Primary Health Care And Secondary Care Essay

The health care system varies from country to country although a factor they all have in common is that great measures of research are taken in order to find results and achieve a good health care system for the economy. Between Australia and japan, there are great initiatives taken to help in association to this, including economic, social and political circumstances, all influencing the way in which the countries health care system is shaped and run.

The Australian healthcare system has been evolving since the beginning of the colonisation of Australia. Today, Australia has an extremely efficient healthcare system although it still has several issues. The influencing factors, structure, and current issues of the Australian healthcare system will be throughly discussed and explained in this essay.

The healthcare system in Australia is complex involving many funders and healthcare providers. In 2011 to 2012 the health expenditure in Australia was estimated to have been $140.2 billion, which made up 9.5 percent of gross domestic product in that year (AIHW, 2013). Responsibilities are split between different levels of government, and between the government and non-government sectors. With non-government sources funding for about 30 percent of the total health expenditure each year (AIHW, 2013). Australians make their contribution to their healthcare system through taxes, including the Medicare levy, and through private financing such as private health insurance. Private health insurance in Australia is a voluntary facility for private funding of hospital care and ancillaries. Insurance funds may cover the costs of treatment for private patients in private or public hospitals and can include some services that Medicare does not cover. The Australian governments fund for almost 70 percent of the health expenditure each year (AIHW, 2013). The federal government contributes to approximately two-thirds, while State, Territory and local governments together contribute for the other one-third (AIWH, 2013). As a generalization the Australian government is primarily responsible for the funding of healthcare, through health insurance arrangements and direct payments to the state and territories, while state and territories are primarily responsible

The Australian Medicare system is essentially based around private practice and fee-for-service. In England, they have the National Health Service, which is a publicly funded healthcare system, this is the oldest and biggest

Primary health care is the first point of access and entry point into the Australian health care system. An effective primary health care system 'gives priority to those most in need and addresses health inequalities; maximises community and individual self-reliance, participation and control; and involves collaboration and partnership with other sectors to promote public health. ' (APHCRI, 2009 p.22)

Primary Health care offers integrated, easy to access health services by professionals who are accountable for seeing to a vast majority of individual health care needs and are supported by an integrated referral system. WHO (2003) Primary Health care is the initial stage of contact with the health systems for most Australians. Primary health care is to keep people well, to manage health care needs and prevent people from having to go to hospital PHCRIS (2016). Types of services provided by primary health care are health promotion, prevention and screening, early intervention, treatment and management. There are also services for specific population such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people, older persons, youth health, maternity and child health and refugees, they also provide but are not limited to services such as oral health, drugs and alcohol services, sexual health, obesity, diabetes and mental

This essay will discuss the structure of Australia’s healthcare system, known as Medicare. It will also discuss the role of the Government and Non-Government agencies, and Medicare’s strengths and weaknesses. It will also address the health and illness issues that aboriginal and people from overseas face, and also the significance of implementing best practice and quality management

While implementing Primary Health Care models, identical to those in metropolitan areas, in a rural setting is not practical, I feel there is an obvious need to improve primary health care in remote areas. This is due to the significant health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, in rural and remote areas

The Indigenous Australian people have practiced traditional “healthcare” for thousands of years, only since 1811, when the first hospital was built by convicts in Sydney, has there been any sort of “structured” healthcare, albeit basic. Nurses, both male and female convicts, that cared for the sick and infirm, were untrained and said to be of questionable character.

al., 2011). Health service accessibility by individuals in rural and remote areas is a problem central to both countries. Reports indicate that compared with metropolitan populations, non-metropolitan populations, in both Australia and the UK, experience poor access to health services (Watt, Franks, Sheldon, 1994, p. 16). As in the primary care sector of the UK, majority of the doctors in Australia are self-employed and reimbursed on a fee-for-service approach (Gillies, 2003, p. 77). GP’s are the initial point of contact for patients in both Australia and the UK. Additional specialist medical services such as physiotherapy and optometry are only available when patients are provided with a formal referral from their GPs (Piterman, Koritsas, 2005). Although the NHS is similar to the Australian health system in certain ways, both systems also possess some differences.

It has been observed that Indigenous Australians face deprivation to a range of services including primary health care, due to various factors such as cultural barrier, environmental factors and racism. As a result, there was increase in the rate of obesity, overweight, chronic diseases and mortality rate. However, Australian governments have introduced programs that increase the availability of services to rural and remote areas but still Indigenous Australian’s health needs urgent consideration. Therefore, it should be prioritized by the Australian government to provide all the primary health care services to indigenous Australians without any discrimination.

Throughout this essay an evaluation will be deducted on the health inequalities among Australians. Secondly, a further evaluation to appraise and identify the causes, scope and impact on the health and well-being of [the] individual (s), families and community. Thirdly, describe the paradigms and accountabilities that Government and non-Government Organisations [NGO] assume across community services and health sectors to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians. Additionally, reviewing the over-all health and wellbeing issues from service- operators and counselors to assist in the ongoing [future] development of better health-care for Australians. Finally, differentiate professional practices and reactions to appropriated community

Australians continue to experience health comparable to those of other developed countries. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW] (2016) the life expectancy of Australians at birth remains one of the highest in the world. Furthermore, death rates are decreasing and survival rates are improving for many major health issues such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases (AIHW, 2016). Yet, the Australian health care data has shown that improvements can be made in health care.

Key Historical, Key political and Key socio-cultural influence that have shaped healthcare access in contemporary Australian society.

For example, community education about current health issues is one of the functions of primary health care, so a registered nurse can assume the role of an educator and educate the community about the current threat. Community education is one of the most important aspects of nursing because their code of ethics requires them to keep the community accurately informed on health related issues (Australian Nursing & Midwifery Council [ANMC], 2006). Furthermore, the education informs community about prevention methods because primary health care supports the active participation of patients for both individual and public health.