HHD- Changes in Australia's Health Status

Categories of diseases=

Infectious and parasitic diseases, cancers, injury and poisoning, respiratory diseases and cardiovascular diseases.

Infectious diseases=

Can be transmitted from one person to another. E.g. Tuberculosis, smallpox.

Parasitic diseases=

Occurs when parasites- such as worms, skin mites, body lice enter the body.

-These were caused by poor living conditions such as water and food supplies being contaminated, rubbish in the streets and public waste facilities not being well-maintained.

Cancer=

Refers to a group of conditions in all parts of the body where the cells become abnormal and multiply.

Cardiovascular diseases=

Include heart attack, angina, stroke and high blood pressure. CVD affects the heart and blood vessels.

Respiratory diseases=

Diseases affecting the lungs and other parts of the body involved in breathing- they include pneumonia, influenza, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Injury and poisoning=

Deaths from injury and poisoning include those from motor vehicle and other accidents, suicide, assault, poisoning, drowning, burns and falls, and complications from medical or surgical care.

What is ‘old’ public health?

What is public health?= Is the ways in which governments monitor, regulate and promote health status and prevent disease.

-Public health actions, which focused on the physical environment, became known as the old public health.

Old public health=

Government actions that focused on changing the physical environment to prevent the spread of disease, such as providing safe water, sanitation and sewerage disposal, improved nutrition’s, improved housing conditions and better work conditions.

Old public health policies and practices=

Improved water and sanitation, better quality housing and fewer slums, better quality food and nutrition, introduction of quarantine laws, safer working conditions, more hygienic birthing practices, provision of antenatal and infant welfare services, mass immunisation program.

Public health measures to improve health status

Mass vaccination programs=

-Vaccinations help to treat a range of infectious diseases.

-Helped bring huge reductions in morbidity and mortality from diseases such as small pox and polio.

Clean drinking water=

-Establishment of government-funded water systems, such as dams, fluoridation and delivery systems so people had clean water to drink. This reduced infectious diseases such as typhoid and chorea.

Sewage systems=

-Systems and infrastructure designed to keep human waste separate from water supplies, and garbage removal programs to keep rubbish away from residential areas. This helped reduce infectious diseases such as gastroenteritis, improving mortality rates.

Biomedical model

What is the biomedical approach?=

-Sometimes referred to as the ‘quick fix’ or ‘band aid’ approach.

-Focuses on the physical or biological aspects of disease or illness.

-Involves diagnosing, curing and treating disease or illness.

-Involves diagnosing, curing and treating disease- individuals are the focus of this approach.

-Addressing the reasons for this illness are not the centre of the biomedical model; the condition itself is the focus.

Features of the biomedical approach=

-Relies on technology to diagnose, treat and cure, quick fix approach, focuses on individuals who are ill, relies on services provided by doctors, specialists and hospitals, concerned with disease, illness and disability.

-E.g. Sphygmomanometer and stethoscope enabled doctors to measure blood pressure in the early 1900s. In the 1950s, the heart-lung bypass machine allowed surgeons more time to undertake complex heart procedures.

Advances in medical technology=

-Following WW2, the discovery of antibiotics meant a reduction in infectious diseases such as pneumonia and syphilis.

Models

Biomedical model (1900-today)=

Has been working to treat disease and injuries since well before 1900 and continues to evolve to this day.

‘Old’ public health (1900-1950)=

Worked to primarily prevent infections, diseases and injuries by focusing on the physical environment. The benefits of old public health are still experienced to this day.

Social model of health (1975-today)=

Works to primarily prevent lifestyle related diseases.

Strengths of Biomedical model

Funding brings about improvement in technology and research- Without the biomedical approach to health, there would be relatively little information about how to treat and diagnose illness.

It extends life expectancy- Many causes of death that were common in the past, such as some infectious diseases, can be treated and cured.

Weaknesses of Biomedical model

It relies on professional health workers and technology and this is therefore costly- As knowledge and technology has also increased, some machines required for diagnosis and treatment can cost millions of dollars and can only treat a small number of patients.

Not every condition can be treated- Cancer is an example of a condition that has treatments available, but in many cases, no cure.

Social model of health

-Towards the 1970s, the leading causes of mortality and morbidity changed.

-The impact of infectious diseases decreased whiled the impact of lifestyle diseases increased.

-This led to the belief that if individuals were made aware of the consequences of their health behaviours, they would take action to change their behaviour.

Health promotion= The process of enabling people to increase control over and improve their health.

Ottawa Charter for health promotion

Five elements/priority actions:

-Build health public policy.

-Create supportive environments.

-Strengthen community action.

-Develop personal skills.

-Reorient health services.

Acronym: Bad Cats Smell Dead Rats

Build healthy public policy=

-Directly relates to decisions made by governments and organisations in relation to healthcare policy, rules and regulations.

Examples-

-Legislation to ban smoking in public places.

Create supportive environments=

-Builds links between individuals and their environments (economic, physical, social).

Examples-

-Provide support groups such as new mothers groups.

-Quitline.

-Shaded areas in playgrounds.

Strengthen community action=

-Communities head to work together to achieve set priorities.

-It is about a combined effort from key stakeholders.

Examples-

-Government immunisation strategy- involving media, doctors, schools and parents working together to achieve higher immunisation rates.

Develop personal skills=

-Education is the key aspect of this action area.

-Skills and knowledge should be given and supported in school and at work.

Examples-

-Year 12 road safety programs.

Reorient health services=

-The idea is for groups to work together to support healthcare professionals in moving beyond providing biomedical services.

-Places a stronger emphasis on health promotion as opposed to focusing on diagnosing and treating illness.

Examples-

-Doctor discussing stopping smoking to asthma patients.