Core 1: health priorities in australia

How are priority issues for Australia’s health identified?
Measuring health status Role of epidemiology Measures of epidemiology (morality, infant mortality, morbidity, life expectancy)
Role of epidemiology		Epidemiology → the study of disease or illness in a given population over a period of time. Prevalence → number of disease cases in a population at a specific time Incidence → number of new disease cases occurring in a population Distribution → extent of disease spread within a population Determinants → factors contributing to disease occurrence + spread Morality → number of deaths in a population within a define time period Infant mortality → measures the number of infant deaths within the first year of life Morbidity → patterns of illness, disease and injury not resulting in death Life expectancy → length of time a person is expected to live based on current death rates in the population
Critique the use of epidemiology to describe health status by considering questions such as:	What can epidemiology tell us?	Can depict the health status of a population, trends in disease, prevalence and incidence of disease, death, birth, illness and injury rates. Its role is to help researchers and health authorities to: Describe and compare patterns of health in groups, communities and populations Identify health needs and allocate health care resources accordingly Evaluate health behaviors and strategies to help control and prevent disease Identify and promote behaviour that can improve the health status of the overall population
	Who uses these measures?	The government, researches, health department officials or medical practitioners
	What are the limitations?	Variations in health status among different subgroups may not be shown accurately Quality of life + impact of illness may not be captured accurately Mental health data may be incomplete or absent
Use tables and graphs from health reports to analyse current trends in life expectancy and major causes of morbidity and mortality for the general population and comparing males and females		Life expectancy: General population → Males 80, females 84 ATSI → Males 71, females 75 Morbidity: General population → chronic disease e.g. diabetes, disorders Males → higher rates of injury , substance use Females → higher rate of mental health conditions, osteoporosis, disorders ATSI → diabetes, mental health disorders, substance abuse, respiratory conditions e.g. asthma Morality: General population → cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia Males → cardiovascular disease, injuries, accidents, suicide Females → dementia, breast cancer ATSI → chronic diseases e.g. diabetes, infection disease, suicide Most common causes of death are: CVD Cancer Diseases of the respiratory system External causes e.g. car accidents Mental and behavioral disorders Disease of the nervous system
Identifying priority health issues Social justice principles Priority population groups Prevalence of condition Potential for prevention and early intervention Costs to the individual and community
Argue the case for why decisions are made about health priorities by considering questions such as:	How do we identify priority issues for Australia’s health?	Prevalence of condition Social justice principles Priority population groups Costs to the individual + community Potential for prevention and early intervention
	What role do the principles of social justice play?	Ensure equitable health outcomes for all Australians Relate to eliminating inequity in health Promote inclusiveness of diversity Establish supportive environments for all Australians e.g. the provision of equal access to resources, health services, education and information amy reduce the incidence of diabetes in the indigenous people
	Why is it important to prioritize?	Identify the sub-groups that are experiencing are unnecessarily high incidence of ill health enables Governments to: Determine the needs of groups in line with the principles of social justice Gain a better understanding of the determinants of health and the impacts on socio cultural, socioeconomic and environmental impacts on health Priority population groups: First nations australias People who are socioeconomically disadvantaged People living in rural and remote areas People born overseas The elderly People with disabilities
Potential for prevention and early intervention		E.g. The implementation of the screening services, like cancer screening, has led to a decrease in mortality rates to early detection and treatment. Breast cancer is now available for women at younger ages for prevention.
Burden of disease		An estimated impact of disease and injury on an individual or community. This is determined by the effect of death or disability: ● Low SES experience 1.5 times more disease burden when compared with the highest SES group ● Mental health and substance abuse contributes to 19% of disease burden in Australia ●First Nations people populations experience 2.3 times more disease burden than non First Nations people populations ● In 2011, 31% of disease burden was due to preventable and modifiable risk factors.