Weeks One And Two Flashcards
Define a census
The simultaneous recording of demographic data by the government at a particular time pertaining to all the persons who life in a particular territory.
List three reasons to consider medicine from a population rather than individual perspective.
Evaluate the efficacy of interventions and investigate causes of disease
Allocate resources by monitoring a predicting incidence/prevalence of a disease, plan healthcare.
Consider the impact of decisions related to patient care on other patients in terms of available resources, or for example inappropriate antibiotics/risks of immunisation.
List the salient features of the UK census.
Takes place every 10 years (except 1941 - war)
Legally obliged to take part
Confidential, cannot use for sampling
Carried out by office of national statistics in England and Wales.
Why do we need a census?
Measure population size in each area - allocation of resources.
Plan health and social care
Plan schools
Plan new housing
Policies relating to employment /investment.
Planning of roads and public transport.
Measure the success of equal opportunities and allocate resources to ethnic groups.
How do we estimate the number of people missed in the census?
Dual system estimation - two counts of a population which are then matched.
What measures are taken in the census to increase the number of responders?
Legal obligation and £1000 fine
Post to every household, complete online or on paper.
The questionnaires from people in communal establishments were collected by enumerators.
What’s the integrated household survey (IHS)
Survey that runs continuously, particularly useful to measure incidence of smoking.
What is the health survey for england?
Measures health and health related behaviours in adults and children in England.
What requires statutory registration?
Birth, death, marriage.
What is included on a death certificate?
Events leading to death.
Diseases which contributed but didn’t directly cause death.
When do mortality rates provide a good estimate of incidence of a disease?
When a disease is rapidly and universally fatal, for example lung cancer.
What are the advantages of using mortality rates?
Almost complete as statutory registration.
Unlikely to be in any doubt over whether someone died or not.
What are three possible measurements of morbidity?
The number of people affected.
The number of illnesses/periods of illness experienced.
The duration of illness.
Define morbidity
Any departure, subjective or objective, from physical and psychological wellbeing.
What are the functions of cancer registries?
Monitor trends in incidence, prevalence and survival with time, and in different socioeconomic groups and areas.
Evaluate the effectiveness of prevention and screening.
Evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.
Look at the effect of social and environmental factors and shape policies designed to reduce health inequality.
Support recalls of specific groups.