UNCC100 Assignment 2: Healthcare Access in Australia Editorial Opinion

This report provides an editorial opinion on healthcare access challenges in Australia, focusing on the limitations faced by the population. It highlights the importance of comprehensive access to health services in promoting optimal health and combating diseases, disability, and premature deaths. The report discusses barriers to access, including lack of information, high costs, limited insurance coverage, and cultural competencies. It emphasizes the challenges faced by indigenous and special groups, as well as the impact of geographic location and language barriers. The study also explores the role of telemedicine and digital health services. The report underscores the need for improved health equity, the impact of health inequities and the importance of addressing political, socioeconomic, and environmental factors. It concludes by emphasizing the critical role of healthcare providers in addressing the barriers and improving access to health services for the general population, as well as the need for increased avenues for accessing positive health care services and the importance of nursing in this context.

Editorial Opinion on
Health care access in Australia
Course unit
Student name
Tutor
Date

Access challenges of health services in Australia
Australia has one of the best health care systems in the world however it has often faced
limitation in terms of access by the people and the care needed. Lack of adequate access to
information related to health care is the leading factor towards access to health care delivery in
Australia.
The fundamental goal of health care practice is to improve comprehensive access and
effective quality health care to the general population. Comprehensive access of health care services
is essential in enhancing and promoting optimal health and enabling combating of diseases,
disability, and premature deaths.
According to National Healthcare Quality Report (2013), outlines health services access
being linked to gaining entry to health systems, accessing health care services location and locating
an appropriate health care provider who provided patient trusts and positive communication.
Associated barriers to access to health care services is linked to high care costs , limited
coverage of insurance, presence of services and limited cultural competencies in care delivery. These
barriers lead to unmet health needs, lack of timely care provision, limited prevention services,
financial challenges and reducing unnecessary hospitalizations which can be prevented.
In Australia, majority of the population faces access challenges in accessing health care
services. Presence of indigenous and special groups especially those requiring complex and chronic
health concerns hampers use of health care services. Based on the Australian Institute for Health
(AIH) (2012), there is an observed lower rates of doctor consultation avenues and higher levels of
hospital admissions in the rural and remote locations compared to urban setups. Telemedicine care
services often experiencing challenges as there is limited access to doctor services after normal
working hours.
Studies have demonstrated that health call centers are one of the most effective avenues
of accessing health care information and advice without the inherent geographic barriers. In this
case, it will necessitate the option of visiting nearest hospitals which take several hours to reach.
Another fundamental access barrier is language based on studies undertaken by Anderson
et al (2016). To achieve positive health outcomes, health care providers need to provide effective
communication and trust. The language barrier often leads to health services barriers due to low
culturally appropriate health care services. Accommodating people with various disabilities such as
those having speech and hearing impairment is critical in overall access to health care services.

The digital evolution of health care services has become a widely accepted avenue for
delivering health care. Access to these facilities allows easier access to health care services. In many
parts of Australia, there is a hindrance on the access of the internet thus affecting the way people
connect to health services and accessing various ranges of health information and advice.
The essence of improving health care and reducing health inequities has become a global
issue. The aspects of common good dictates that appeals to humanity, social responsibility,
distributive justice and enabling human rights to assess are normative perspectives which guide and
unite efforts on health equity. Provision of health care for all is essential in reducing the underlying
political, socioeconomic and environmental aspects of health. Tackling these factors is crucial in
dealing with aspects of health care delivery and access to health care services by the general public
(Harrison, Henderson, Miller & Britt, 2019).
Lack of access to health care services has led to an increased burden of diseases in the
general population and increased disparities s of health levels among the population. In Australia,
the presence of aboriginal and Torres Islanders play a critical role in ensuring that there is access to
health care to all. Reducing the barriers related to health care access is essential in the nursing role.
Enabling people to access adequate health care services underpins the overall health equity and
improving the general population at large (Baum et al., 2018)
There is a need for increasing avenues in which the Australian population both the native
and indigenous in accessing positive health care services which increases the overall quality of care
and increasing more healthy years. Investing in this aspect is paramount in the nursing profession to
ensure that services are delivered to the general population.

References
Anderson, I., Robson, B., Connolly, M., Al-Yaman, F., Bjertness, E., King, A., ... & Pesantes, M. A.
(2016). Indigenous and tribal peoples' health (The Lancet–Lowitja Institute Global
Collaboration): a population study. The Lancet, 388(10040), 131-157.
Australian Institute of Health. (2012). Social Distribution of Health Risks and Health Outcomes:
Preliminary Analysis of the National Health Survey 2007-08. AIHW.
Baum, F., Graycar, A., Delany-Crowe, T., de Leeuw, E., Bacchi, C., Popay, J., ... & Harris, E. (2018).
Understanding Australian policies on public health using social and political science theories:
reflections from an Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia workshop. Health promotion
international.
Harrison, C., Henderson, J., Miller, G., & Britt, H. (2019). Predicting patient use of general practice
services in Australia: models developed using national cross-sectional survey data. BMC family
practice, 20(1), 28.
National Healthcare Quality Report, (2013) [Internet]. Chapter 10: Access to Healthcare. Rockville
(MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; May 2014. Available
from: http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhqdr15/access.html