Overview of Healthcare Provision

Question 1

What is the WHO’s definition of health?

Answer 1

• A state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing.
• Not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
• A positive concept emphasising social, personal and physical capacities.

Question 2

What is the WHO’s definition of health systems?

Answer 2

All organisations, people and actions whose primary intent is to promote, restore and maintain health.

Question 3

List 5 key objectives of health systems.

Answer 3

1 - To improve health status of individuals and communities.

2 - To defend against health threats.

3 - To protect against the financial consequences of ill-health.

4 - To provide equitable access to people-centred care.

5 - To assist people to participate in decisions affecting their health.

Question 4

Define public health.

Answer 4

The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts of society.

Question 5

What are the 3 components of public health?

Answer 5

1 - Improving the health of populations.

2 - Protecting the health of populations.

3 - Improving the health service received by populations.

Question 6

List 2 ways by which public health IMPROVES the health of populations.

Answer 6

By addressing wider determinants such as:

1 - Lifestyles.

2 - Inequalities.

Question 7

List two ways by which public health PROTECTS the health of populations.

Answer 7

1 - By controlling infectious diseases.

2 - By removing environmental hazards.

Question 8

List 3 ways by which public health improves health services.

Answer 8

1 - By improving equity of healthcare.

2 - By improving service planning.

3 - By monitoring clinical effectiveness.

Question 9

Describe a generic model for implementing public health.

Answer 9

1 - Population health needs identified.

2 - Healthcare delivered and evaluated at a population level.

3 - Focus on equity.

4 - Assign doctors to advocate for communities.

Question 10

Describe the 3 types of prevention.

Answer 10

1 - Primary prevention includes promoting and maintaining good health before the onset of disease by reducing risk factors.

2 - Secondary prevention includes early detection and treatment of ill health.

3 - Tertiary prevention includes managing established conditions.

Question 11

What is the primary form of secondary prevention?

Answer 11

Screening.

Question 12

List 3 objectives of tertiary prevention.

Answer 12

1 - Limiting the progression of the disease.

2 - Rehabilitation.

3 - Minimising disability.

Question 13

List 2 objectives of end-of-life care.

Answer 13

1 - Controlling symptoms.

2 - Providing patients with choice / control.

Question 14

List 3 way by which healthcare is compartmentalised.

Answer 14

1 - Health care vs social care.

2 - Physical services vs mental services.

3 - By physiological systems.

Question 15

What is an integrated care model of care?

Answer 15

Where health and social care are delivered from a patient’s perspective by combining care across:

• Health and social care.
• Primary, secondary and tertiary care.
• Population approaches and individual approaches.

Question 16

List 4 advantages of integrated care.

Answer 16

1 - Ensures patients with a range of long-term health and social care needs don’t have to have multiple appointments.

2 - Improves communication that may otherwise be poor between services.

3 - Removes the difficulty of navigating through a complex interconnected system.

4 - Improves access to wider ranges of services.

Question 17

When was power over healthcare provision devolved to the four UK nations?

Answer 17

1999.

Question 18

List 2 characteristic features of Scotland’s healthcare system.

Answer 18

1 - It uses an integrated model of care.

2 - It has a strong emphasis on performance management.

Question 19

List 2 characteristic features of the healthcare systems of Wales and Northern Ireland.

Answer 19

1 - They use trust & altruism models of care.

2 - They have less emphasis on performance management.

Question 20

List 2 characteristic features of England’s healthcare system.

Answer 20

1 - Patients are able to choose where they receive their secondary care.

2 - There is provider competition (as a result of above).

Question 21

What is the purchaser / provider split?

Answer 21

The separation of providers of care (the hospitals) and the purchasers of care (the GP practices), creating an internal market.

Question 22

What is the main aim of the purchaser / provider split?

Answer 22

To create competition between providers.

Question 23

Which of the 4 UK nations use the purchaser / provider split?

Answer 23

England and Northern Ireland.

Question 24

Which of the four UK nations integrate both health and social services in their healthcare system?

Answer 24

Scotland and Northern Ireland, however England and Wales are also beginning to do so.

Question 25

Which of the four UK nations offer free social care for people aged over 65?

Answer 25

Scotland only.

Question 26

Which of the four UK nations offer free prescriptions?

Answer 26

All but England.

Question 27

Which of the four UK nations allow private healthcare services to compete with public healthcare services by encouraging public purchasers to contract with private providers?

Answer 27

England only.

Question 28

List 2 arguments for allowing private healthcare services to compete with public healthcare services.

Answer 28

1 - Developing patient choice.

2 - To increase provider competition.