevention programs
- Pharmaceuticals
- Education
- Screening

Indirect
- Cost of foregone earnings
- Retraining replacement workers
- Absenteeism

Question 29

How do we identify the priority issues for Australia’s health?

Answer 29

The criteria includes;
- Degree of Social Justice principles
- Priority population groups involved
- How prevalent the condition is
- Potential for prevention and early intervention
- Amount of costs to the community

Question 30

What role does social justice play?

Answer 30

• Eliminating inequity in treatment and care
• Encourage equitable health initiatives, providing additional support to groups in need.

Question 31

Why is it important to prioritise?

Answer 31

• Enables fair allocation of resources (equity)
• Ensures optimal efficiency and effectiveness of limited money and resources
• By prioritising properly using the criteria we enable more equal health outcomes to be reached