Health Priorities Flashcards
Why is it important to prioritise health issues?
- To reduce prevalence and incidence.
- Identifying priority sub-groups and then using resources fairly and deciding where to allocate them.
- Important to know what affects sub-groups. E.g. Lung cancer effecting ATSI
- Reduce economic and health burden.
- Determine what treatments or research needs to be put out there. E.g. prioritising issues such as cancer that through early intervention, the impact of which can be reduced.
Enables us to move towards equitable health for all.
What are Health Priority Issues?
Those of greatest concern to governments and support organisations because of effect they have on overall health of Australians and burden of health on economy.
What is Health Status?
Pattern of health of the population in general, community or individual over period of time.
What is epidemiology?
Study of disease among articular populations or groups.
Role of epidemiology?
- Show incidence of morbidity & mortality
- Prevalence of morbidity & mortality
- Extent of the problem (distribution)
- Factors directly linked to morbidity &mortality (apparent causes)
Limitations of epidemiology?
- Impact on quality of life
- Doesn’t depict variations between sub-groups
- Doesn’t tell us why inequities occur
- Cannot provide whole picture e.g. mental illness, why? underlying medical conditions
How do we use epidemiology to improve health of Australians?
- Identify health inequities between sub-pops
- Establish priorities, efficient use of funds
- Develop preventative programs
- Monitor and evaluate programs
Where is data for epidemiology collected?
Health surveys, health-related orgs, register of births & deaths, info from doctors
Who uses epidemiology?
Governments, health-related orgs
Why use these measures of health status? (epidemiology)
To obtain picture of health status of population. Used because this method is able to identify patterns of health & disease and analyse how services are being used.
Measures of health status?
Mortality
Infant Mortality
Life Expectancy
Morbidity
Mortality?
Number of deaths in given population from particular cause/over period of time.
- Can be used to compare health status across groups
Infant Mortality?
Number of infant deaths in first year of life.
- Most important indicator of health status of nation.
- Decline in infant mortality due to technology, immunisations, access to health services/info
Morbidity?
Incidence & Prevalence of disease in given population. that doesn't result in death. Indicators: - health surveys - Hospital admission rates - Info about handicaps - Medicare data
Life Expectancy?
Prediction indicating number of years person is likely to live based on current death rates.
How are priority issues for Australia’s health identified?
- SJP
- Priority Population Groups
- Prevalence of condition
- Costs to individual & community
- Potential for prevention & early intervention
Why is it important to prioritise health issues?
- To allocate resources fairly
- Reduce prevalence/incidence
- determine treatments/early intervention e.g. cancer
- reduce emotional & economic burden
- know what affects subgroups
What role do SJP play in health priorities?
Provide equally to to pop groups through equity, include people of all races, gender etc, give people more control over health, works with health promotion.
Responsibility for HEALTH FACILITIES & SERVICES - commonwealth, state, local
INTER-SECTORAL
Commonwealth: funding to states, forming national health policies/legislation, devises health services for ATSI & Veterans, Medicare, PBS.
State: Delivery of health care services e.g. hospitals, rehab, womens’ clinics, dental. Carries out health promotion.
Local: Environmental control e.g. parks, hygiene. Range of personal, preventative and at-home health services e.g. Meals on Wheels, early childhood centres. Local implement state services e.g. vaccines.
Roles of individuals, communities &governments in addressing health inequities experienced by ATSI
INTER-SECTORAL
Individual: making informed decisions (requires empowerment), improve ATSI peoples’ knowledge/skills, accepting diversity, positive health choices, participating in ATSI community initiatives, volunteering.
Communities: providing health information, advocate for change, awareness strategies, lobbying Govt, education programs for ATSi.
Government: funding ATSI programs, increasing doctors in ATSI communities, health promotion targeting ATSI (e.g. Closing the Gap), increasing access to and providing more culturally-appropriate health services.
Priority Population Groups?
Those that do not achieve the same health outcomes in the area as the rest of the population.
ATSI: Nature & Extent
- 3% of population
- Determinants determine differences
- increase behavioural risks somewhat attributed to by lack of access
- ATSI experience largest gap in health outcomes
- Improved infant & child mortality rates
- Improved avoidable mortality e.g. CVD
- Lower life expectancy (10-17 yrs approx)
- High chronic disease
- Poorer self-reported health
- higher likelihood of being hospitalised
ATSI: Determinants
SOCIOCULTURAL: low community self-esteem, loss of dignity with communities, feeling of little control over physical environment, low morale due to restricted ability o connect with traditional culture, racism (stress factor), domestic violence (unsafe), history of discrimination & inequalities
SOCIOECONOMIC: lower average income, higher unemployment, poor education
ENVIRONMENTAL: poorer living conditions, shared housing, lower access, remote areas, limited safe water in some communities.
RURAL & REMOTE: Nature & Extent
- Approx 29% live in rr
- Higher rates of burden of smoking, suicide, diabetes, coronary heart disease.
- Less likely to seek medical help
- Risk behaviours
- Inequities linked to lack of health services & poorer indicators of health e.g. higher smoking
