Life style patterns and behaviors affect our health along with economic and social structure. According to our text (Williams / Torrens 2010, alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use create a snow ball of problems that affect our health. Excessive alcohol use creates cirrhosis of the liver, if alcohol is consumed while driving or prior to driving it causes vehicular accidents and work related injuries if consumed prior to or during work. Last week I spoke with a 20 year old male who stated his anger escalates after he consumes alcohol. He also stated his father was killed at a night club by someone that consumed excessive alcohol. These actions affect our society because they can create an increase in violent crimes and an increase in homicide and violence incidence. Cigarette use is another behavior that is associated with numerous illness, including cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, and oral cancer. Government intervention has reduced consumption and reduced illnesses associated with the use of tobacco and piper smoking. …show more content…
Our social structure as a whole must realize the factors that we can utilize to protect our own health.
This will involve reducing foods with excessive fat intact, high sodium and sugar which leads to an epidemic of obesity, diabetes and associated problems. Dietary behavior creates preventable illness that lead to enhance mortality and various complications of health concerns. Sexual behaviors associated with the spread of communicable diseases such as AIDS, gonorrhea, syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases leading to increased levels of infertility, cancer and other complications. Societal stress is associated with the deterioration of the immune system which is associated with workplace violence, marital difficulties and spousal abuse. All of which reverts to violence and
homicide.
Economic status plays a major role in our health. It is noted that there is a disparity between medical care for those with greater economic ability than for those that are less fortunate financially. The population that lives in poorer conditions do not have the resources to pay for better medical care for prevention, education and treatment. The lack of knowledge and medical education also leads to poor health conditions. Table 3.29 Self-Assessed Health Status According to Selected Characteristics: United States, Selected Years shows that those in poverty status have fair or poor health. (Williams/Torrens 2010 pg.,69).
Describe the three stages of medical technology development.
The three stages of medical technology development are:
1. Scientific background and development of the ideas for a product.
2. Product development, approval and distribution
3. Diffusion, adoption and utilization of the product
In stage one there is a significant amount of research that comes together with the development of an idea for treatment, a drug, a medical device or piece of medical equipment. It should be noted that this development could take several years to accomplish and could cause the creation of a total different product or technology. The cost factors are great when researching and developing medical technology. The National Institute of Health (NIH) is the engine fueling the growth and expansion of this science machine. The 2006 budget reached $29 million. (Research America,2005).
The second phase of turning an idea into a deliverable technology involves product development. In this phase much of the network created by the National Health Institute support becomes less important. More emphasis is centered on clinical trials. Three basic questions must be answered.
They are: Is there a need and a market for the product?
2. Can an appropriate product( drug, device, piece of equipment be developed that accomplishes what the basic science suggest it can?
3. Can the necessary test and clinical trials be carried out that will win the
Regulatory approvals required for public sale and use of the product?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must approve all drugs, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.
Phase three of medical technology development is consists of clinical trials. Considerable time and money are spent on clinical trials to gain FDA approval. It is important to gain health insurance coverage for the drug or device so that it will be included in a health plan’s standard benefit package. Most health insurance companies will have coverage guidelines to state what is and is not covered.
Describe the major trends in population demographics over the past 80 years.
Population demographics over the past 80 years has doubled the count versus 1950. At the time of the text writing the United States population was 302,000,00 people. This is attributed to the rate of natural increase due to the higher number of births as compared to deaths annually in the United States. Another factor is the increase in population due to net in-migrations.
A major trend is that the population is getting older and utilizes more health care services than other age groups. The typical American is getting older, has increased longevity and relatively lower fertility than experienced earlier in the last century. Better health care, prevention, treatment and education are the factors that contribute to our aging population.
Describe the most important trends in mortality over the past century.
The most important trend in mortality over the past century are life expectancies. The United States falls short in these comparisons. Based on violence, accidents and infectious disease account for the deficiencies in our mortality experience. Our mortality rate is lower that Greece and France. Mortality is differentiated between sexes and races. Females have a higher life expectancy that males, and whites have a greater life expectancy as compared to blacks. There is also a lower life expectancy for younger black males versus younger white males.