IHP 501 Final Project One Milestone Two Guidelines and Rubric Summary of the Issues Overview: As a healthcare professional driven to advocacy, you must be aware of the disparities of healthcare system

Veronica Horne

IHP Final Project One Milestone One

Southern New Hampshire University

Health Analysis for Australia

July 5, 2020

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the demographics and general state of the healthcare system in Australia, as well as the analysis of three health issues for the nation. Australia was chosen as the selected nation for this analysis for they are very similar to the Unites States in terms of prosperity, and while there are some similarities to how the government is run and operated, there are some very major differences as well. One of these differences is the healthcare system, which will be explained in detail throughout this paper. Another similarity to the United States is the medical issues, which will also be addressed with statistical data. Lastly, the government is not a democracy; rather it is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Several similarities with the United States government, but with key major differences.

Demographic Data

As of December 21, 2019, the population of Australia was 25,522,169 people, and data shows an annual growth rate of 349,800 people (1.4%). Almost 40% of this annual growth was from natural increase, and the remainder 60% was to to overseas migrants (ABS, 2020). This breaks down to approximately one birth every two minutes, one death every three minutes, one citizen leaving the country every seven minutes, and an overall population increase of one person every two and a half minutes. The Capitals of Australia have seen the largest population growth, a trend that is typical of any nation. Total population growth in the Capitals was 79%, with Melbourne and Sydney seeing the largest growth rate, followed by Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth, making these the top five Capitals for growth (ABS, 2020).

There are over 1.9 million people in Australia who are recent migrants or temporary residents. From this number, 50% had permanent visas or had become Australian citizens (Worldometer, 2020). So, while some Australians may be migrating out to other countries, there is always a steady influx of those coming into the country to keep the population growing at a slow, but steady rate. This shows that there is employment to be had, and other key factors besides the economy, such as healthcare, for example, are tempting some to remain permanently.

Life expectancy for males is 82.1 years, and for females it is 85.8 years. A combination of the two is 83.9 years. This has been a gradual increase over the last fifty years. The infant mortality rate is 2.7 per 1,000 live births. Median age is 38 as of 2020, and Australia ranks fifty-five globally by population amount (Worldometer, 2020).

Australia is the sixth largest country in the world, and its ocean territory is the third largest. (Australia.gov.au, n.d.). But much of the country is covered in desert, hence why more than 80% of the population live within 100 kilometers of the coast. The country is rich in biodiversity, yet much of the soil is poor in nutrients. This means that only 6% of the landmass is arable. Because Australia is the driest continent on the globe, easy access to open water such as rivers or run-offs are not an option. Almost one third of the continent sees no annual rainfall, leading to brushfires and constant water shortages (Australia.gov.au, n.d.). Pollution by human activity also plays a role on the environment, causing marine pollution and soil erosion.

Yet the continent is rich in biodiversity, being home to more than one million species of plants and animals, some of which cannot be found anywhere else globally. The continent has some lush landscapes, beautiful beaches, yet so much if it is also covered in desert, which is a harsh environment not suited to much of modern man. Only the hardiest people, plants or animals can survive the arid environment. There are the rare times where parts of the country will see some snowfall, though Australia is better known for its very hot summers. But because of such diversity in one continent, where such many beautiful and unique animals, insects and fauna thrive, it offers rich opportunities for study by scientists, or allows for enrichment and enjoyment for the tourism industry. Just the beaches alone, the surfers will flock to enjoy the large waves to ride on with their surfboards.

Australian Government

The Australian Government is also known as the Federal Government and is a constitutional monarchy. The country is comprised of a federation of six states which, together with two self-governing territories, have their own constitutions, parliaments, governments, and laws (Parliament of Australia, 2020). The Federal government is comprised of the Parliament, Executive Government, and the Judiciary. Their government is very similar to that of the United Kingdom, from which it was modelled from. There are three powers to the government. The legislative makes the laws, the executive carries out and enforces the law, and the judicial interprets and decides how to apply the law to cases. The Parliament is comprised of the Queen, who is represented by the Governor-General, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. The Executive Government houses the Prime Minister, Ministers, Cabinet, and Parliamentary Secretaries.

State of Healthcare

The Commonwealth Government holds responsibility for Medicare, the national scheme which provides free or subsidized access to clinically relevant medical, diagnostic, and allied health services as specified in the Medical Benefits Schedule (Parliament of Australia, 2013). Primary health care is typically provided by general practitioners, and the Australian Medicare system provides these services free or subsidized.

Acute care is given in private or public hospitals. In a public hospital, the services are free for public patients, but wait times can be long for care needing hospitalization. Private hospitals offer services to those wanting a choice of medical providers and private rooms, but Medicare will typically pay 75% of the Medicare schedule fee, with the balance met by private health insurance or patient out of pocket costs.

Community health facilities provide low-cost services such as immunizations and mental health services. Pharmaceutical drugs are dispensed under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), and paid for by the government. The Department of Veteran’s Affairs handles all health services for Veterans. Care for the Aging is provided by a combination of private, government, and not-for- profit organizations (Parliament of Australia, 2013).

Health-Related Issues

The Australian people are living longer than previous generations, but they still deal with a multitude of chronic health issues. Coronary heart disease is the number one cause of death for Australians. This is followed by hypertension, diabetes, cancer, depression, anxiety, and Respiratory diseases such as asthma. Cardiovascular disease has been the leading cause of death for women. Many of those with this disease have secondary ailments, such as obesity, high cholesterol, and are smokers or consume alcohol (Dept. of Health, 2011).

While the Australian health care system is very good at managing a patient with a single chronic condition, those with multiple chronic health issues face challenges in the health care system (University of Sydney, 2017). This may be due in part to the fact that some general practitioners are focusing on just one problem, but not looking deep enough into patients with several ailments and directing them to the proper specialists in a timely fashion. The Australian health care system is one of the better ones in the world, especially when compared to other countries that offer similar services that are free or at a reduced charge. But the system needs to be strengthened at the primary point of contact between patient and doctor, those at the general practice level, who for many are the first point of contact.

On average $467 million is spent on health ($19 per person), per day, and 777,000 prescriptions are filled under the PBS. This is by no means a small amount. The country invests a great deal of money annually to take care of its citizens, but more needs to be done through awareness programs and better education the people to prevent future ailments or better manage existing conditions. The current health care structure of Australia is very good indeed, but there is also some room for improvement to pace Australians on a better track for heath and longevity.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2020). Population. https://www.abs.gov.au/Population

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2020, June 12). Main Features - Key statistics. https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/3101.0

Australian Government (n.d.). Our natural environment. https://info.australia.gov.au/about-australia/our-country/our-natural-environment

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2018). Australia’s health 2018. https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/fe037cf1-0cd0-4663-a8c0-67cd09b1f30c/aihw-aus-222.pdf.aspx?inline=true

Department of Health (2011). National Women’s Health Policy. https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/womens-health-policy-toc~womens-health-policy-key~womens-health-policy-key-discussion

Parliament of Australia (2013). Parliament and Government. https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Work_of_the_Parliament/Forming_and_Governing_a_Nation/parl

University of Sydney (2013). The 6 top chronic health issues affecting Australians. https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2017/03/10/the-six-top-chronic-health-issues-affecting-australians--new-res.html

Worldometer (2020). Australia Demographics. https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/australia-demographics/