Unit 11 – Assignments. Populations with Special Health Needs

Name

Institution

Course

Date

Assignment 1

What is a vulnerability model? What are the distinctive characteristics of this model?

Vulnerability model is an integrated method of learning the vulnerability of a specific population and its chances of experiencing poor health or being ill. Vulnerability represents a combination of various factors and many majority individuals have no control or little over. The specific characteristic of vulnerability model is that it majors on the attributes of vulnerability for the entire population rather than focusing on vulnerable characteristics of subpopulations. The other distinctive trait is that it is a comprehensive model, entailing both personal and ecological characteristics of risk. This model stresses on the vulnerability convergence.

Assignment 2

Compared with White Americans, what are some of the health challenges faced by minorities? What are some of the health concerns for women? For men? For children?

The percentage of live births with low birth rates in common in minorities compared to White Americans. For instance, Pacific Islanders and Asians are more probable of beginning prenatal care during their first trimesters. Compared to Hispanics, White Americans women of 40 years and above use mammography more. It is observed that non-White Americans have lower life expectancies, higher aged-adjusted death rates for leading causes of death, higher adjusted maternal mortality rates, and higher unfact neonatal and post neonatal mortality rates. American Indians have higher rates of death from drug related causes for instance alcohol. They also have higher chances of getting diabetic and committing suicide compared to White Americans.

Assignment 3

What childhood characteristics have important implications for health system design?

Among the exceptional childhood characteristics that have significant implications of health system designs are dependency, differential mortality and morbidity patterns, and children’s development vulnerability. Developmental vulnerability is the quick and cumulative emotional and physical alteration that come along with child development and the possible effects that diseases, injuries or untoward family and social circumstances might have on child’s development curve.

Children have multifaceted and changing dependency connections that affect their growths and impacts their utilization of health services. Children rely on their parents or other people who act as their caregivers to identify and respond to their health concerns, to establish their care and approve treatments, and to conform to recommended treatment regimens. Children are normally affected by various and complex situations that are termed as ‘new morbidities’. The new morbidities entail alcohol and drug use, family and surrounding violence, emotional distress, and learning problems that older generation did not suffer from. These new morbidities come from intricate socioeconomic or family conditions rather than from exclusively biological etiologies. To maintain good results, the new morbidities need a continuum of comprehensive services that entail multidisciplinary assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation as well as community-based prevention methods.

Assignment 4

Please read the New York Times article “Women in Texas Losing Options for Health Care in Abortion Fight”, by Pam Belluck and Emily Ramshaw on March 7, 2012. Please post your comments on the Discussion Board.

After reading the article, I fail to understand why they do not come up with other substitutes suppose they claim to have great care and concerned about women. What evils is there supposing they work with Texas legislature to create another organization that better understand health services? I have opinion that Texas need to re-examine itself and come to sense that they are outside reality of caring for the needs of women and their health needs. The issue that need to be tackled is controlling the needs of women rather than hating abortion. The problems seems deeper than just looking at it at the surface.

I think it is evident that majority of the women will not be ready to pay for their services. Minus clinics for breast and cervical cancer screening, these women will find it too late when diagnosed. Additionally, the available health care services will be located away from the reach of majority and they will thus lose their sense. With time, statistics on the number of death with increase showing majority of disadvantaged women dying needleless because they lack access to proper health care needs.

Assignment 5

Please read The New York Times article “Uninsured Numbers Drop as Poverty Rate Holds Steady” by Robert Pear, September 16, 2015. Please post your comments on the Discussion Board.

I agree with the article that there has been a sharp rise in the number of insured American citizens in the recent years. The American healthcare sector has undergone varied changes and reforms with different governments coming up with a raft of modifications and healthcare bills. The healthcare reform was primarily focused on lowering the cost of healthcare that Americans incurred, healthcare funding, increasing healthcare insurance coverage and eliminating the burden of healthcare on average Americans and it has achieved this. ObamaCare has impacted varied sectors of the economy in varied ways capturing a better population. One of the deeply affected industries is the hospitality and hotel industries and this has led to increase in the number.

Assignment 6

Please read The New York Times article “Puerto Ricans Brace for Crisis in Health Care” by Lizette Alvarez and Abby Goodnough, August 2, 2015.

Please post your comments on the Discussion Board.

The cut of funding of Medicare program in Puerto Rico will have detrimental consequences on the lives and its economy as a whole. The pay-for-service formulae that they intend to use might not yield a better result to sustain the program as the citizens have the options of moving to the mainland for medical services. They are flexible and better medical services are awaiting in the mainland. Additionally, the great exodus by the medical personnel is alarming. The doctors need better care, improve commissions and good working conditions which seem to deteriorate in Puerto Rico.

The large population in this program will be at risk suppose it collapses. The local politicians and other proposed strategies to deal with it might not yield better result than when the government would have prioritized it. All Puerto Rico need to do is collaborate with the main government to come to their aid.

Assignment 7 – Terminology

Chronic Illness

Chronic illness is a condition in one’s health or a disease that has long-lasting effects. It is normally referred to diseases that do not have cure for instance cancer, asthma, diabetes and different viral diseases for instance hepatitis C.

Dependency

Dependency is an adaptive condition that comes from the repeated use of something for instance drug. In majority of the case, the body does not function normally suppose the dependency is eliminated.

Developmental vulnerability

Developmental vulnerability can be explained as the reduce capacity of a person to cope with, resist and recover from the effects of man-made or natural developmental hazards. The concept is relative and dynamic and most often connected to poverty. It can however, be associated with isolation, insecurity and defenseless in face of risk.

Enabling characteristic

Mediating factors

Mediating factors are factors that account for the connection between a predictor variable and outcome variable.

Need attributes

An attribute is the trait that is given to an individual or a group of people. This is the characteristics that associates one with how to he or she responds to the needs of others.

New morbidities

The new morbidities are behavioral, education and social problems that have effects on a person’s health.

Predisposing characteristics

These are characteristics or conditions that may have affect perceptions of need and use of healthcare services. Among the predisposing characterizes entail demographics factors, social structure and health belfies.

Quality of life indicators

These are the overall well-being of a persona and the communities, highlighting the good and bad features of life. It observes the gratification, entailing health, family happiness, educations, employment status, riches, religious beliefs and the general environment.

Socioeconomic Status

Socioeconomic status is sociological and economic status combined to determine individual’s work experience and of a person’s or family’s socials and economic statuses in relation to others. These are normally measured on the basis of income, education and occupations.

Usual source of care

This is the sources that are normally used by a person or individual. It can also be explained as care that has been used by an individual in majority of cases.

Vulnerability

These are the weaknesses that exposes an individual to attacks by diseases for instance old aged people are vulnerable to certain diseases compared to young people.