FQ 3 Flashcards

Question

What emerging technologies are there? (List 6)

Answer 1

- Key Hole Surgery - Joint Replacement - Artificial Organs (Kidneys) - Ultrasound, MRI and 3D Imaging - HVP Vaccine (Cervical Cancer) - Medication for Chronic Disease (HIV and Cancer)

Answer 2

In 1984 to address health inequities and improve the overall health status of Australia by providing health care for all Australians.

Answer 3

Medicare subsidises health care so individuals can access hospital care and most primary health expenses. Tax payers contribute 2% of their income to fund Medicare (Medicare levy).

Answer 4

Individuals who invest in private health insurance are not required to pay the Medicare levy and receive government rebates towards their insurance.

Answer 5

1. Cost-effectiveness — preventing illness and injury would result in huge savings in funds and resources used for acute health care. 2. Improvement to quality of life — the positive health outcomes for individuals that result from prevention include improvements in morbidity rates and longevity — that is, a longer and healthier life. 3. Containment of increasing costs — prevention is the best way of containing the continually increasing costs of health care. Otherwise, these costs could result in adequate health care being unaffordable for ordinary Australians. 4. Maintenance of social equity — a policy of prevention helps to provide greater equity (in the health-care system), which otherwise would be under threat as health costs continue to rise significantly. 5. Use of existing structures — eg GPs prevention activities use existing and accessible community structures (such as general practitioners) rather than relying on special services and technological procedures. General practitioners are in a good position to measure risk factors and educate their patients on illness prevention and health promotion. 6. Reinforcement of individual responsibility for health — the use of prevention strategies empowers people to take control of their personal.

Answer 6

Government funded health to provide basic health cover to all Australians. e.g. accessing a GP or utilising public hospitals

Answer 7

Doctor accept medicare rebate (no change or out of pocket fees for individuals)

Answer 8

The medicare Levy is now 2% for all tax payers. The additonal levy surcharge is for those with higher incomes and can range form 0% to 1.5%

Answer 9

Advantages: - Provides access to free treatment as a public patient in public hospital - Subsidised treatment by medical practitioners (e.g. GP) - Increases equity and access to service for people of low SES -Broad range of high quality health care provided including emergency health care -Availability of bulk billing Disadvantages: - Long waiting lists for elective surgery - Additional costs and further strains on hospitals - Additional costs to state government - Patients are still required to pay the gap amount - Limitations to the level of choice available e.g.choice of doctors in a hospital -Limits on ambulance use

Answer 10

Advantages: - Choice of hospital services and doctors - Health cover while overseas - Private rooms in hospital where available - Subsidised ancillary cover e.g. physiotherapy - Shorter waiting lists for surgery - Decreased demand on public health facilities - Peace of mind Disadvantages: - Can be expensive and not affordable for people of low SES - Premiums are the same for all regardless of whether they use it or not on top of being charged the Medicare Levy - Premiums do not cover all expenses, therfore individuals may still need to pay for the gap amount

Answer 11

- World Health Organisation Recognition - Growing recognition from eastern cultures - Holistic Nature approach - Addition to ancillary benefits from private health care providers - Societal changes with multiculturalism - Better qualifications enhancing credibility (e.g. uni degrees for chiropractic services) - Regulated better by national bodies

Answer 12

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to healing practices that do not fall within the area of conventional medicine. It encompasses health areas such as chiropractics, naturopathy, meditation, herbalism and acupuncture. Alternative medicine has existed for many centuries, particularly in Asian countries The World Health Organization supports countries in their development of national policies on alternative medicine to study its potential usefulness. Australians are increasingly buying herbal remedies and consulting alternative health-care practitioners

Answer 13

Greater globalisation and societal trends towards individualism have meant improved access to information worldwide and less acceptance of traditional medical practices * WHO recognition of the usefulness of many alternative approaches and its endorsement of a list of medicinal plants to be used in the preparation of herbal medicines * recognition that alternative medicines are the traditional medicines of the majority of the world’s population * the effectiveness of treatment for many people for whom modern medicine has proved ineffective * the desire of many people to have natural or herbal medicines rather than synthetically produced medicines * the holistic nature of alternative medicine, which is attractive to many people * the strength of traditional beliefs for many cultures * increased migration and increased acceptance by Australians of the value of multicultural influences.