How Are Priority Issues For Australia’s Health Identified?

Question 1

What is Epidemiology?

Answer 1

Epidemiology is the study of how often different diseases occur within different groups of people

Question 2

What does epidemiology aim to achieve?

Answer 2

Epidemiology aims to identify risk factors for disease and form evidence based policy decisions that target preventive healthcare.

Question 3

*What does epidemiology tell us?

Answer 3

Epidemiology gathers data, this data is used to provide trends in disease incidence and prevalence along with information about ethnic, socioeconomic, and gender groups.

Question 4

What are the measures of epidemiology?

Answer 4

mortality, infant mortality, morbidity and life expectancy

Question 5

Identify meaning of mortality

Answer 5

Mortality = death rate

Question 6

define morbidity

Answer 6

Morbidity = general lesser health, disease, chronic illness etc

Question 7

What causes morbidity?

Answer 7

Smoking, Alcohol consumption, environment, genetics, drug abuse, obesity, sedentary lifestyle

Question 8

• Who uses the measures of epidemiology?

Answer 8

Researchers, health department officials, the government, and health or medical practitioners use epidemiology.

Question 9

• Does epidemiology research tell us everything about health status?

Answer 9

No, many limitations data can be manipulated and are very open to bias. Data tends to be focuses on negative aspects of health and less such as wellbeing and quality of life.

Question 10

What is social justice and the principals?

Answer 10

Social justice aims to promote inclusiveness, promote diversity and supportive environments.

• equity
• diversity
• supportive environments

Question 11

What forms priority population groups?

Answer 11

There are particular priority population groups that are achieving much poorer health outcomes compared to the rest of Australia.
- May include ATSI people, elderly, rural communities.

Question 12

What is the prevalence if a condition?

Answer 12

Prevalence is the total number of individuals in a population who have a disease or health condition at a specific period of time, usually expressed as a percentage of the population.

Question 13

What’s potential for prevention and early intervention?

Answer 13

Prevention is more likely to reduce incidence and burden impact of disease than health promotions will. E.g. type 2 diabetes, obesity

Early intervention is diseases that have higher rates of successful treatment when identified and treated early. E.g. cancer

Question 14

What are the two types of costs?

Answer 14

Indirect/ Low cost: productivity loss, loss of employment

Direct/ High cost: Costs directed from disease/ illness E.g. hospital bills, sick leave now costing boss sick leave etc

Question 15

What are the measures of costs to the community and individual?

Answer 15

Financial loss
Productivity loss
Substandard quality of life
Emotional strain

Question 16

• Why is it important to priorities?

Answer 16

Ensures fair allocation of resources, targeting issues that can be prevented or where early intervention has a large impact on the cost of the disease for both individuals and the community.