Social Planning and Health Care - Essay Example

Title: Social Planning & Health Care Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code and Name: University: Date of Submission: Social Planning &Health care Introduction Social planning is one of the key ingredients for any succeeding economy in the world. The need for social planning has grown with the increase in urbanization, globalization, and the changing social lifestyles and social patterns of individuals as time passes by. It is evident that almost all kinds of planning; ranging from education planning, business planning, health planning, science planning and social planning, would require the input of social planning. Therefore, social planning involves all the planning processes that entails the society functioning and structures that are to be put in place through policy formulation, so as to attain certain social goals. It is of essence to recognize the increase in the need for countries to invest in the social planning processes. This need is necessitated by the benefits of running an economy with good social plans. Social Planning & the Social Determinants of Health The social planning process uses both a reactive approach as well as the proactive approach. These approaches play a part to improve the effectiveness of the social planning. This effectiveness is viewed from the aspect of how it responds to the social determinants of health. The social determinants of health may be looked at as all the conditions that different persons get to enter into this world, their growth and development after birth, the kind of lifestyle and the life they live, where and how they are able to serve or work and their age. In real sense, these conditions are greatly influenced by money or wealth distribution, the global power and the resources in it at the local and national levels (Shookner 2002, p. 34-46). These factors are directly influenced by the policy choices that the stakeholders land on. It is also important to note that the social determinants of health may be portrayed as unfair, and the differences that are avoidable are seen within and between different nations. The social determinants of health are the crucial tools that many Governments use to address the social inequalities; this is through its effort to understand the actions that can be applied to tackle the challenges of social inequalities that affect the public health care delivery system. This means that the authorities are able to use these factors in the implementation of their core role to lead the health function of the public (NHS Health Scotland 2005, p.76-89). Therefore, social planning much applies in the healthcare, for the Government has to device means to address the social inequalities. The social inequalities influence the access of health services among the populations; it affects the affordability and the psychological aspect of different people with regard to their health status. For instance, the different socio-economic factors of different people in a country, may play a great factor on the kind of health care they are able to access. These may be as a result of their access to new information, their different understanding and appreciation of the need to have goods healthcare, the money power to afford to pay for good health care and by extension their different exposure to information as regards to the social health care (Richmond & Anver 2005, p.45). Individuals from high social economic status are assumed to be better placed to receive better healthcare services as compared with those of low socio-economic status; this is why the Authorities would look at the social determinants of health in detail and try their level best to streamline a balance in the health care of populations in the two extremes. The inequalities in the society may lead to biasness in the ability to access and be provided with the required healthcare service by the relevant authorities. Therefore, social planning responds to the need of those who may be deprived the opportunity to access good health care. Social planning may reactively respond to the social health care needs in the society; this is in terms of the push factors that push the authorities to give serious consideration to the social determinants of health; in addition to the proactive approach where it’s the social determinants of health that exposes the need to address certain social and health care demands of the population. A look at the Social Determinants of Health aims to achieve the following key aspects: * First is to raise the awareness of the public about the responsibility and roles of the authorities and the appointed health officers with regard to provision of health care, their roles particularly in addressing the social and health inequalities among the people. * Secondly, the social determinants of health should be used to build capacity. This is in terms of the capability and confidence in local governments to address these social determinants of health. When the Governments are able to factor in the demographics, the healthcare needs of its people in line with the social determinants of health, then there is capacity building to tackle the health needs and the challenges of health care access inequality (Stewart & John 2005, 90-111). * Social determinants of health also plays a fundamental role in ensuring that authorities are conversant with the reviews of the health inequality, and to look at the possibility and the scope of how the social determinants of health is able to give its contribution to the effective implementation of the healthcare review objectives. These objectives would always be set by the authorities based on the social and healthcare needs of the people. *They too are of assistance in the dissemination of knowledge and learning to the authorities in charge of the provision of healthcare, and the partners who are involved in the process. This gives further recognition to the health and improves the core functions of Governments to the social and health care service provision (Stewart & John 2005, p.84-93). It is of great significance to understand as well as to tackle the wider social determinants of health. In a simplistic manner, these social determinants of health are the social, economic as well as environmental condition that influences the health of big populations and individuals. These may include the structural as well as the daily life of individuals which are resultantly shaped by the distribution of power, money, and resources among the people either at local and/or at national levels. Often, social planning would take a proactive measure with respect to the demands that are brought forth by the social determinants of health. In other occasions, the social planning would take a reactive approach to the demands that are exposed by the social determinants of health, which clearly may be seen through the inequalities in the society that may lead to biasness of the ability to access and be provided with the required health care service by the relevant authorities. Therefore, social planning can either respond in a reactive approach to the social inequality needs in the society; this is in terms of the push factors that pushes the authorities to give serious consideration to the social determinants of health, in addition to the proactive approach where it’s the social determinants of health that exposes the need to address certain social and health care demands of the population (Picot & Myles 2004, p.56-70). For instance, a high number of countries in the west due to high industrialization and modernization have attained great prosperity; this is not a natural phenomenon, but a result of planning in these societies. This implies that the society must be planned in a way that guarantees its citizens their individual well being, and this is what social planning does through proactively and reactively taking through this challenge. This has played a great factor in the introduction of the welfare state in these countries. Therefore, social planning may require the social planners to be equipped with a variety of academic backgrounds which may include sociology, administration, among others (European Commission 2004, p.70-83). Conclusion In conclusion, the social realities we live in are more complex; the social planners, however, suggest two kinds of planning that may be factored in social planning. The first one is specialized planning, which is related to specialized planning in a specific area such as business, education planning. Secondly, we have the procedural planning that is associated with the general characteristics of the planning process; it majors on how to shape the planning process. It logically looks at planning as a process; a process involving design, analysis, anticipation, action and application. Looking at all these, it remains that the social planning proactively and reactively is influenced by the social determinants of health. References European Commission 2004, Joint report on social planning and inclusion. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg. NHS Health Scotland 2005, Promoting Social Inclusion and Tackling Health Inequalities in Europe. EuroHealthNet Publishers, Brussels. Richmond, T, & Anver, S 2005, Social Inclusion in planning. Fernwood Publishing, Halifax. Picot, G, & Myles, J 2004, “Social inequality.” A journal on Income Inequality and Low-Income in Canada, Vol. 7, no. 2. Stewart, K, & John, H 2005, A More Equal Society through social planning New Labour, Poverty, Inequality and Exclusion. The Policy Press, Abingdon. Shookner, M 2002, Looking at Social planning, Economic Exclusion and Inclusion. Population and Public Health. Rex Publishers, Ottawa. Read More