CORE 1: WHAT ROLE DO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES AND SERVICES PLAY IN ACHIEVING BETTER HEALTH FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS?

institutional

provide beds for overnight care eg. hospitals and nursing homes

non institutional

facilities and services that do no involve an overnight stay

why is it more beneficial to spend money on health promotion and prevention rather than treatment?

• Individuals will end up spending a lot more down the track for the treatment of their illness than they would if they just spent a bit of money now so they don’t get the disease in the first place

• Eg. Costs of a gym membership and healthier food options now compared to years of expenses to treat CVD

• Focusing on prevention now means that there won’t be any need for treatment later

why is it so much more expensive to treat illnesses rather than prevent harm?

• A lot of people already have the disease and need to be cured → large amount of cost has already been incurred

• Treatments are usually compounded and expensive

• Equipment needed for treatment is often expensive

• Treatment often requires highly qualified professions and lengthy hospital stays

If we know prevention programs work, then why aren’t we allocating more funding to intervention and prevention?

• There are already so many people that need curative services

• Not all diseases can be prevented

• We live in an ageing population → the older you get, the more likely you have diseases that need to be treated

advantages of medicare

• Choice of doctor

• All Aus citizens have access

• The reciprocal agreement with other countries means Aus citizens have free access to healthcare in certain countries

• Covers tests, examinations, scheduled doctors and specialist fees

• Provides discounted prescriptions through the PBS

• Medicare safety net ensures equity of access to healthcare by providing extra financial contributions when out of hospital gap payments pass a certain threshold

disadvantages of medicare

• No choice for in-hospital care

• Long waiting lists

• Does not cover alternative therapies, allied health services and ancillary services

• Doesn’t cover the full costs of doctor’s visits

advantages of private health care

• Provides greater flexibility → given choice of doctor in both private and public hospitals

• Can purchase “extras” such as dental, chiro, physio and optometry services

• Shorter waiting times for certain medical procedures like elective surgery

• Don’t have to pay the medicare levy surcharge

• Relieves pressure off of the government

disadvantages of private health care

• Health insurance fees are more costly

• There can be a gap meaning the insurance doesn’t cover the whole fee

• Some of the policies can be hard to understand and create confusion

how equitable is access - rural and remote areas

• Most of the population live in metropolitan areas where there is lots of accessible health facilities and services

• People in remote areas have less access to health facilities and services, including hospitals and specialists

• In order to try and increase the equity of access, the government has instated a number of initiatives such as the Royal Flying Doctor Service

how equitable is access - ATSI

• ATSI population lacks equity of access to health facilities, including dentists, general practitioners and hospitals

• This is due to a lack of cultural appropriateness and Indigenous health workers → creates a sense of discomfort and distrust in the health system deterring ATSI peoples from using services

• In order to increase Indigenous access to services, a number of initiatives have been put into place eg. Closing the Gap

how equitable is access - lower levels of education/non-english speakers

• Lack of knowledge regarding what services are available to them, where they are located and how they can be accessed → can limit their ability to improve their health literacy further reducing their outcomes

• Initiative = Health Literacy Promotion Initiative → delivers health information sessions at libraries, community groups and schools

how equitable is access = low socioeconomic status

• Face the disadvantage of reduced access to services because of a lack of affordability

• To help remove barriers the government came up with medicare → however it doesn’t cover dentistry and physio so these services remain inaccessible to those who can’t afford them

impact of new treatments and technologies on healthcare

• can improve health outcoems of individuals which helps reduce the burden on the health care system —> more efficient and so result in less costs for the healthcare system in the long run

cost and access of emerging new treatments and technologies

• new treatments and technologies are expensive

• without funding through Medicare, they are only available for those with a high SES, however a lot of them are subsidised through PBS or Medicare making it possible for more Australians to afford them

benefits of emerging new treatments and technologies

early detection = early treatment which leads to less side effects and improved functionality of service —> treat more people with less follow ups needed —> improves QOL and life expectancy

• eg. cancer screening —> early diagnosis allows for provision of care at the earliest possible stage, improving the likelihood of survival and reducing the cost of treatment

complementary healthcare

treatments that are not part of the mainstream medical scene, but are used alongside them eg. physiotherapy and acupuncture

alternative healthcare

treatments that are used instead of mainstream medicines and treatments eg. naturopathy instead of chemotherapy

reasons for growth of complementary and alternative healthcare

• increasing credibility of services —> practitioners have to gain high qualifications before being able to practice

• increased regulatory bodies and professional associations

• growing multiculturalism in Australia

• australians seeking a holistic approach to health

• increase in health insurance coverage

how do you know who to believe

• qualifications

• registrations

• regulations

• research

what do you need to help you make informed decisions

• the philosophy behind the treatment

• any side effects that may occur

• the method of treatment

• necessary qualifications

• evidence for the treatment based on academic research

• cost and health insurance