Advancement in Medical Technology General Population

Question: Describe about the Advancement in Medical Technology for General Population. Answer: With the advancement in medical technology and new research on chronic diseases, the health of the current Australian population has improved remarkably compared to the previous generation. However, inequality in health continues to be a barrier in positive health outcome. Inequality is determined by the social determinant of health like risk factor, health behavior, morbidity, socioeconomic disadvantage and health service use. Inaction in this area will lead to the greater burden of disease in specific areas of the community. This essay discusses the socioeconomic disadvantage prevalent in some section of the Australian population that result in inequality in access to care. Different indications like remote locations, environmental challenges, poverty and poor access to health care create great gap in health outcome of a different section of the population. The essay explains how inaction in the eliminating socioeconomic disadvantage in the community leads to greater health burden and then provides intervention to resolve inequality in health. In terms of socioeconomic disadvantage, the indigenous group of Australians experience much poorer health than the general population. The socioeconomic disadvantage prevalent in this group is the reason for lower life expectancy, adverse birth outcome, high rate of morbidity and disability and hospitalization rate in this group. The gap in the health status between indigenous and non-indigenous Australian has significantly grown. It has become a human right concern both for the Australian government and the United Nations Committee (Mitrou et al., 2014). To address the disparities in health outcome in different population, it is necessary to understand the factor that contributes to health inequity. One study investigating the health gap in indigenous and non-indigenous Australian showed that there is a strong association between socioeconomic status and mortality and morbidity rates. It has been demonstrated that 25-30% health disparity in indigenous Australian is explained by soci oeconomic disadvantage (Yuejen Zhao, 2013). Therefore this study showed that socioeconomic disadvantage is shared common determinant of death and hospitalization rate in Australia. Socioeconomic status is measured by an individuals income, profession and educational status. The social determinant theory also suggests that any populations health, as well as inequality, is determined by interconnected social factors of people. It is also a basic right for human to get adequate access to healthy care services. However, in Australia, inequality in health among indigenous and non-indigenous Australians includes in the area of shorter life expectancy, high rate of infant mortality, poor health and low level of education and employment (Shepherd et al., 2012). Life expectancy is an indication of a population long-term health and well-being. In terms of life expectancy also indigenous Australian were found to be four times more likely to get hospitalized for chronic illness than non-indigenous groups. In 2013, it was found that cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of death among this group. About 24% indigenous people died because of this disease. It was follow ed by another disease like cancer, diabetes mellitus, and others (Digital, 2016). Other disturbing trends that have lead to health crisis in Aboriginal and Torres Islander people include continued high rate of poor health in infants, continued tendency towards poor access to primary health care, high rate of unhealthy and risk behavior (Markwick et al., 2014). Unhealthy risk behavior includes increased prevalence of substance abuse, alcohol and tobacco consumption in this group. Little action has been taken to expand access to health which is evidenced by high rate of sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS prevalence. Besides this, another health problem is that disease is left undiagnosed and untreated. Particularly, mental health and oral health problems were found to be undiagnosed (Shepherd et al., 2012). The Australian health government has not taken adequate action in addressing health inequality. There are three main areas in which the Australian governments has failed to address health the health inequality of Aboriginal and Torres and Islander people. Firstly they have not activated their commitments by setting an achievable time frame. People living in remote areas remain undiagnosed as they do not have access to primary health care. They have not expanded their services to rural and remote areas. They have been unaccountable and left their goals to an unspecified time. Secondly, the Australian Government has not acted according to the necessary funds and program support that were given to them. Thirdly, while they have accepted their health framework to accept the health care needs of this group, but they have not considered the impact of this program and approach to the health of this group. They had also not structured their health programs according to the needs and barriers of this group of population (FISHER et al., 2016). The proposed intervention to rectify the situation is to identify the factor contributing to health inequality among Aboriginal and Torres Islander people from the broad context of social determinant of health. Therefore, they need to assess interrelated determinants among this group such income, education, social network, working condition, behaviors and stress. They need to focus on health needs and protective factors to minimize health inequality. Health equity can be provided by taking a human rights approach to addressing health problems. An empowering environment should be made available to this group so that they get proper education related to managing health issues and improve their lifestyle by maintaining diets. Secondly, effort should be on providing the same opportunity to health by enhancing accessibility of mainstream services in remote areas too. Lower access to health along with late diagnosis has been a significant barrier to good health in this group. Health care s taff should be encouraged to reach socially disadvantaged people and provide them healthcare at a low cost which they can afford (Durey Thompson, 2012). Thus reflecting on both social determinants health inequality and other socioeconomic problem identified in them will help to reduce health gap between indigenous and non-indigenous group. It will give them the right to healthy living and well-being and reduce mortality rate too. Reference Digital, C. (2016).Australians Together.Australians Together. Retrieved 1 September 2016, from https://www.australianstogether.org.au/stories/detail/the-gap-indigenous-disadvantage-in-australia Durey, A., Thompson, S. C. (2012). Reducing the health disparities of Indigenous Australians: time to change focus.BMC health services research,12(1), 1. FISHER, M., BAUM, F. E., MACDOUGALL, C., NEWMAN, L., MCDERMOTT, D. (2016). To what Extent do Australian Health Policy Documents address Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity?.Journal of Social Policy,45(03), 545-564. Markwick, A., Ansari, Z., Sullivan, M., Parsons, L., McNeil, J. (2014). Inequalities in the social determinants of health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People: a cross-sectional population-based study in the Australian state of Victoria.International journal for equity in health,13(1), 1. Mitrou, F., Cooke, M., Lawrence, D., Povah, D., Mobilia, E., Guimond, E., Zubrick, S. R. (2014). Gaps in Indigenous disadvantage not closing: a census cohort study of social determinants of health in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand from 19812006.BMC Public Health,14(1), 1. Shepherd, C. C., Li, J., Zubrick, S. R. (2012). Social gradients in the health of Indigenous Australians.American journal of public health,102(1), 107-117. Shepherd, C. C., Li, J., Zubrick, S. R. (2012). Social gradients in the health of Indigenous Australians.American journal of public health,102(1), 107-117. Yuejen Zhao, A. (2013). Health inequity in the Northern Territory, Australia.International Journal For Equity In Health,12, 79. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3847185/