Health Priorities Flashcards
Measuring health status
Health status is the pattern of health of the population in general over a period of time.
Epidemiology: The study of disease and illness among particular populations or groups within society
Role - identify incidence of morbidity and mortality (new)
- Identify prevalence of morbidity and mortality (existing)
- The extent and distribution of the problem
- Factors directly linked to morbidity and mortality (causes)
Limitation of epidemiology: doesn’t tell the whole story due to :
- difficult to obtain all information not everyone has reported issues
- does not explain why inequities occur
- does not show the exact extent to which the problem occurs
- Lack of depiction of variation between sub groups so limits results, stats and development of services
- Does not explain quality of life experienced
- assumes possible determinants affecting populations
- data is collected from a range of resources that may not always correlate
- time frames can vary and therefore effect data collection and statistics.
measures:
- mortality: relates to the number of deaths in a given population from a particular cause or over period of time
- morbidity: incidence and prevalence of disease or illness in a given population that doesn’t result in death.
- infant mortality: number of infant deaths in the first five years of life - helps to predict adult life expectancy.
- life expectancy: A prediction indicating the number of years a person is likely to live based on all other factors.
How are priority issues identified
measuring health status
identifying priority health issues
- SJP
- Priority pop groups
- Prevalence of condition
- potential for prevention and early intervention
- cost to the individual and the community
Social justice principles
Diversity – is the differences among individuals and groups of people. It seeks to promote and establish inclusiveness.
Equity – refers to the fair allocation of resources and entitlements without discrimination
Supportive Environments – relates to providing support to communities and groups to help establish inclusiveness and support.
Participation – relates to the empowerment of individuals and communities to be involved in planning and decision making for good health
Access – is the availability of health services, information and education
Rights – equitable opportunities for all individuals to achieve good health
Priority population groups
Groups that experience considerably higher rates of epidemic measures that are targeted in order to increase health status.
- Socioeconomically disadvantaged
- Disabled
- ATSI
- Elderly
- Overseas born people
Causes of death 1-5 for female and male
Male:
- Heart disease
- Lung cancer
- Cerebrovascular disease
- Dementia/Alzheimer
- COPD – diseases of the lungs
Female:
- Heart disease
- Dementia/Alzheimer
- Cerebrovascular disease
- Lung cancer
- COPD – diseases of the lungs
Prevalence of condition
identifies the extent and degree of existing disease and illness through statistics on morbidity and mortality which helps to identify areas of population who cary heavy burdens and are in need of being prioritised. Risk factors can also be identified through prevalence and therefore changes can be made.
potential for prevention and early intervention
The encouragement and promotion of better health for individuals via the implementation of protective behaviours, programs and services. May be influenced by determinants of socioeconomic, sociocultural and environmental.
Cost to individual and community
legitimate cost of money for medical and services but also burden to individual and surrounding people such as family and friend (lowered quality of life)
direct: cost of medical bill, Money spent on diagnosing and treating/equipment.
indirect: time spent away from work or strain put on company. Informed population increases use of health services (lack of staff).
CVD/Cancer
d
Growing and ageing
Healthy ageing: someone getting older and staying healthy which includes:
- Regular physical activity
- Diet
- Family contact
- Social activities
- Resilience
To promote health
Goal: enable the elderly to maintain their health into old age, which allows them to
-contribute to the workforce longer,
-engage in society better,
-increases economic growth for individual and country and -decreases use and burden/demand put on health services.
Government’s goal is to promote healthy ageing by aiming to:
- Prevent chronic disease
- Reduce illness
- Maintain economic contributions
- Maintain participation
- Enhance wellbeing/quality of life
- Decrease disability adjusted life years
Impacts of ageing on health services, workforce and carers/volunteers.
Impact of ageing on health system/services: - Increased demand - Age care increase - Increase in cost - Low workforce - Unsustainable system Impact of ageing on health services workforce: - Increase in workforce - More training Impact of ageing on carers/volunteers: - Informal – decrease paid work - Increases economy with formal carers
Types of health care
Primary: Individuals first point of contact with health services such as GP or Dentist
Secondary: After assessment an individual may be referred to a secondary health services such as a physiotherapist or surgeon
Institutional: You must go and seek advice and medical support - hospital, nursing home
non-institutional: You may choose to go and seek medical advice and support - medical/health services such as GP or dentist and pharmacist.
Health care aims to
- To provide public health services, including hospitals and administration.
- To provide quality health facilities and services to meet the needs of all Australians.
- Organised, financed and delivered by both public and private sources.
- Emphasis placed on diagnosis and treatment of illness by the medical profession.
- Health care in Australia mostly about clinical diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.
- A shift has occurred in the role of health care, from cure to prevention.
Role of government
Commonwealth: - funding to state - control medicare - write health policies - produce health campaigns - help state implement health priorities State/Territory: - develop and implement health policy - Regulate health services in their state Local: - enforcement and improvement of environmental health and hygiene regulations such as food safety, WHS, town planning and waste management - assessment of local needs.
Health systems
Public: Run by government through medicare which is paid for by our taxes
- individual wont pay anything to go to a public hospital but they wont get to choose which one or their doctor.
- could have to go on a waiting list
- may still have to pay what medicare didn’t cover
Private: non- government health system is made up of private hospitals and health insurance companies.
- an individual can access private hospitals, ambulance trips and dentistry but pay for them or have health insurance to help pay for them
- they wont have to wait on a waiting list
- they can choose hospital and doctor
- medicare will pay for a little but the individual will pay everything else
- health insurance may have waiting period
