Evolution of Contemporary Public Health System - Term Paper Example

Name Professor Course Title Date Public Health Introduction Public health involves preventing diseases so as to prolong the lives of people. Societies and organizations help in meeting the goal of preventing diseases in the public health sector. The public health sector also involve the population health, environmental and community health (Michael & Meeker 2010). It has several sub branches like epidemology and biostastics which are very crucial in this sector. Improving the public health sector has become the most important in the world today. This is because this sector is very crucial because it deals with the health of the public. Evolution of contemporary public health There has been many changes in public health over the years that has led to the current reforms in this sector. Evolution in the public health sector involves the services, ethics and its management (Rodrigues 2009). The positive changes have led to the evolution in the public health. Some of the changes that have taken place leading to evolution in public health include the following. The use of modern science and technology in public health is one of the evolution that has taken place. In the past there was no use of technology unlike today where public health is so much driven by technology. This is beacuse it makes working in this sector easy than in the absence of technology. for instancestoring and updating records about public health is done through technology unlike in the past where they were kept in physical files. Another evolution that has taken place in the public health is improvement of services. This has been as a result of introduction of new policies that are more effective than in the past. These policies allow for better provision of services and room for checking on the standards (Michael & Meeker 2010). The introduction of quality assurances who survey public health to ensure that they are within their requierments. They also have the obligation of setting standards that public health should follow. This plays a major role in the evolution of public health. Reduction of the number of death cases is another evolution that has taken palce in public health. They have been able to control diseades, prevent them and treat iseases hence; reducing death cases (Moor 2011). Introduction of medication to cure diseases has had impacts in reducing death cases from such diseases like cancer. For instance, introduction of technological machines to treat cancer patients in public health. The machines help in prolonging the lives of such patients and reducing pain for cancer patients. These facilities are in health facilities hence; improving the public health sector. Evolution of public health also means that many people today can easily access medical services so that they can get treatment. Accessibility to health services by the public is now easy and fast because of the many health facilities available (Fleming & Parker 2008). Building more health facilities in the world has been a target to continue the objective of evolutionizing public health. Therefore, there has been evolution in public health with characteristics above leading to a better public health than before. Identify determinants of health and health inequality Health inequality is an unfair gap that exists in the provision of health facilities and services. The major determinant of health inequality is the social classes. Report from many of these health facilities show that the gap keeps on widening (Michael & Meeker 2010). Views from people also has shown clearly the determinants and consequences of inequality in the public health. The gap between the poor and the rich contributes to the inequality in provision of health facilities. Report from many of these health . There is need to narrow this gap and create equality in provision of health services in our public health sector. This is so as to reduce the negative efects and consequences that this has on the public (Rodrigues 2009). It will also help improve services in public health by ensuring equality for all regardless of their social class. Difference in social classes among people creates inequality in health sector especially in provision of such services. Reports show that the poor are given inadequate services unlike the rich who get good and quality services (Moor 2011). This is because sometimes the rich are in a position to pay more for such services unlike the poor who are not in aposition to do so. The poor do not have enough money to pay for such services hence; end up getting poor services. It is unfair to the poor beacuse they also need quality and adequate services. Health officers in this facilities are aprt of the causes of inequality among people. This is because they tend to offer better services to somebody and tehy discriminate others (Fleming & Parker 2008). For instance, they may offer better services to their relatives and discriminate against those who are not. This is also another determinant of inequality in the health sector. Therefore, there is a need to monitor such cases so this habbit stops. There has been many concerns about health inequality by many parties that creates the need to narrow the gap and ensure equality. Many insitutions have come up to help meet equality in the health sector (Michael & Meeker 2010). For instance, in the UK where universities have come up to educate the public on the importance of equality in health sector. They have taken the initiative to narrow this gap and ensure that even the poor get good services in health sectors. Their aim is to reduce discrimination in health sectors among the poor and the rich and ensure that everybody gets fair treatment. Departments of health are also on the frontline to eliminate this discrimination in [providing services in public sector. University college London is one of the insitutions that have taken this initiative of ensuring equity in provision of health services (Moor 2011). They have done this by launching a campaign against social determinates and discrimination according to the social classes of people. Their proffesor gave some money to health departments so that they minimize health inequalities in the UK. The government also has a hand in reducing health inequalities in the country. They do so by introduction of policies that ensure equality for both the poor and rich in public sector. The government has set targets that aim at reducing this gap to ensure equality. They have put so much effort and resources so that discrimination in public sector does not exist anymore. The government plans to do this gy educating people including children (Fleming & Parker 2008). This is so that they learn the importance of equity and negative impacts of discrimination. Inequality in provision of health services creates a wider gap between the two social classes hence; increasing discrimination. This is achievable by starting from the county levels so that in the end the whole country achieves this objective. Collaboration and partnerships between agencies in the public health Recently there has been many collaborations between public health and other institutions that have interest in this sector. There has also been partnerships between the public health sector and these institutions (Moor 2011). The aim of this collaboration and partnership is to improve the quality of services in public health. Some of these insititutions include different agencies, communities, professionals, individuals and communities. This collaborations creates better services in the health sector. Some of these partners also help in financing public health so that they are able to offer services with the necessary resources (Fleming & Parker 2008). They ensure that resources are enough so that hospitals do not run short of such resources. For instance, such partners help in carrying out research for such sectors like biostatistics. Organizations like hospitals and health department have merged to work for a better and healthier tomorrow. This is a branch of the public health sectro that deals with statistics of any kind concerning health. For instance statistics on the death rates of patients suffering from a certain disease. Collaborating with such institutions like agencies makes work easier for public health beacuse they help them carry out activities. Collaborations are also important to the public health because they act as sources of information on health matters. Communities may give information regarding the causes of diseases and their impacts of such on the community (Rodrigues 2009). This is because they are nearest to the parties whom such information concerns, who in this case are the people in the community. Another advantage of collaborating with the community is that they help in implementing policies made in the public health to the community members. This is due to the fact that they have a direct involvement with the community. It makes it easy for such implimentation unlike when public health has to get to the or grassroots, which is challenging. Organizations that handle planning matters collaborate with public health with the aim of assisting them in the planning sector. For instance, an organization that handles planning in regards to rural areas and problems that they face. Individuals also partner with public health so that they form a collaboration with them (Moor 2011). Such collaboration creates a codial relationship that helps this sector to work effectively. Partnerships with individuals helps in carrying out projects, especially from professionals. These collaborations with professionals help in giving professional guidance to public health regarding their areas of professionalism. Theoretical perspectives and processes in assessing and responding to population health needs Population health needs are the expectations that the community have regarding the health sector and how they fulfill these expectations. Public health have the responsibilty of ensuring that they meet these needs from the population on how they deliver their services (Fleming & Parker 2008). These needs are many hence; a challenge to public health to ensure that they meet all of them. Public health carry out research to access the needs from the population so that they are able to meet these needs. Some of the needs from the population is quality services from the health facilities. The population has the need of getting good services from health officers and practitioners. The population also expect that medical services are available and easily accessible by everybody so that they reduce death rates of oatients who do not reach those facilities. Public health, therefore, has a responsibility of responding to such needs of the public. There are many diseases that people are facing in the world today. This is one of the greatest needs taht the population has to the public health. It has a great responsible of ensuring that epidemics and diseases reduce in the population (Rodrigues 2009). People also expect that public health offers solutions to such a need as finding medication for all diseases that they suffer from. For instance, public health has the responsibility of making medicine affordable for the population. This is so that they get medicine to cure their diseases. Public health responds to these needs by meeting them to ensure that the population gets satisfaction from their services. They access the needs of the public by carrying out research through such ways like giving questionnaires (Fleming & Parker 2008). They have questions about the quality of services taht they give and the needs taht the public has for them. They also collect information regarding all needs that the community have on health issues and their opinions regarding how they can meet these needs. Public health responds to all these needs by doing this kind of research from the public. They atre able to get access to all the information that tehy require so that their response is appropriate to the needs of the needs (Rodrigues 2009). This includes such things as reducing cases of inequality in provision of services in public sector. They also respond to the population needs by bringing health facilitties nearer to the community for easy accessibility. Health information Health information involves many details in its nature because of its sensitivity and importance to the parties. It is sensitive in natutre becauseit deals with patients and other information that is confidential. This calls for care when handling such information and when dispersing it to the public or any other party that has interest in it (Michael & Meeker 2010). This information also has a nature of relevancy to to the public health because its main aim is to assist the sector. Such information should also be timely so that it is up to date. It should give information about health that is recent so that it reflects the current situation as it is. Many people believe in information they get from their doctors concerning their health. Since the introduction of online information, many people are searching for helth information online. There many reasons why people go for health information online. The most important reason is because it is cheaper to gather information online (Fleming & Parker 2008). One does not have to pay for consultancy fee. Other reasons include; First, many people want to decide if it is neccesary to seek doctor’s advice. This means that they try to diagonise themselves. Other reasons are that many health practioners are going lonline to offer information concerning their health. This allows a free interaction between the health practioners and the patient. People who are living with chronic diseases are able to search for information on how they are supposed to live with the chronic diseases. This helps in saving on time and expenses so that such patients get access to health faster than before. Health information in public health is relevant in many ways. Its relevance is to many parties like the public, the government and to the health practitioners in these health institutions and important health information is to the public sector (Fleming & Parker 2008). There are many applications that health information has on the public health. All the above sectors relate directly to the public sector because of the roles they play in it. The following situations explain how relevant and important health information is to the public health. Generally, health information is very essential and relevant to the public health sector (Rodrigues 2009). This is because it is very relevant and its applications relate directly. Health information provides the public health with a clear understanding of epidemic diseases and are able to offer prevention earlier. With prevention comes better quality of life among the public because they offer prevention for such epidemics. Health information is also important to the government especially when allocating funds and resources to the public health sector. Reforms taking place in this sector require many resources and funds from sponsors especially the government. When the government gets health information, it gets information regarding the public health sector. For instance, information on the numberr of death cases due to a disease like malaria (Michael & Meeker 2010). This information will be helpuful to the government in that they are able to help this sector reduce the number of such deaths. They can do this by allocating funds to the public sector so hat they offer better services to prevent such cases in the future. Conclusion In conclusion ,health information is relevant to the health practitioners and other health officers who work with this public health sector. This helps in the growth of the public health by improving the quality of services in the sector (Moor 2011). Quality assurance require health information that they verify and certify institutions in the public sector. This ensures that public health carries out its activities according to the standards set by the quality assurance. Bibliography Exworthy, M, Stuart, M & Blane, D. (2003): Tackling health inequalities since the Acheson inquiry: The policy Press: pp. 60-65. Fleming, M. L & Parker, E. (2008): Introduction to public health: Elvsevier Australia: pp. 300-378. Gebbie, K. M & Rosenstock, L. (2003): Who will keep the public healthy?: educating public health professionals for the 21st century: National Academics Press: pp. 250-300. House of Common Health Committee. (2009): Health inequalities: report, together with formal minutes: The Stationery Office: pp. 120-140. Linsley, P, Kane, R & Owen, S. (2011): Nursing for public health: promotion, principles and practice: Oxford University Press: pp. 250-262. Michael, T & Meeker, W. C. (2010): Introduction to public health for Chiropractors: Jones & Bartlett learning: pp. 350-420. Moor, G. J. E. (2011): Transatlantic cooperation sorrounding health related information and communication technology: IOS Press: pp. 124-130. Novick, L. F, Morrow, C. B & Mays, G. P. (2008): Public health administration: principles for population-based management: Jones & Bartlett Learning: pp. 750-772. Orme, J, Powell, J & Taylor, P. (2007): Public health for the 21st century: new perspectives on policy, participation and practice: McGraw-Hill International: pp. 150-240. Orme, J, powell, J & Taylor, P. (2007): Public health for the 21st century: McGraw-Hill international: pp. 150-280. Rodrigues, J. (2009): Health information systems: concepts. Methodologies, tools and applications: Idea Group Inc: pp. 1006-1200. Read More