factors affecting access to health services and information

Question 1

health services

Answer 1

all services associated with the diagnosis and treatment of disease or the promotion of health and wellbeing

Question 2

factors affecting access to
health services

Answer 2

• geographic location
• gender
• ses
• cultural factors
• health literacy

Question 3

geographic location

Answer 3

• people living in rural and remote areas have futher distances to travel to access healthcare
• there are a reduced number of doctors, specialists, facilities and technologies required for diagnosis and treatments
• time taken away from work and family to travel large distances
• stress of travelling to access health services
• this may lead to diseases eg. cancer going undiagnosed for long perios, making them much harder to treat, decreasing h&w

Question 4

socioeconomic status

Answer 4

• income, occupation, education

Question 5

income

Answer 5

• large out of pocket expenses for medications, specialists, surgery and dental care
• 1 in 20 australians skip an appointment due to cost
• many low income familys may not be able to afford private health insurance and may face long waiting times on elective surgeries
• without easy transport they may be unable to access healthcare services
• may not visit the doctor for regular checkups (annual blood tests for high blood pressure and cholesterol)
• may lead to conditions such as hypertension going undiagnosed which may lead to increased risk of a heart attack, lowering physical h&w

Question 6

occupation

Answer 6

• those who work long hours, shift work or travel to work can most likely afford healthcare but dont have the time to access it
• they might not get paid to take time off to attend appointments
• may have a high level of responsibility and may feel they cannot take time off work to seek medical attention
• may not have provisions for sick leave

Question 7

education

Answer 7

• important in accessing and understanding health information (relates to health literacy)

Question 8

health literacy

Answer 8

• the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health deisions
• low levels of health literacy = low levels of preventative health measures such as vaccinations, cancer screenings and medications
• high levels of health literacy allow people greater access to halth services and use health information to make better decisions to promote their health and wellbeing

Question 9

why health literacy is important?

Answer 9

• navigate the health system
• understand nutrition
• seek support
• understand medical instruction
• analyse risks+benefits of treatment
• organise healthcare appointments
• complete paperwork

Question 10

cultural factors

Answer 10

• language barriers
• religious beliefs
• values and expectations of the services provided
• for the indigenous community, the healthcare system is predominatly staffed by non-indigenous practitioners who lack undertanding of indigenous culture and h&w concepts.
• some religious beliefs restrict certain treatments such as jehovahs witness not allows to recieve blood donations
• other religions may prohibit women consulting with male doctors

Question 10

gender

Answer 10

• generally males are less likely to access healthcare
• barriers for males:
  
  • limited opening hours outside of work
  • embarrassed to discuss topics such as emotional and reproductive health with a female health professional
  • discomfort in waiting room
  • social norms and values (masculinity, macho image)