Public Health 1 Flashcards
When considering the patient in context, what factors should you be thinking about?
- Individuals, Families, Communities
- Age, Gender, Culture, Education, Employment
- Origins
- Well-being and health vs disease and illness
What is Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs?
- A 5-tier model of human needs
- People are motivated to achieve certain needs; some needs take precedence over others.
What are the 5 factors that comprise Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs?
- Self-actualization: desire to become the most that one can be
- Esteem: respect, self-esteem, status, recognition, freedom
- Love + belonging: friendship, intimacy, family, sense of connection
- Safety needs: personal security, employment, resources, health, property
- Physiological needs: air, water, food, shelter, sleep, clothing, reproduction
What is ‘epigenetics’ in the context of public health?
- The expression of the genome depends on the environment
- No individual has the same experience as another
- Genetic predisposition - not determination - is the key.
What is the concept of ‘biolography’?
Human organism is related to, and integrated with, its environment.
- Lived experience affects human biology
- Both interact + contribute substantially to health + disease
What is ‘allostasis’? Give an example
“Stability through change”
- Our physiological systems have adapted to react rapidly to environmental stressors.
- Turn on + off efficiently, but not too frequently.
- The body can rise to a challenge.
What is the ‘allostatic load’?
Long term over-taxation of our physiological systems leads to impaired health.
> the pathophysiology of stress
Give examples of I) allostasis and ii) allostatic load with regards to the cardiovascular system.
Cardiovascular System:
i) Allostasis: works to maintain our erect posture + enable physical exertion
ii) Allostatic load: Over-activation leads to HTN, Stroke, MI.
Give examples of i) allostasis and ii) allostatic load with regards to the body’s metabolic systems.
Metabolic Systems:
i) Allostasis: activating + maintaining energy reserves, including energy supply to the brain
ii) Allostatic load: Obesity, Diabetes, Atherosclerosis
Give examples of i) Allostasis and ii) allostatic load with regards to the body’s immune systems.
Immune system:
i) Allostasis: Response to pathogens, Tumour surveillance
ii) Allostatic load: Inflammatory + autoimmune disorders
Give examples of i) Allostasis and ii) Allostatic load with regards to the Central Nervous System.
Central Nervous System:
i) Allostasis: Learning, Memory, Neuroendocrine + autonomic regulation
ii) Allostatic load: Neuronal atrophy, death of nerve cells, impairment of memory + executive function.
What is ‘salutogenesis’?
Favourable physiological changes secondary to health experiences which promote healing + health.
What does primary care do?
- Manage illness + clinical relationships over time
- Shared decision making
- Illness prevention
- Health promotion
- Manage clinical uncertainty
- Aims for best outcomes with available resources
- Delivers care in the community via Primary Health Care Team
Give a definition for ‘Domestic Abuse’.
An incident - or pattern of incidents - of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.
The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to:
- psychological
- physical
- sexual
- financial
- emotional
Give 3 ways in which domestic abuse impacts on health.
- Traumatic injuries following an assault
eg. fractures, miscarriages, facial injuries, puncture wounds, haemorrhages - Somatic problems or chronic illness consequent of living with abuse
eg. Chronic pain, low birthweight, premature delivery - Psychological / psychosocial problems secondary to abuse
eg. PTSD, attempted suicide, substance misuse, depression, anxiety, eating disorders
What are the ‘best’ indicators in identifying domestic abuse when taking a history in A+E?
- Reported as ‘unwitnessed by anyone else’
- Repeat attendance
- Delay in seeking help
- Multiple, minor injuries not requiring treatment
- Always consider domestic abuse as a cause.
How might domestic abuse affect a child?
- Affects physical + psychological health + well being
- Long term impact on self esteem, education, relationships, stress responses
What is the link between child abuse + domestic abuse?
Domestic abuse often starts / escalates during pregnancy.
* Always consider safeguarding responsibilities.
What is your role in the management of domestic abuse?
- Display helpline posters
- Focus on patient’s safety (+ child’s safety, if applicable)
- Work with other agencies + professionals
What should you not do if someone discloses domestic abuse to you?
- Assume someone else will take care of things
- Ask about domestic abuse in front of family members (including kids!!!!!)
- Tell them what to do -> aim to empower them to make safe + informed choices.
If a patient is considered to be at ‘standard’ risk with regards to Domestic Abuse, what does this mean?
Current evidence does not indicate likelihood of serious harm being caused.
If a patient is considered to be at ‘medium’ risk with regards to Domestic Abuse, what does this mean?
- There are identifiable indicators of risk of serious harm
- offender has the potential to cause serious harm, but unlikely unless change in circumstances.
If a patient is considered to be at ‘high’ risk with regards to Domestic Abuse, what does this mean?
- There are identifiable (risk factors) indicators of imminent risk of serious harm
- Dynamic: harm could happen at any time + the impact would be serious.
Which risk assessment is used for Domestic Abuse?
DASH Tool:
Domestic Abuse, Stalking, Harassment + ‘Honour’ based violence
What is the risk assessment for domestic abuse designed to do?
- Questionnaire used to identify + assess risk of DASH
- Such that measures can be put in place to protect the patient + any children who might be at risk.
If a person is considered to be ‘standard’ or ‘medium’ risk with regards to Domestic Abuse, what should you do?
- Give contact details for domestic abuse services
- National Helpline is 24hrs
- Sheffield Helpline: Mon-Fri 9-5
If a patient is considered to be ‘high risk’ of domestic abuse, what action should you take?
- Refer to MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) -> wherever possible, with consent
- Refer to IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advisors)
True or False: for high risk cases, you can break confidentiality (to take to MARAC) if you cannot gain consent.
True.
What is ‘MARAC’ and what does it do?
Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference
- links up-to-date information about victims’ needs + risks directly to the provision of appropriate services for all those involved
- incl. victim, child(ren), perpetrator
What is ‘IDVA’ and what do they do?
Independent Domestic Violence Advisors:
Aim to increase patient’s safety by providing:
- advocacy + advice around domestic abuse
- safety planning
- support through court proceedings
- sign posting to specialist services
What specialist services might an IDVA sign post victims of domestic abuse to?
- Housing services
- Legal services
- Refuge provision + home safety services
- a voice in the MARAC
When would a Domestic Homicide Review be undertaken?
A review of the circumstances in which the death of a person aged 16 or over has, or appears to have, resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by:
a) a person to whom s/he was related or with whom s/he was or had been in an intimate personal relationship OR;
b) a member of the same household as himself
Held with a view to identifying lessons to be learned from the death.
Explain the ‘population perspective’.
Think in terms of groups, rather than individuals.
- Gather information: data studies + surveys
- Relates to demographics, sociology, epidemiology
When considering the ‘population perspective’, what should we be addressing?
- Diagnosis + treatment
- Causes of ill health
- Policies + strategic plans
- Commission (Buy) services
List 4 determinants of health
- Genes
- Environment
- physical environment
- social + economic environment - Lifestyle
- Healthcare
What are the key concerns of Public Health?
- Wider determinants of health
- 1, 2 + 3 prevention
Inequalities in health
What is ‘equity’?
What is fair and just
What is ‘equality’?
Concerned with equal shares
What are the two types of equity?
Horizontal equity: equal treatment for equal need
Vertical equity: unequal treatment for unequal need.
Define Horizontal Equity. Give an example of horizontal equity in practice.
Equal treatment for equal need.
eg. Individuals with pneumonia (with all other things equal) should be treated equally.
Define Vertical Equity. Give an example of vertical equity in practice.
Unequal treatment for unequal need.
eg. individuals with the common cold vs pneumonia need unequal treatment.
eg. Areas with poorer health may need higher expenditure on health services
What are the different forms of health equity?
- Equal expenditure for equal need
- Equal access for equal need
- Equal utilisation for equal need
- Equal healthcare outcome for equal need
- Equal health
What are the 2 dimensions of health equity?
- Spatial -> geographical
2. Social -> age, gender, class, ethnicity
What factors should you consider when examining health equity?
- Supply of healthcare
- Access to healthcare
- Utilisation of healthcare
- Healthcare outcomes
- Health status
- Resource allocation - health services, housing services
- Wider determinants of health.
List some examples of the wider determinants of health.
- Diet
- Smoking
- Healthcare seeking behaviour
- Socioeconomic + physical environment
How would you assess health equity?
- Assess inequality, then decide if inequitable.
> inequalities need to be explained BUT
> equality (eg. equal utilisation) may not be equitable.
What are the 3 domains of Public Health practice?
- Health improvement
- Health protection
- Health care (improving services)
What comprises ‘Health Improvement’?
Societal interventions aimed at preventing disease, promoting health + reducing inequalities.
- inequalities
- housing
- lifestyle
- education
- employment
- family / community
What is ‘Health Protection’ concerned with? What does it comprise?
Concerned with measures to control infectious disease risks + environmental hazards
- infectious diseases
- radiation
- Environmental health hazards
- Chemicals + poisons
- Emergency response
What is ‘Health Care’ or ‘Improving Services’ (as applied to public health) concern? What does it comprise?
Concerned with the organisation, and delivery of safe, high quality services for prevention, treatment + care
- clinical effectiveness
- audit + evaluation
- clinical governance
- efficiency
- service planning
- equity
At what levels might public health be delivered?
- Individual level
- Community level
- Ecological (population) level
What is meant by ‘health psychology’ as applied to public health?
Emphasises the role of psychological factors in the cause, progression + consequences of health + illness.
> promote healthy behaviours + prevent illness
What are the 3 health behaviours?
- Health behaviour
- Illness behaviour
- Sick role behaviour
What is meant by ‘Health behaviour’?
A behaviour aimed at preventing disease eg. eating healthily
What is meant by ‘Illness behaviour’?
A behaviour aimed at seeking a remedy. eg. going to a doctor.
What is meant by ‘Sick role behaviour’?
Any activity aimed at getting well eg. taking prescribed medications, resting
Give some examples of health damaging / impairing behaviours.
- Smoking
- Alcohol + substance abuse
- Sun exposure
- Risky sexual behaviour
- Driving without a seat belt
Give some examples of health promoting behaviours.
- Exercising
- Healthy eating
- Medicines compliance
- Vaccinations
- Attending health checks
Give an example of a disease that can be attributed to lifestyle.
OBESITY.
Costs the NHS lots of dollar :(
What percentage of patients with chronic illnesses are non-compliant with their medications?
50%:
50% of Patients with Diabetes, Hypertension + High cholesterol are non-compliant with their medication regimens.
Why is health behaviour an issue in the general population?
- Health impairing behaviours + mortality are related
- Quality of life
- Working days lost to sickness
- Morbidity is an issue -> Diabetes, CHD etc.
What is the aim of a population-level health promotion intervention? What does it comprise?
Health promotion at a population level:
- the process of enabling people to exert control over the determinants of health, thereby improving public health.
What is the aim of an individual-level health promotion intervention? What does it comprise?
- Patient-centred approach
- Care responsive to individual needs
Give some examples of Health promotion / Awareness campaigns.
- Change 4 life
- 5 a day
- Stoptober
- Movember
Give some examples of Health promotion campaigns which promotes screening + immunisations.
- Cervical smear screening
- MMR vaccine
How would a primary care intervention to reduce alcohol consumption affect an individual’s behaviour?
- decrease level of alcohol consumption
- improve individual health outcomes
- decrease incidence of domestic violence
How would a primary care intervention to reduce alcohol consumption affect the local community?
- Decreased local alcohol sales
- Decreased alcohol-related crime
- Fewer A+E events
How would a primary care intervention to reduce alcohol consumption affect the population level of alcohol usage?
- National alcohol + sales consumption
- National statistics on alcohol-related crime / A+E events
- Demographic patters of liver cirrhosis.
Why do we engage in damaging health behaviours?
- Unrealistic optimism
- Health beliefs
- Situational rationality
- Cultural variability
- Socioeconomic factors
- Stress
- Age
Explain the concept of ‘unrealistic optimism’ as applied to Health behaviours.
Individuals continue to practice health damaging behaviour due to inaccurate perceptions of risk + susceptibility.
The concept of ‘unrealistic optimism’ suggests that perception of risk can be influenced by several factors. List 4 factors.
- Lack of personal experience with the problem
- Belief that it’s preventable by personal action
- Belief that if it’s not happened by now, it’s not likely to.
- Belief that the problem is infrequent.
NICE has provided guidance on behaviour change. What factors are involved in this guidance?
- Plan interventions
- Assess social context
- Education + training
- Individual level interventions
- Community level interventions
- Population interventions
- Evaluating effectiveness
- Assessing cost-effectiveness