Assignment 4- 2nd draft - only KIM WOODS

Health Literacy Paper

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Health Literacy Paper

In order for the population to have knowledge regarding the state of health in the country, it is crucial to visit specific issues affecting the health sector thus the importance of the topic on access to health services. For people to come to the understanding of how access to healthcare has been spread out in the country, this excerpt will strive to explore three areas that directly determine the spectrum in the ability to access health services across the whole population; incorporating the different factors that create variations in people’s abilities. The essay will give the disparities that exist in our social constructs that constitute to a problem that has affected a large part of the population in terms of coverage, availability of services and timeliness in getting medical care; all of which result in a positive or negative effect on the overall achievement of a healthy status among people. Additional information on the changing/ emerging trends in the provision of health services and improvements in access will be discussed to show the growth that has been attained with changing times and the effects that can be achieved through the continual increase in knowledge and information in the population regarding the matter. The essay will conclude with a brief summary of the important points on the topic together with the provision of the necessary steps to take to tackle disparities that cause variations in access to health care throughout the population.

It is crucial to mark the seriousness of the matter that is access to health care considering that in 2007, only 76.3 percent of the population was covered with medical insurance ergo dictating the adverse problem that some of the members of the population faced. The numbers changed upwards by more than 20 million in 2010 with the introduction of Patient Protection and Affordable Care but the underlying problem is still in existence since millions of Americans still lack insurance coverage (National HealthCare Quality Report, 2013). The importance of taking a medical cover on a people’s health is a subject that has not been grasped by many leading to avoidable consequences such as high medical bills, high mortality and morbidity rates and late discovery of diseases due to lack of ability to access basic services. The lack of coverage in the field can be associated with a lack of knowledge and understanding of how the system works. This factor can be attributed to low literacy levels of persons due to low educational levels, lack of informative channels that directly instruct citizens on what to do and the lack of advice on how to get insurance deals that work with different levels in the affordability among the population (Millman, 1993). There are several plans that people can take to cover their medical needs, all different in the range/ payments plans. The lack of a medical cover has been associated to the different disparities that exist in the population such as age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and race; some of the factors being intertwined to create a vicious cycle. Often, people find themselves in large debts due to medical bills too late when serious illnesses such as cancer, which entail large sums of money to treat, are discovered of them. Among some of the advantages of having a medical coverage plan, early detection of diseases, enhanced through consistent and regular visits to health provision centers, goes a long way in achieving, preventing and maintaining health standards that the health sector wishes to reach (Hadley, 2007). Obtaining a medical coverage plan is bound to prepare the population in hasty tackling of illnesses whenever they appear and prevention of serious illness wherever it is possible.

Access to health services cannot be linked to a lack of coverage only; the basic availability of health centers in the provision of medical intervention has also been identified as a major factor. In some cases, the mere existence of a health service provider is lacking in an area; some parts of the population are located in rural areas whereby health service providers are found in distant areas hence timely delivery of the needed services is hard. Hereby, the morbidity and mortality rates of the area are seen to rise since illnesses are discovered in the late stages and cases of emergencies are responded to after a long time ergo bringing about situations that could have been prevented. Additionally, the availability of services can be looked at in the aspect of the provision of long term medical services. In this, the availability of a Primary Care Provider (PCP) that deals with patients from a specific locale create an atmosphere that is well versed to tackle the health problems of people in the area. With the availability of a PCP that is consistent, a healthcare provider interacts with his/ her patients well in creating better communication between them, better service delivery, lower mortality rates, and greater patient trust in the provider. The PCP is also able to facilitate control measures on a population since the spread of a disease can be curbed early hen discovery and risk of infection is identified in part of the population e.g. vaccination against fever and further necessitation of healthy behavior among the members of the population. Still on the aspect of the availability of services, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) count as vital points in service delivery. The quick response of emergency services go a great deal in the preservation of life thus in a remote area, there is a high chance of failure to find such services. The health sector has improved consistently over the years in ensuring that patients receive quick medical interventions in cases of emergencies although steps for further development in rural areas should be considered (Starfield and Shi, 2004).

Thirdly, the timeliness in access to health services is a paramount feature in ensuring the health and preservation of people’s lives. The timeliness of a health provider to necessitate the needed care after an illness has been diagnoses goes a long way in keeping the mortality rates low together with preventing additional costs of services. A quick response also aids in reducing emotional stress on the patient and the family together with reducing the spread of the illness. Medical practitioners need to brush up on their delivery of clinical services to reduce the overall lack of access to the public due to long waiting periods and decreased customer satisfaction (Hsai and Tabas, 2009).

In conclusion, it is apparent that the effects of lack of access to medical services are far-reaching and are often times preventable. The major milestones that can be considered while dealing with access to medical care can be summarized to insurance coverage, availability of the services and the timeliness in delivery of the services. Additionally, it is evident that the differences in ethnicity, age, socioeconomic, geographic, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, and disability status all aid at creating variations in the ability to access medical care in the country. However, it is paramount to attest to the growth in development that the modern age has brought about in the medical field. Improvements in the number of people who are covered in some sort of insurance cover has consistently been on the rise especially with recent developments in the Medicaid and the Medicare plans proposed in America Additionally, a gradual rise in the number of people who associate themselves with a certain Primary Care Provider (PCP) has increased hence bringing about a steady control of diseases and increased preservation of life. The reaction to emergency situations that arise in day to day basis has also been improved with emergency service delivery teams being deployed within minutes of the report. However, the issue of access to medical services is still in the spotlight with a majority of low income, minority groups and disabled/ disadvantaged persons being unable to acquire these vital provisions. Steps toward the improvement in the sector need to be taken both on personal and communal ranks to ensure the mortality and morbidity rates are reduced and further achieve health equity in the nation.

Factsheet

Problem

· The main agenda is access to health services with specific concentration given to the factors that hinder it.

Causes

· Lack of an insurance coverage plan

· Unavailability of health services

· Timeliness in the delivery of services

Effects

· Heavy costs burden due to lack of health insurance

· Stress due to long waiting hours while receiving medical help

· Mortality due to late detection of illnesses.

· Lack of preventive measures being taken due to inconsistent visitation to healthcare units

· An overall rise in morbidity due to poor health routines and behaviors.

· Unnecessary or rather preventable hospitalization due to late discovery of diseases.

Prevention and Improvements that can be taken

· You should ensure that you have taken a health insurance cover for you and your family.

· Take the necessary steps to get regular visitation schedules with a doctor, preferably near your locale.

· Ensure that the geographical location you live in has a quick response team during emergencies

· Practice better health habits whenever possible. These include frequent medical check-ups and healthy living lifestyles.

References

Hadley J. (2007) Insurance coverage, medical care use, and short-term health changes following an unintentional injury or the onset of a chronic condition. JAMA 297 (10):1073-84

Millman M. (1993) Access to Health Care in America Institute of Medicine, Committee on Monitoring Access to Personal Health Care Services. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

National Healthcare Quality Report (2013) Chapter 10: Access to Healthcare. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Retrieved from: http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhqdr15/access.html

Starfield B, Shi L. (2004) the medical home, access to care, and insurance Pediatrics Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15121917

Hsai RY, Tabas JA. (2009) the increasing weight of increasing waits. Chicago, USA: Arch Intern Med