Health Systems, Economics, and Diabetes: A Systems Thinking Approach

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PUBH6003 HEALTH SYSTEMS AND ECONOMICS
Assessment 1
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
1. Describe the public health issue..............................................................................................4
2. Explain the roles of stakeholders, both within the health system and in other sectors in
addressing this issue........................................................................................................................5
3. Drawing on research evidence, explain the obstacles that are preventing the application of
systems thinking the approach to this issue.....................................................................................6
4. Based on the literature, offer suggestions (e.g. new governance arrangements) for how systems
thinking the approach could be applied to this issue.......................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9
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Introduction
This project is about health systems and economics. There are various public health issues which
the people suffer from nowadays including chronic diseases, obesity. Diabetes is one of the
common chronic diseases which is commonly found in people of any age group. In this project,
the role of stakeholders has been described in the health system and other sectors. Research
evidence has been drawn explaining the obstacles preventing the application of the system.
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1. Describe the public health issue
Chronic disease is the disease which persists for longer time-period. It lasts for three months or
more. Generally, these diseases cannot be cured by medication or prevented by vaccines. With
age, these diseases become more common. At present diabetes is a very common chronic disease
in the UK from which most of the people are suffering from. It is a disease which occurs when
the blood glucose which is also known as blood sugar is too high. For the prevention of the
burden of diabetes improved delivery care, early detection, and better self-management are some
of the key strategies. Seven million persons aged 65 years or older are suffering from type 2
diabetes (Hanson, M. A., & Gluckman, 2015).
Type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes are some of the different types of diabetes. The body of
the people suffering from type 1 diabetes does not make insulin. The cells in the pancreas are
destroyed by the attack of the immune system that makes insulin. Type 1 diabetes patient has to
take insulin every day. The insulin is not used well if the body is suffering from type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes can occur even during childhood. This is the most common type of diabetes now
a day. The pregnant woman suffers from gestational diabetes. But sometimes it goes away after
the born of the baby. The people suffering from diabetes suffers from various health problems
which include heart disease, foot problems, nerve damage, eye problems, stroke, kidney diseases,
and dental problems.
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2. Explain the roles of stakeholders, both within the health system and in other sectors in
addressing this issue.
Public health professionals play a significant role in protecting and improving the health of
nations, reducing health inequalities and well-being. The stakeholders have competing interests
and conflicting ideas about health and about the most effective ways of meeting public health
needs and its outcome (Weiser.et.al, 2015).
Community health workers are the promising strategy to make improvements in the outcomes of
diabetes especially among the racial, low-income and ethnic minority populations. National and
local government like Ministries of Health, labor, and safety ensures that workplace health
promotions are included in the policy framework of organizations. Many NGOs promote or
defend the specific cause by raising the awareness, increasing the knowledge and encouraging
the acceptance through activist events, lobbying, and press conference. Civil society is one of the
stakeholders who hold government for accounting the issues relating to the public health, access
the products and facilities with reference to diet and physical activity and prevention steps for
removing diabetes and other chronic diseases (Rosen, 2015).
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3. Drawing on research evidence, explain the obstacles that are preventing the application
of systems thinking the approach to this issue.
Various obstacles are been identified which are creating barriers to health issues diseases. The
high rates of disability or mortality are being faced by rural communities rather than the urban
groups. There is very limited access by the rural people in the context of facing health issues
(Nunan, et.al. 2014). Following are the determined obstacles which create barriers for the rural
communities in overcoming the issues of chronic diabetes:
 Increasing rates of poverty because of which the rural people cannot afford to pay for the
health programs, campaigns or health services.
 Different norms of social & culture which are surrounded by then health behaviors.
 The lower level of health literacy rate.
 Huge level of educational disparities.
 The increasing the level of unemployment.
 Lack of utilization of healthy foods & physical activities.
All these above obstacles require the most effective strategies to enhance the deep understanding
among all the people living in rural communities or backward areas. The health programs must
be organized at a large scale so that they can understand the importance of health issues,
specifically in the area of chronic diseases (Cosansu & Erdogan, 2014).
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4. Based on the literature, offer suggestions (e.g. new governance arrangements) for how
systems thinking the approach could be applied to this issue.
Along with the different campaigns related to the health issues, the governance also enhanced the
other effective areas such as the strong structure of decision-making, enhancing participation of
different key stakeholders (such as the professional of health), ensuring transparency in the data
or the relevant information, effective regulation & the supervision and maintaining the high level
of stability & consistency. The government must also provide the necessary funds in the
educational campaigns & programs to increase awareness among all the people living in rural
communities. The medicines for the disease of chronic diabetes must also be given at the lower
rates of concession with the help of different kinds of health policies implemented by the
government (Rijken, et.al. 2014). The government is been focusing towards enhancing global
health. The small groups must be developed by the government which can move to small villages
& rural communities & can develop deep knowledge among people for curing their major
disease of chronic diabetes.
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Conclusion
It has been concluded that the major disease of “chronic diabetes” must be considered very
seriously by all the patients. The deep knowledge & understanding must be enhanced among all
of them, especially among the people of rural areas who lack the understanding & importance of
curing their major disease. The government also provides the major funds to all the health sectors
& other professionals so that the problem of lack of funding can be eliminated. Along with the
regular health check-ups, it is also necessary to enhance the educational campaigns & programs
related to the health & medical sector so that the rural people could be aware of their
consequences of chronic disease.
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References
 Hanson, M. A., & Gluckman, P. D. (2015). Developmental origins of health and disease–
global public health implications. Best practice & research Clinical obstetrics &
gynaecology, 29(1), 24-31.
 Rosen, G. (2015). A history of public health. JHU Press.
 Weiser, T. G., Haynes, A. B., Molina, G., Lipsitz, S. R., Esquivel, M. M., Uribe-Leitz, T.,
... & Gawande, A. A. (2015). Estimate of the global volume of surgery in 2012: an
assessment supporting improved health outcomes. The Lancet, 385, S11.
 Nunan, R., Harding, K. G., & Martin, P. (2014). Clinical challenges of chronic wounds:
searching for an optimal animal model to recapitulate their complexity. Disease models
& mechanisms, 7(11), 1205-1213.
 Cosansu, G., & Erdogan, S. (2014). Influence of psychosocial factors on self-care
behaviors and glycemic control in Turkish patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Journal
of Transcultural Nursing, 25(1), 51-59.
 Rijken, M., Bekkema, N., Boeckxstaens, P., Schellevis, F. G., De Maeseneer, J. M., &
Groenewegen, P. P. (2014). Chronic Disease Management Programmes: an adequate
response to patients’ needs?. Health Expectations, 17(5), 608-621.
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