FQ1: How are priorities in Australia's health identified?

Question 1

• Critique the use of epidemiology to describe health status by considering questions such as:

Answer 1

What can epidemiology tell us?

• the basic health status of Aus in terms of quantifiable measures of ill health
• Monitor major causes of sickness and death to identify emerging issues and inequalities b/w groups
• Identify areas of need → so then specific prevention strategies can be developed
• Determine priority areas for allocation of govt. Funding
• Monitor the use of health care services and facilities
• Evaluate how effective programs are

Who uses these measures?

• Governments
• ABS

Do they measure everything about health status?
- No has limitations
→ Focuses on negative measurable aspects
→ Doesn’t account for determinants
→ Provides little on the impact of disease
→ manipulated by interpreters + open to bias
e.g. 17-25-year-old males = high risk of injury from motor vehicle accidents

Question 2

• Measures of epidemiology

Answer 2

Mortality: Indicates the no. of deaths for a given cause in a given pop, over a set period of time per 100 000 people
Infant mortality: Indicates the no. of infant deaths in the first year of life per 1000 live births
Morbidity: Examines the prevalence and incidence of disease, illness, injury in a given pop
Life expectancy: Is an estimate of the no. of years a person can expect to live at any particular age (women = 84, men = 80)

Question 3

Identifying priority health issues

Answer 3

Social justice:
- Foundation for identifying priority areas
- Equity (good level of health for all), diversity (differences that exist b/w individuals + people groups), supportive envs (env that increase ability to make health-promoting choices)
- E.g. Greater resources for ATSI, brochures multiple languages, R&R = not in SE
Prevalence of condition:
- More prevalent/ widespread = higher priority
- E.g. CVD (smoking rates have been targeted to reduce CVD) or cancer
Early Intervention and prevention:
- More preventable = higher priority
- E.g. CVD prevented by lifestyle changes such as improving diet and exercise
- Cancer patients have better survival rates if found and treated early
Cost to individual and community:
- Higher cost = higher priority
- E.g. Spinal injury - Higher cost, stop working, renovate the house, negatively affect relationships VS Sprained ankle - = short term, minor costs, recover quickly
- Although sprained ankle has a higher incidence and prevalence rate it does not become a priority
Priority population groups:
- Need the most help
- E.g. ATSI, Rural and Remote

Question 4

Why is it important to prioritise?

Answer 4

• helps ensure fair allocation of resources + funding e.g. R+R
• decrease economic burden = resources aren’t wasted on diseases that don’t have a large cost to indiv + com
• target specific issues = PPEI –> save money + direct resources to prevention - decrease burden + treatment e.g. Type II Diabetes, cancer screenings