PDHPE Revision

Analyse how ONE priority condition of your choosing was identified as a health priority issue to improve the health of Australians? (8 marks)

Skin Cancer (short explanation of each term then example/stat)

• How much does it burden the community/individual

1. Social Justice Principles - chosen with SPJ in mind, providing equitable treatment to every individual in the community - cancer can impact anyone in the community and some environments (eg: low SES due to potentially more exposure to sun in jobs) can increase the chance of cancer, therefore this needs to be addressed.

2. Priority Population Groups - Chosen with PPG’s in mind, groups who may have increased risk and less opportunity to minimise risk and access treatment. (Eg: rural and remote not having easy access to HC and treatment services due to location)

3. Prevalence - eg: Skin Cancer - 2023 around 2.6percent of deaths were due to SC

4. Potential for Early Intervention/Prevention - eg: If the risk of a condition like skin cancer can be minimised then governments are more inclined to choose it for a priority health issue as there will likely be benefits that outweigh the cost of prevention + (Is prevention/treatment a worthwhile focus for this illness - will it work?)

5. Cost to Individual/community - eg: Chemotherapy treatment can be extremely detrimental to the individual and community due to high costs, long treatment times, and treatment impacting quality of life - therefore funding for prevention and treatment can reduce the burden on individuals and communities

6. Cost of treatment - eg: Prevention of cancer is cheaper than treatment, for example, sun protection for reducing Skin cancer risk so to minimise costs and burden on community/individual - PHI to prevent or treat early.

Explain the role of individuals, communities and governments in addressing health inequities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Use examples to support your answer. (8 marks)

Health inequities - poorer levels of health, lower life expectancy, reduced QoL, higher mortality rates from preventable causes

Individual

1. Develop Skills, knowledge and improve attitudes (eg: finish high school/higher education to increase knowledge of healthy behaviours vs risk behaviours/increase job opportunities for higher SES)

2. Empowering others to take responsibility for health and protective behaviours (An elder being a role model in protective behaviours for the community)

3. Increased number of Indigenous Health and community workers (Eg: to make HC more culturally accepting and accessible → increased numbers of ATSI accessing HC)

Community

1. Responsible for Local initiatives

2. Ensure ATSI are aware of local programs

3. Local officials working with elders → allowing ATSI self sufficiency in prevention and treatment of health issue

4. Eg: Aboriginal Medical Service Redfern

   • Community led Health Services - GP, specialist clinics, MH, Drug and Alcohol support

   • Culturally appropriate care

   • Variety of services (all in one place - all accessible)

   • Free HC to ATSI = accessible

   • Prevention, intervention, treatment

Government

1. Overseeing Protection and implementation of HC on national scales

2. Federal: Policy + funding

3. State: Hospitals + schools (accessible + culturally appropriate)

4. Local Gov: Local services

5. Eg: Medical Outreach Indigenous Chronic Diseases Program

   • Covers some costs (accom. + travel) for professionals to access ATSI (especially R/R)

   • Cultural awareness and safety training

   • ATSI people with chronic conditions can access culturally appropriate HC

   • Bridges SES, cultural, location, morbidity gaps

   • Increases likeliness of accessing treatment

Explain the role of individuals, communities and governments in addressing health inequities experienced by ONE group other than ATSI peoples. Use examples to support your answer.

Rural and Remote Health Inequities - Lower Life expectancy, less access to HC, Goods, services and lower SES + employment + education rates

Individual

1. Making positive decision + taking personal responsibility

2. Protective behaviours

3. Education → Knowledge, skills, increase employment opportunities

4. promote health to family + friends/community (showing protective/positive behaviours)

5. Eg: (eg: school attendance, exercise, diet→ decrease likelihood of preventable lifestyle diseases)

Community

1. Aim to attract and retain HC professionals

2. Communicate + collab with local Gov

3. Provide support + run initiatives for local community (eg: community support groups)

4. Eg: Men’s Shed

   • Community based organisation that provide place of inclusion and safety for men

   • Connection → improving feelings of isolation + loneliness (social+ mental health )

   • Gives purpose (eg: making toys for kids) → gives back to community + decreases boredom + increase spiritual health

   • Increase skills → increased ability to support self (eg: first aid)

   • Breaks down stigma of men not being open about health → increased chance of getting help in all aspects of health = early intervention/treatment

Government

1. Providing Funding and adequate facilities/improving availability + quality of HC

2. Federal: Policy + Funding

3. State: Hospitals and schools, implementing Federal health policy

4. Local: sanitation and local services

5. provide incentives for professionals to work in R/R

6. Design and implement Promotion and accessibility campaigns/programs

7. Eg: Multi-Purpose Services (MPS) Program

   • provides HC + aged care for R/R elderly (professionals + resources come to communities)

   • Services areas that are not equipped for designated hospital and aged care homes

   • Increases access to elderly HC → increased QoL + overall health

   • Decreased burden on carers + smaller local health systems (like GP’s)

   • Increases resources

   • Cost effective = accessible for community + individual (Gov funded + do not have to travel)

To what extent is access to HC facilities and services equitable for all

To a moderate extent

- Access to healthcare is not fully equitable

- Influenced by sociocultural, socioeconomic, and environmental determinants

- Some groups have better access than others

- Government has made attempts to improve equity, but gaps remain

- Government initiatives to improve equity

- Medicare (horizontal equity approach)

- Provides public healthcare to all Australians

- Covers most GP visits through bulk billing

- Helps low-income individuals access healthcare

- Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)

- Subsidises prescription medicines to improve affordability

- Example: Asthma puffers are on the PBS

- Helps reduce financial barriers to essential medications

- Disadvantaged groups in healthcare access

- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) peoples

- Limited facilities and access to healthcare

- Barriers include low income, low education, and remote locations

- Rural and remote populations

- Fewer healthcare facilities and professionals

- Example of support: Royal Flying Doctor Service

- Provides healthcare to remote areas

- Overall healthcare access in Australia

- Still inequitable for many Australians

- Government initiatives have helped but are slow to improve health outcomes

- More action is needed to address social, economic, and environmental barriers

Identifying Priority Health issues

5

1. Social Justice Principles (foundational basis)

2. Priority Pop. Groups (poorest health = most help needed)

3. Prevalence (widespread=most impact therefore priorty will have larger impact)

4. Potential for Prevention and Early Intervention (not possible = no use in prioritising, more overall benefits if prioroty is on an achievable area for prevention)

5. Cost to individual/community (High impact disease (economic, social, emotional, workforce etc) = higher impact on individual and community therefore placing priority to minimise disease will decrease these impacts)