Public Health Flashcards
Give the 4 domains of public health.
- Health protection.
- Improving services.
- Health improvement.
- The wider determinants of health - looking at the bigger picture.
Name 5 ethical theories.
- Virtue.
- Categorical.
- Imperative.
- Utilitarianism.
- 4 principles.
Sociology of health medicine: name 5 determinants of illness.
- Social class.
- Unemployment.
- Racism/discrimination.
- Material deprivation/poverty.
- Gender.
When can confidentiality be broken?
- When it is required by law.
- If the patient has given consent.
- Public interest - research, education, serious crime or disease.
What life style factors promote mortality?
- Smoking.
- Obesity.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Bad diet.
- Excessive drinking.
Describe the Health Belief Model (Becker 1974) of behavioural change.
The individual needs to believe that there are consequences and that they are susceptible to disease. They need to believe that taking action reduces the risks and that the benefits outweigh any costs.
Describe the Transtheoretical model of behavioural change.
- Pre-contemplation (no intention of giving up smoking).
- Contemplation (consider quitting).
- Preparation (get ready to quit in near future).
- Action (engaged in giving up).
- Maintenance (steady non-smoker).
- Relapse?
Define ethics.
A system of moral principles and a branch of philosophy that defines what is good for individuals and society.
What is the Gini coefficient?
A statistical representation of a nation’s income distributed among it’s residents. It is the most commonly used measure of equality.
Responses to health inequalities: what are the main principles of the Acheson Report (1998)?
- Reduce income inequality.
- Give high priority to the health of families with children.
Responses to health inequalities: what are the main principles of Proportionate Universalism?
- Focusing only on the disadvantaged will not reduce inequalities.
- Action needs to be universal.
- A fair distribution of wealth is needed.
Define morality.
Concern with the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong.
What are Utilitarian ethics?
- An act is evaluated solely in terms of its consequences.
- Maximise good and minimise harm.
What are the challenges/criticisms of Utilitarian ethics?
- Treats minorities unfairly to promote happiness of a majority.
- Is it okay to carry out ethically questionable research to maximise the welfare of society?
- What is good/better?
What are the main principles of Virtue ethics?
- Focuses on the person who is acting; are they expressing good character?
- Integrates reason and emotion.
- Virtues are acquired.
- An action is virtuous only if the person is acting with the genuine intention of doing the right thing.
What are the challenges/criticisms of Virtue ethics?
- Virtues are culture-specific.
- Too broad for practical application.
- Kindness and compassion could lead to not telling the harmful truth - lying.
- It is not always clear how to resolve a dilemma with virtue ethics.
What are the 4 principles of ethics?
- Autonomy (respect the patient’s decision).
- Benevolence (provide benefits to the patient).
- Non-maleficence (do no harm).
- Justice (ensure fairness in the distribution of treatment).
What does the GMC say are the 5 main ‘duties of a doctor’?
- Protect and promote health.
- Provide a good standard of care.
- Recognise and work within the limits of your competence.
- Work with colleagues in a way to best serve your patients.
- Treat patients as individuals and respect their dignity.
Name 4 ways to assess functional limitations among older people?
- The Katz ADL scale.
- IADL.
- The Barthel ADL index.
- MMSE.
What activities of daily life does the ‘Katz ADL Scale’ include?
Bathing, dressing, toilet use, eating, urine and bowel continence, transferring in/out of bed.
What activities of daily life does the ‘IADL Scale’ include?
Use of the telephone, travelling by car or public transport, food/clothes shopping, cooking, housework, medication use, money management.
What activities of daily life does the ‘Barthel ADL index’ include?
Feeding, grooming, bathing, dressing, walking on a level surface, going up and down stairs, moving from wheelchair to bed, continence, transferring to and from a toilet.
What does the MMSE test?
- Orientation, immediate memory.
- Short-term memory.
- Language functioning.
Define acute illness.
A disease of short duration that starts quickly and has severe symptoms. It often can be cured.
Define chronic illness.
A persistent/recurring condition which may or may not be severe. It starts gradually and can be treated but not cured.
Define polypharmacy.
The use of multiple medications (usually >4). Polypharmacy tends to be more common in elderly people.
List 5 challenges of an ageing population.
- Strains on pension and social security systems.
- Increasing demand for health care.
- Bigger need for trained health professionals.
- Increasing demand for long term care.
- Pervasive ageism (denying older people rights and opportunities).
What can cause an ageing population?
- Improvements in sanitation, housing, nutrition and medical interventions.
- Rising life expectancy.
- Falls in fertility - people are having fewer children and having them later.
- Decline in premature mortality.
What is intrinsic ageing?
A natural, universal, inevitable process.
What is extrinsic ageing?
Ageing dependent on external factors e.g. UV exposure, smoking etc.
What physical changes happen to the body later in life?
- Loss of skin elasticity and hair colour.
- Decrease in size and weight.
- Loss of joint flexibility.
- Increased risk of illness.
- Decline in learning ability and less efficient memory.
Why do women generally live longer than men?
- 20% biological - premenopausal women are protected from heart disease by hormones.
- 80% environmental - men take more lifestyle risks than women.
Give 3 consequences of people living longer.
- Pensions will have higher pay outs than currently planned.
- Chronic and comorbid conditions will prevail.
- Rising inequalities as more affluent groups will use health services for longer.
List 4 types of dementia.
- Alzheimer’s disease (62%)
- Vascular dementia (17%)
- Mixed alzheimer’s and vascular (10%)
- Lewy bodies (6%)
What is medicalisation of death?
Death is seen as a failure. There is a curative endeavour to prolong life at any cost. Death as a natural part of life is challenged.
What is meant by institutionalising death?
60% of people die in hospital but 70% want to die at home.
Glaser and Strauss (1965): What 4 awareness contexts did they identify?
- Closed awareness.
- Suspicion awareness.
- Mutual pretence.
- Open awareness.
What is closed awareness?
When the patient is unaware of their own impending death but others (staff and family) are aware.
What is suspicion awareness?
The patient suspects that they are dying and tries to seek confirmation of this.
What is mutual pretence?
Everyone knows the patient will die, including the patient, but it is not discussed.
What is open awareness?
Everyone knows the patient is likely to die and talks openly about it.
Describe ‘death the hospice way’.
- Open awareness, compassion, honesty.
- Emotion and relationships.
- Holistic care.
- Multi-disciplinary teams.
Describe the chain of infection.
- Susceptible host.
- Causative micro-organism.
- Reservoir (patients, visitors etc).
- Portal of entry/exit.
- Transmission.
How can an infection be transmitted?
- Exogenous spread - direct contact (STI’s), airborne (TB), vector spread (malaria).
- Endogenous spread - self spread.
Give three types of handwashing.
- Routine handwash.
- Hygienic hand antisepsis.
- Surgical handscrub.
Describe the physiological effects of nicotine?
- Activation of nicotinic Ach receptors in the brain. This causes dopamine release.
- Dopamine is a stimulant. Tolerance increases and cessation will result in withdrawal.
List some health problems connected to smoking.
Cardiovascular problems (stroke, MI), cancers, COPD, stomach ulcers, diabetes, oral health problems etc.
What methods can be used in smoking cessation?
- Nicotine replacement therapy - patches, gums, nasal spray etc.
- Non-nicotine pharmacotherapy - Varenicline, Bupropion.
- Transtheoretical model.
What are the 3A’s?
- Ask - ask the patient about smoking.
- Advice - advice on smoking cessation methods.
- Assist - refer to local NHS stop smoking services.
What are the 8 millenium development goals?
- Eradicate poverty and hunger.
- Universal primary education.
- Promote gender equality.
- Reduce child mortality.
- Improve maternal health.
- Combat HIV, malaria and other diseases.
- Ensure environmental sustainability.
- Develop a global partnership for development.
What are the three leading causes of death in children in the developing world?
- Diarrhoea.
- Pneumonia.
- Malaria.
Give some examples of migrants.
Asylum seekers, refugees, trafficked people, migrant workers, international students etc.
Where might asylum seekers have originated from?
Pakistan, Iran, Syria etc
Where might migrant workers have originated from?
Poland, Romania, Spain etc
What is the significance of Lampedusa?
Lampedusa is an Italian island that is a primary transit point for immigrants from Africa. It is the closest EU territory to the shores of Libya. It is a deadly migrant route.
What are the 4 main NHS goals in regards to migrant health?
- Equality of access.
- Reducing the gap in health inequalities.
- To provide services for the vulnerable.
- Ensuring services are appropriate and accessible.
Define sustainability.
Meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet the needs of tomorrow.
What are possible consequences of climate change?
Heatwaves, sea levels rise, new diseases, scarcity of resources resulting in migration/war.
What is the Bradford Hill criteria?
A group of minimal conditions necessary to provide adequate evidence of a causal relationship.
What could be done help to slow down the effects of climate change?
- Control world population.
- Reduce energy consumption.
- Invest in renewable energy resources.
Define screening.
A process of identifying seemingly healthy individuals who may be at increased risk of a disease.
What is the main purpose of screening?
Prevention!
Define primary prevention.
Preventing a disease/condition from occurring in the first place. Eliminate exposures/risk factors that contribute to the disease.
Define secondary prevention.
Detecting a disease as soon as possible in order to alter its course and to improve health outcomes.
Define tertiary prevention.
Trying to slow down the progression of a disease and helping people to manage their illness effectively.
Define sensitivity.
The proportion of people with the disease who are correctly identified (a/a+c).
Define specificity.
The proportion of people without the disease who are correctly excluded by the screening test (d/b+d). How well a test detects those without a disease.
Define positive predictive value (PPV).
The proportion of people with a positive test result who actually have the disease (a/a+b).
Define negative predictive value (NPV).
The proportion of people with a negative test result who do not have the disease (d/c+d).
Define prevalence.
The proportion of a population found to have the disease at a point in time.
Define incidence.
The rate at which new cases occur in a population in a certain time period.
What is the Wilson and Jungner criteria used for?
To determine whether a condition should be screened for.
What are the 10 Wilson and Jungner criteria for screening?
- The condition should be a serious health problem.
- The natural history of the condition should be understood.
- There should be a detectable early stage.
- There should be a treatment available.
- Facilities for diagnosis and treatment need to be available.
- There should be a suitable test.
- The test should be acceptable to the population.
- There should be an agreed policy on whom to treat.
- The cost should be balanced against the benefits.
- It should be a continuous process, not just a one off.
Describe selection bias in regards to screening.
The people who choose to participate in screening programmes may be different from those who don’t; proper randomisation is not achieved.
Define length-time bias.
Diseases with a longer period of presentation are more likely to be detected by screening than ones with a shorter time of presentation.
Define lead-time bias.
Screening identifies diseases earlier and therefore gives the impression that survival is prolonged but survival time is actually unchanged.
Define error.
Any preventable event that can cause or lead to patient harm.
What are the 3 types of human error?
- Errors of omission.
- Errors of commission.
- Errors of negligence.
What are errors of omission?
When required action is delayed or not taken.
What are errors of commission?
When the wrong action is taken.
What are errors of negligence?
When actions or omissions do not meet the standard of an ordinary, skilled person professing.
What are the 2 outcomes that medical error can lead to?
- Adverse event.
- Near miss.
Define adverse event.
An incident that results in harm to the patient.
Define near miss.
An event which has the potential to cause harm but doesn’t develop further, thereby avoiding any harm.
What are violations?
Deliberate deviations from practices, procedures and standards or rules.
Name the 3 types of violation.
- Routine - cutting corners.
- Necessary - to get the job done; unavoidable.
- Optimising - personal gain, selfish.
Describe skill based errors.
When performing a routine, well learnt task you may give little attention. If distracted or interrupted this can result in slips of action or memory lapses.
Describe rule/knowledge based errors.
- When an incorrect plan or course of action is taken. This can happen in an emergency situation or can be due to a lack of experience.
- Mistakes are more likely when tasks are complex. This can be due to inexperience, insufficient information, little support/advice from colleagues etc.
Name 5 factors that can affect performance.
- Fatigue.
- Illness.
- Drugs or alcohol.
- Stress.
- Distraction.
What are the two main approaches to managing errors?
- Person approach (individual).
- System approach (organisation).
Managing errors: describe the person approach.
Errors are the product of wayward mental processes e.g. inattention, distraction, negligence. It focuses on the unsafe acts of people on the front-line (nurses, doctors).
Managing errors: describe the system approach.
Adverse events are the product of many causal factors, the whole system is to blame (swiss cheese theory).
Briefly describe the Swiss cheese theory of errors.
The idea that the interaction between active failures and latent conditions leads to accidents. There are successive layers of defences and safeguards but the ‘holes’ can still line up and people can slip through the system.
Name 5 information processing limitations.
- Automaticity.
- Cognitive bias.
- Cognitive interference.
- Selective attention.
- Transferring expectations.
What is positive transfer of expectations?
When someone applies a previous experience to a new, similar situation.
What is negative transfer of expectations?
When a previous experience conflicts with the current situation.
Name 5 qualities of an effective team.
- Optimal size.
- A common purpose/goal.
- Good dynamic.
- An identified leader.
- Shared knowledge and experiences.
What are the benefits of working in an effective team?
- Improved service delivery.
- Improved decision making.
- Reduces error.
Describe 4 obstacles of working in a team.
- Organisation - different offices/shifts/rotation posts.
- Location - ward based/home visits/based elsewhere.
- Management - different employers/sub-teams.
- Team members may have other commitments - hard to contact people.
Give 3 examples of NHS systems that promote teamwork.
- Shared case notes.
- Multi-disciplinary team meetings.
- Team offices.
Give 2 examples of checklists used in the NHS.
- SBAR checklist - for reporting a case.
- Surgical safety checklist.
What is the SBAR checklist?
It is used for reporting a case.
S - situation.
B - background.
A - assessment.
R - recommendation.
What is the WHO definition of health?
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
What is the WHO definition of mental health.
Mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own
abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.
Give some examples of common mental health problems (CMHP’s).
Depression, anxiety, phobias, social anxiety disorder, OCD, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Approximately how many people worldwide have depression at any one time?
350 million.
Approximately how many people worldwide have a severe mental illness e.g. schizophrenia?
24 million.
What are the dangers/consequences of CMHP’s?
- They have a negative impact on quality of life; effecting employment, ADL’s, family.
- They increase the risk of physical illness and they increase the risk of mortality from physical illness.
- Depression is a major risk factor for suicide.
What is depression?
Sustained feelings of sadness that interfere with ones ability to function at school, work and at home.
What symptoms are characteristic of depression?
Loss of interest, decreased energy, feelings of guilt/little self worth, disturbed sleep, appetite loss.
What wider determinants of health may increase your risk of developing a CMHP?
- Unemployment.
- Debt.
- Lack of qualifications.
- Isolation.
- Material disadvantage.
- Living in local authority housing.
What is the relationship between socio-economic background and CMHP’s?
A wealthy person with a higher occupational status is less likely to develop of CMHP.
Why do CMHP’s have a major impact on society even though they are less disabling than severe mental health disorders?
The prevalence of CMHP’s is large. This results in a huge cumulative cost to society.
Name 4 interventions that can help treat CMHP’s.
- Community level interventions.
- Individual level interventions.
- Service organisation level.
- IAPT service model.
Interventions that can help treat CMHP’s: describe community level interventions.
Focuses on strengthening protective factors e.g. school based programmes, activities for the elderly etc. Also tries to reduce risk factors e.g. social support after threatening events.
Interventions that can help treat CMHP’s: describe individual level interventions.
The patient could take medications to help e.g. anti-depressants. They could also start attending psychological therapies: CBT, counselling etc. as this follows NICE guidelines for depression/anxiety.
Interventions that can help treat CMHP’s: describe service organisation level interventions.
Management within primary care; focusing on prevention and early identification. Holistic. Encouraging self-management.
What is IAPT?
- Improving access to psychological therapies.
- The idea is to train more NHS staff in delivering evidence based CBT.
- Provide support for people with CMHP’s, help them get back to work and off benefits.
- Psychological services can be paid for by savings made to the benefit bill.
What is the psychological definition of stress?
Stress occurs when the demands made upon an individual are greater than their ability to cope.
What are the two types of stress?
- Eustress.
- Distress.
Define eustress.
Eustress is a positive stress; it is often beneficial and motivating.
Define distress.
Distress is a negative stress; it can be damaging and harmful.
Name 4 acute stressors.
- Noise.
- Danger.
- Injuries.
- Hunger.
Name 5 chronic stressors.
- Work.
- Family.
- Friends.
- Health.
- Finances.
What are the 5 signs of stress.
- Biochemical.
- Physiological.
- Behavioural.
- Cognitive.
- Emotional.
Name 3 external stressors.
- Environment.
- Work.
- Social and cultural pressures.
Give examples of physical and psychological internal stressors.
- Physical: inflammation, infection.
- Psychological: attitudes, beliefs, personal expectations, worries.
Responses to stress: what is the fight of flight model?
An automatic response to external acute stressors. The response elicits physiological changes: hypothalamus, adrenal medulla and cortex are stimulated. Activation and inhibition of organs.
Responses to stress: what are the body’s responses in the fight of flight model?
- Lungs: take in more O2, rapid breathing.
- Blood flow: increases.
- Skeletal muscles: tense.
- Spleen: more RBC’s discharged.
- Skin: blood flow directed away to support skeletal muscles and heart.
- Mouth: drier as saliva dries up.
What is the general adaptation syndrome?
A concept used to describe the body’s short term and long term reactions to stress. There are 3 stages.
What are the three stages of general adaptation syndrome (GAS)?
- Alarm.
- Adaptation/resistance.
- Exhaustion.
Describe the alarm stage of GAS.
A threat/stressor is identified. There is a sudden burst of energy.
Describe the adaptation/resistance stage of GAS.
The body attempts to adapt or resist the stressor. Defensive countermeasures are engaged.
Describe the exhaustion stage of GAS.
Energy is depleted; the body begins to run out of defences.
What are the 5 signs of stress?
- Biochemical.
- Physiological.
- Behavioural.
- Cognitive.
- Emotional.
5 signs of stress: what changes occur in the biochemical stage?
Endorphin (peptides that activate opiate receptors) and cortisol (released in response to stress, elevated levels affect learning and memory) levels are altered.
5 signs of stress: what changes occur in the physiological stage?
Shallowing breathing, raised BP, more HCl produced.
5 signs of stress: what changes occur in the behavioural stage?
Over-eating, anorexia, insomnia, more alcohol or smoking or drug use.
5 signs of stress: what changes occur in the cognitive stage?
Negative thoughts, no concentration, worse memory, tension headaches.
5 signs of stress: what changes occur in the emotional stage?
Mood swings, irritability, aggression, boredom, apathy (lack of interest), tearfulness.
Define the stress-illness model.
An individuals susceptibility to disease or illness is increased because the individual is exposed to stressors which cause strain upon them, leading to psychological and physiological changes.
What is the diagnostic criteria for PTSD?
- The person experienced an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others.
- The person’s response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror.
Give 3 symptoms of PTSD.
- Recurrent and distressing recollections of the event(s) e.g. in dreams.
- Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the event.
- Persistent symptoms of increased arousal (when the brain remains ‘on-edge’, wary and watchful of further threats) e.g. insomnia, irritability etc.
Give some examples of traumatic events that may result in PTSD.
- Childhood physical/emotional/sexual abuse.
- Violent attacks/war.
- Natural disaster.
- Rape.
What physical illnesses can be related to stress?
Cancer, CHD, chronic fatigue, infertility/miscarriage, peptic ulcers, IBS.
Name 4 stress management techniques.
- Meditation.
- Yoga.
- Exercise.
- CBT.