Public health Flashcards
What is population perspective?
The population perspective is a preventive approach that targets the broad distribution of diseases and health determinants in a defined population.
When considering the population perspective, what should be addressed?
- Diagnosis + treatment
-Causes of ill health
-Policies and strategic plans
-Commission services
What are the 4 determinants of health?
- genes
- Environment (physical, social,economic)
- Lifestyle
4.Healthcare
What is Equity?
What is fair and just
What is equality?
Concerned with equal shares
What is horizontal equity and give an example?
Equal treatment for equal need- individuals with pneumonia should be treated equally
What is vertical equity and give an example?
Unequal treatment for unequal need - Areas with poorer health need higher expenditure on health services
- Individuals with common cold vs pneumonia need unequal treatment
What are the different forms of health equity?
- Equal expenditure for equal need
- Equal access for equal need
3.Equal health
4.Equal utilisation for equal need - Equal healthcare outcome for equal need
What are the dimensions of health equity?
Spatial - geographical
social- age, gender, ethnicity, class
What factors should be considered when examining health equity?
- supply of healthcare
2.Access to healthcare
3.Utilisation of healthcare
4.Healthcare outcomes - Health status
6.Resource allocation - Wider determinants of health
What are the wider determinants of health?
- diet
- smoking
- Healthcare seeking behaviour
4.Socioeconomic and physical environment
How is health equity assessed?
Typically assess inequality then judge if unequitable BUT equality may not be equitable
What are the 3 domains of public health?
- Health improvement
- Health protection
3.Healthcare
What is health improvement?
Societal interventions aimed at preventing disease, promoting health and reducing inequalities.
- housing
-education
-lifestyle
-employment
-family/community
What is health protection?
Concerned with the measure to control infectious disease risks and environmental hazards
- infectious disease
-radiation
-chemical/poisons
-emergency response
-environmental health hazard
What is healthcare?
Concerned with the organisation, and delivery of safe high quality services for prevention, treatment and care
- clinical effectiveness
-audit and evaluation
-clinical governance
-efficiency
-service planning
-equity
What are the levels of public health?
- individual
- community
- Ecological
What is health psychology?
Health psychology emphasises the role of psychological factors in the cause, progression and consequences of health and illness
- promotes healthy behaviour and prevents illness
What are the 3 health behaviours?
- health behaviour
- illness behaviour
- sick role behaviour
What is health behaviour?
Behaviour that aims to prevent disease
What is illness behaviour?
Behaviour that aims to seek remedy
What is sick role behaviour?
Any activity aimed to get well
What are two other behaviours that health behaviours are defined as?
- Health damaging/ impairing - smoking
- Health promoting - exercise
What are the top two reasons for absence from work?
Musculoskeletal issues
Depressive disorders
What lifestyle factors increase the risk of mortality over 15 years?
- smoking
-physical activity
-Alcohol
-diet
What is intervention at a population level?
Health promotion - the process of enabling people to exert control over the determinants of health
What is the individual level of intervention?
-patient centered approach
-care responsive to individual needs
What are examples of health promotion ?
- promoting screening nd vacines
-5 a day campaign
-every mind matters
The concept of ‘unrealistic optimism’ suggests that perception of risk can be influenced by several factors. List 4 factors.
- lack of personal experience with problem
2.Belief that preventable by personal action - Belief that if not happened by , it’s not likely too
- Belief that problem infrequent
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.
Why do we engage in damaging health behaviours?
Unrealistic optimism
Health beliefs
Situational rationality
Cultural variability
Socioeconomic factors
Stress
Age
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
What is the economic impact of smoking?
5.5% of the NHS’ total costs
Loss in productivity from smoking breaks
Cleaning up cigarette butts costs money
Cost of fires = £507m
What factors are involved in the planning circle?
-Needs assessment
-Planning
-Implementation
-Evaluation
What is Need (public health)?
The ability to benefit from an intervention
What is demand (public health)?
What people ask for
What is supply (public health)?
What is provided
What is a health needs assessment?
A systematic method for reviewing health issues facing a population, leading to agreed priorities and resource allocation that will improve health and reduce inequalities.
What is health need?
- Need for health
- concerns need in more general terms
- measured using mortality, morbidity, sociodemographic measures
What is healthcare need?
- Need for healthcare
-More specific than health need
-Ability to benefit from healthcare
-Depends on the potential of prevention, treatment and care services to remedy health problems.
What is a healthcare needs assessment carried out for?
- A population or subgroup
-A condition - An intervention
Who defines need?
- individuals
-family
-community
-professionals
-society
What ways are the HCA approached?
- sociological perspective
2.Public health perspective
What 4 factors comprise the Sociological perspective in terms of the Health Needs Assessment?
Felt need: individual perceptions of variation from normal health
Expressed need: individual seeks help to overcome variation in normal health (demand).
Normative need: professional defines intervention appropriate for the expressed need.
Comparative need: comparison between severity, range of interventions + cost.
Which 3 factors comprise the Public Health Approach to the Health Needs Assessment?
Epidemiological
Comparative
Corporate
What is the epidemiological approach?
- define problem
-size of problem - incidence/prevalence
-Services available - prevention/ treatment care
-Recommends improvements
What are the disadvantages of the epidemiological approach?
Data available may be poor
May be inadequate evidence base
Doesn’t consider felt need
What is the comparative approach?
Compares health performance/ services across one population to another
What are the disadvantages of comparative approach?
Data available may vary in quality
May be hard to find comparable population
Comparison may not be perfect
What is the corporative approach?
Takes into account views of any groups that may have an interest eg patients, health professionals, media, politicians
What are the disadvantages of the corporate approach?
- Difficult to distinguish need from demand
-Groups may have vested interest - Dominant individuals may have undue influence
Who should do the HNA?
- primary care staff
-public health staff
-health visitors
-community workers
What are the benefits of a health needs assessment?
- strengthening community involvement in decision making
- improved public participation
- improved team and partnership working
- better use of resources
- Development of skills
What are the challenges of health needs assessment?
- lack of shared language between sectors
- Difficulty assessing target population
- Professional boundaries may prevent power and information sharing
What is the definition of domestic abuse?
Any 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
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)
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 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.
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.
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.
What are the HARK questions?
The four HARK questions were developed as a framework for helping identify people who have suffered domestic abuse, and found to be a sensitive tool.
- Humiliation
-Afraid
-Rape
-Kick
What percentage of injured women in the A&E department are caused by physical abuse from partners?
20-30%
Give 4 models of behaviour change
Health Belief Model
Theory of planned behaviour
Transtheoretical Model
Motivational interviewing
Explain the theory behind the Health Belief Model (a theory of behaviour change).
Individuals will change if they believe:
they are susceptible to the condition
that the disease has serious consequences
that taking action reduces susceptibility
that the benefits of taking action outweigh the costs.
Critique the Health Belief Model.
- Alternative factors may predict health behaviour
- HBM doesn’t consider the influence of emotions on behaviour
-HBM doesn’t differentiate between 1st time and repeat behaviour
Give a summary of the Health Belief Model.
Longest standing model of behaviour change
Successful for a range of health behaviours eg. breast self-examination, vaccinations, diabetes Mx etc.
> perceived barriers have been demonstrated to be the most important factor for addressing behaviour change in patients.
Explain the ‘Theory of Planned Behaviour’. (What is intention determined by)
Proposes the best predictor of behaviour is ‘intention’
Intention is determined by:
> a person’s attitude to the behaviour
> the perceived social pressure to undertake the behaviour, or “subjective norm”
> a person’s appraisal of their ability to perform the behaviour, or their perceived behavioural control.