HSC PDHPE Core 1:Evaluating health care in Australia

in relation to social justice principles.

The Role of Health Care in Australia

Aims of health care in

Australia

To provide public health services, including hospitals and administration.

To provide quality health facilities and services to meet the needs of all Australians.

Organised, financed and delivered by both public and private sources.

Emphasis placed on diagnosis and treatment of illness by the medical profession.

Health care in Australia mostly about clinical diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.

A shift has occurred in the role of health care, from cure to prevention.

Range and types of health facilities and services

PREVIOUS TERMINOLOGY

Institutional(eg. hospitals,

nursing homes)&

Non-Institutional (eg. Medical

services, health professionals)

AIHW 2014 TERMINOLOGY

3 main categories:1. Primary health

care.2. Secondary care

3. Hospitals

Responsibility for health facilities and services

Funding for health facilities and services comes primarily from the AustralianGovernment, state/territory and local governments, non-government agencies andindividuals

Which initiative is funded by sector Y? (A) NSW Driver Reviver program (B) Sun Herald City to Surf fun run (C) National Drug Strategic Framework (D) Community before- and after-school care program https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTo7vVjdKtQ

Equity of access to health facilities & services

Equity, or ‘fairness’ to use everyday language, is at the heart of the Australian health system

Equity isn’t only bout much more than whether health services are affordable. It alsoconsiders that:

•some people miss out because of where they live;•others may experience a health system that does not meet their needs because of theirdifferent culture or language;•people with a disability or a mix of complex health problems may find that there are majorgaps in access to medical and other specialist services and the ‘system’ does not connect upall their care needs.

How equitable is the access and support for all sections of the community?

Bulk-billing:Occurs when a healthpractitioner directly billsMedicare for theamount payable for aservice; the patient doesnot have to pay

Points for:

Medicare :

Grounded in ‘access on the basis of health needs, not ability to pay’

PBS :Provides timely, reliable and affordable access to necessary medicines for Australians

(Equity, Diversity,Supportive environments)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh99VLDJrd0

Additional government programs for the following sections of the community:

•Indigenous chronic disease package•War veterans•Defence force families

How equitable is the access and support for all sections of the community?

Points for:

(Equity, Diversity,Supportive environments)

Language support:Telephone interpreters, website –language text & listening options(read speaker)

Royal flying doctors service :Delivers both 24-hour emergencyservices and everyday essential healthcare in remote and rural Australia

Sometimes referred to as Horizontal Equity (eg Medicare & PBS) orVertical Equity (eg priority population groups – Royal Flying Doctorservice)

How equitable is the access and support for all sections of the community?

Points for:

(Equity, Diversity,Supportive environments)

Access in rural and remote areas:

eg. The challenges and health problems facing Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander people have been welldocumented .

Points against:

How equitable is the access and support for all sections of the community?

(Equity, Diversity,Supportive environments)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YLdHNKeuuI

Sunday telegraph “heal the bush” campaign:•Rural health changes needed to prevent country people drying 3yrs earlier than those in the city•NSW rural health drive critical to equality•Poor access to radiotherapy is killing patients•Temora truck driver has to postpone surgery to treat his cancer because he can’t afford the trip to Sydney

How equitable is the access and support for all sections of the community?

Points against:

Also referred to as social responsibility

for health

Community responsibility for Mental health:Community services help participants to overcome social isolation and increase theirconnections to the community.•Eg. Targeted Community Care Mental Health Program•Eg. Men’s Sheds

How much responsibility should the community assume for individual health problems?

This syllabus ‘dash point’ links to the concept that health is socially constructed

(Supportive environments)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5oEq2yz_3c

Health care expenditure versus expenditure on early intervention & prevention

Health expenditure comprises recurrent and capital expenditure on hospitals, medicalservices, dental services, patient transport services, other health practitioner services,community and public health services, medications, aids and appliances, health research andthe administrative systems that support these services.

1.7% was expenditure on

early intervention &

prevention

Impact of emerging new treatments and technologies on health care, eg cost & access, benefits of early detection

There is no question that early detection andsubsequent early intervention is proving to be asignificant contributor to improving health status

A natural concern that often accompanies emergingtreatments or technologies is the associated costs

Since the 1980s, advancements have been made inthe field of medical imaging that greatly enhance thecapacity to detect many health concerns, includingthe presence of cancer.

M-health = improved access & lower costs; helps early detection

•Smartphone•Tablets•Patient monitoring devices

Impact of emerging new treatments and technologies on health care, eg cost & access, benefits of early detection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmOGNfEJOcM