Comprehensive Report: Health Policies and Framework in Australia

This report provides an in-depth analysis of health policies and frameworks in Australia, focusing on the legal and institutional frameworks that govern the healthcare system. It examines key legislation, such as the National Health Act of 1953 and the Health Insurance Act of 1973, and their impact on public health, particularly concerning issues like dementia. The report identifies the current legal framework relevant to health problems, the institutional framework and legal mechanisms used for advocacy, and potential shortcomings within the system. It also explores strategies used to mitigate these shortcomings, including government initiatives and funding allocations. The report concludes with an overview of the importance of health policies and their role in improving healthcare facilities for Australians.

Health Policies And
Framework

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Health policies and framework is mainly focused on improving the services for treatment
and in solving issues related to public health. This report aims in advancing global health security
for people in the country. Moreover, examining the current legal framework which is relevant in
identifying health problem that is Dementia is discussed below. Further, the report aims in
knowing legal mechanisms that is involved in advocacy of Australia. In addition to this, some of
the potential areas that are shortcomings in Australian institutional framework is discussed in the
below report. Lastly, strategies that is used to address the legal shortcomings are mentioned
below.
MAIN BODY
Health and law policies at national, regional and international level are framed to improve
the public health and also focuses in providing better treatment to Australians. Public health
performs in order to mitigate and reduce the demands in health services 1. Policies and
framework is prepared to ensure the following consistent approach:
1. Examining the current legal framework that is relevant to the health issues:
In Australia, there are different acts performed in relation to prevent diseases and to
control the infectious diseases. In addition to this, various acts are framed to mitigate inequalities
in the status of public health2. Moreover, one of the act is National Health Act, 1953 that is
compliance to Australian parliament which works in relation to provide pharmaceutical and
hospital benefits to public. Further, Health Act helps in preventing Dementia in public and also
frames policy to improve the health of patients who are suffering from Dementia. In this act
special and effective arrangements are made by ministers for the people who are staying in
exceptional and in isolated areas. Secondly, Health Insurance Act 1973 which is performed in
terms of Medicare and also provides a global plan of healthcare. It is framed to prevent the
complications in Medicare of patients who has caused Dementia and is more focused on reducing
public's sickness3. This act also helps in providing effective health care to patients of Dementia.
1 Carman, K.L. and et.al, 2013. Patient and family engagement: a framework for understanding the elements and developing
interventions and policies. Health Affairs 32(2) pp.223-231.
2 Leppo, K. and et.al 2013. Health in all policies-seizing opportunities, implementing policies. Sosiaali-ja terveysministeriö.
3 Bourke, L. and et.al, 2012. Understanding rural and remote health: a framework for analysis in Australia. Health & Place 18(3)
pp.496-503.
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Health insurance is straight forward policy that relates in providing payments for medical and
hospital services to public. Lastly, one of the act is Aged Care Act, 1997 which is framed to
ensure all Australians who require aged care and in order to maintain the health of people who
is having Dementia disease in Australia. They manage to provide proper medicines in terms of
any poisonous issues to man-made in terms of Dementia 4. In addition to this, Medicines, Poisons
and Therapeutic Goods act is implemented in order to maintain the standard of medicines which
is relevant to public in case of Dementia in Australia.
2. Identification of the current legal framework that is applied to health problems:
In this current review of diseases in Australia, one of the health issue is Dementia. This
problem is related to memory loss and mental abilities which disturbs daily life of people. This
is caused because of physical changes that occurs in the brain of an individual. This refers to the
difficulties in thinking power and may fail the brain of a person with a terminal disease like
Cancer. According to National Health Act, 1953 it complies the policy to provide better facilities
to patients in the hospital. In addition to this, there should not be any discrimination in patient as
per caste, gender or religion 5. This policy is framed to make available all possible facilities in
order to prevent dementia disease. Moreover, this is parliament act of Australia helps in
preventing disease before it occurs in public. Further, nurses in hospital must take proper and
advance care of the patients 6. This policy is also regulated to provide beneficial treatments in
terms of public memory loss and also in other mental abilities. In addition to this, sickness of
people must be prevented by advance technology. Now a day there are modern techniques which
helps in maintaining the health of people in Australia. There should not be any complications in
treatment of Dementia which can also lead to the death of a person. In addition to this, doctors
must use medications such as razadyne and donepezil which helps in boosting the health of
person at positive level. Health Act also implies that there should not be any carelessness from
doctors and nurses in curing the patients.
4 Colquhoun, H. and et.al, 2014. To wards a common terminology: a simplified framework of interventions to promote and integrate
evidence into health practices, systems, and policies. Implementation Science 9(1) p.781.
5 Buse, K., Mays, N. and Walt, G., 2012. Making health policy. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
6 Newman, L. and et.al, 2014. Applying health in all policies to obesity in South Australia. Health promotion international 31(1) pp.44-
58.
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3. Identifying the institutional framework and legal mechanisms that can be deployed in the
process of advocacy for reform:
The framework of an institutional that is hospital and it's legal work supports different
policies like National Health Act, 1953. In addition to this, there are various departments in this
institution which performs according to the laws and regulations of the acts. As per National
Health Act hospital's policies are framed in order to maintain its competitiveness and also to
provide better facilities to the patients. Board of director in hospitals are made which sees up to
the laws which should be followed by the members of hospital. In Australia, hospital has
framed laws in order to maintain competitiveness and superior performance which helps in
leading the institution at a best level 7. As per the act, it is particular in evaluating the efficiency
of the organisation which can be analysed through it's strategic behaviour. There are different
legal mechanisms of hospital in Australia which supports to improve the quality of public health
issues 8. Legal mechanisms in hospital is produce to prevent motivators from giving unfair
guidance. Principles and rules are performed by various departments in hospital to prevent the
complex and dynamic environment. In addition to this legal mechanism helps in providing better
health care treatments to the patients and moreover death ratio can be reduced in Australia.
4. Examining potential areas of shortcomings in the legal and institutional framework that
may hinder the resolution of the health problems:
Hospitals are working in accordance to provide better Medicare facilities to the patients
but moreover it also lacks in following the health polices which may hinder in resolving health
issues of a person in Australia 9. The Human Resource department is made in order to motivate
nursing staff and their employee's to prevent them from particular diseases. In addition to this,
people working in hospitals are not self-interested in curing people which is one of the major
limitation. Different programmes are held in accordance to promote the public health fairly but
moreover, employee's pay limited attention to this initiative programmes 10. However, limitation
may arise due to narrow and rigid advocacy of techniques which are not experimental in
7 Blank, R., Burau, V. and Kuhlmann, E., 2017. Comparative health policy. Macmillan International Higher Education.
8 National Strategic Framework for Chronic Conditions, 2017
9 Wortmann, M., 2012. Dementia: a global health priority-highlights from an ADI and World Health Organization report. Alzheimer's
research & therapy 4(5) p.40.
10 John, P., 2013. Analyzing public policy. Routledge.
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hospital's. Nurses in hospital do not take care of patients in terms of their diet and in doing
regular check up's that leads to the limitation of hospital 11. Lastly, staff in hospital lacks in
providing proper behaviour to the patients which does not lead in following the framework of
Health Act.
5. Identifying strategies that can be used to mitigate shortcomings:
In the global world with growing population Australian hospital's are facing many
challenges and issues. Hospital's as well as government are changing themselves in order to
improve the health of public but still they need to grow more with advanced technology.
Problems can be resolved to provide better health care services if government perform different
strategies. One of the shortcomings was that government was not attentive towards Dementia
patients in response to cost. Further to mitigate this, in 2009 government has also performed cost
effective and collaborative response to dementia which helps in bringing positive result in
patients. In addition to this, in 2005 Australian government has funded $320 million in initiative
to the Dementia 12. Moreover, government also lacked in terms of measuring the Dementia
patients. Later, they strategies in adopting three measures such as establishing community care
centres, training to health professionals and innovative research which helps in improving the
health of patients who are suffering from Dementia. Further, in curing Dementia disease
Australian ministers also lacked in being attentive to this shortcoming. Later, health ministers of
Australia has also framed some strategies that support health care facilities. One of the
shortcomings was that hospital's were not able to get funds from government and so they lack in
treating Dementia patients effectively. These government strategies are funding more in
improving quality of patients dealing with Dementia and also adopt the national health policies
that leads in improvement of public health. In addition to this policies, Government was not able
to cooperate with stakeholders but later they made strategy in communicating with them which
results in developing health of the patients 13. Moreover, Australian government has implemented
Health Action Plan 2002 that helps in promoting health care services. In order to this, State
11 Shippee, N.D. and et.al, 2015. Patient and service user engagement in research: a systematic review and synthesized framework. Health
Expectations 18(5) pp.1151-1166.
12 Rickwood, D. and Thomas, K., 2012. Conceptual measurement framework for help-seeking for mental health problems. Psychology
Research and Behavior Management 5 p.173.
13 Delany, T. and et.al, 2015. Health in All Policies in South Australia: what has supported early implementation?. Health promotion
international 31(4) pp.888-898.
4

Dementia Plan is also developed by government to improve health facilities. Moreover,
Dementia disease has been focused more and is prioritised by government to improve it. Health
professionals are provided training to enhance the health of patients positively.
CONCLUSION
From this report, it can be concluded that Health policies should be followed by hospitals
in order to avoid serious injuries and death ratios in patients. It is analysed that Health care
policy help in providing better health care facilities to people of Australia. In addition to this it is
also analysed that National Health Act, 1953 is more advanced which provides pharmaceutical
benefits to patients in hospital. Moreover, it can also be concluded that Dementia is current issue
which is faced by Australian people. Further, it is analysed that hospital follows National Health
Act policies and regulations in order to maintain it's competitiveness and also to provide better
facilities to the patients. Lastly, from this report it is analysed that hospitals make different
strategies in which training to staff is one of the effective approach which helps in reducing
medication errors.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Blank, R., Burau, V. and Kuhlmann, E., 2017. Comparative health policy. Macmillan
International Higher Education.
Bourke, L. and et.al, 2012. Understanding rural and remote health: a framework for analysis in
Australia. Health & Place 18(3) pp.496-503.
Buse, K., Mays, N. and Walt, G., 2012. Making health policy. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
Carman, K.L. and et.al, 2013. Patient and family engagement: a framework for understanding
the elements and developing interventions and policies. Health Affairs 32(2) pp.223-231.
Colquhoun, H. and et.al, 2014. To wards a common terminology: a simplified framework of
interventions to promote and integrate evidence into health practices, systems, and
policies. Implementation Science 9(1) p.781.
Delany, T. and et.al, 2015. Health in All Policies in South Australia: what has supported early
implementation?. Health promotion international 31(4) pp.888-898.
John, P., 2013. Analyzing public policy. Routledge.
Leppo, K. and et.al 2013. Health in all policies-seizing opportunities, implementing policies.
Sosiaali-ja terveysministeriö.
6

Newman, L. and et.al, 2014. Applying health in all policies to obesity in South Australia. Health
promotion international 31(1) pp.44-58.
Rickwood, D. and Thomas, K., 2012. Conceptual measurement framework for help-seeking for
mental health problems. Psychology Research and Behavior Management 5 p.173.
Shippee, N.D. and et.al, 2015. Patient and service user engagement in research: a systematic
review and synthesized framework. Health Expectations 18(5) pp.1151-1166.
Wortmann, M., 2012. Dementia: a global health priority-highlights from an ADI and World
Health Organization report. Alzheimer's research & therapy 4(5) p.40.
Online
National Strategic Framework for Chronic Conditions. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/nsfcc >
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