Explain how the application of social justice principles can help improve access to health care in Australia. Provide examples to support your answer. (8 marks)
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- Equity ensures all Australians receive fair access to healthcare regardless of their circumstances. The principle works by removing financial barriers that prevent people from seeking medical treatment. Medicare demonstrates equity by providing universal healthcare coverage where bulk-billing general practitioners charge no fees to patients. As a result, low-income families can access essential medical services without financial hardship. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme further illustrates equity by subsidising prescription medications, ensuring life-saving treatments remain affordable for all Australians.
- Participation empowers communities to identify their specific healthcare needs and develop appropriate solutions. Community involvement occurs when healthcare services involve local populations in planning and decision-making processes. For example, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations enable Indigenous communities to design culturally appropriate healthcare programs. These services consequently achieve better health outcomes because they address community-identified priorities and respect cultural practices.
- Access focuses on removing geographical and physical barriers to healthcare services. Telehealth initiatives demonstrate this by connecting rural patients with specialists in metropolitan areas. Remote technology enables people in isolated locations to receive expert medical advice without travelling vast distances. Similarly, mobile health clinics bring essential services directly to isolated communities, ensuring geographical isolation doesn’t compromise healthcare quality.
- Rights guarantee that all individuals can expect dignified, respectful healthcare treatment. Legal protections ensure healthcare providers cannot discriminate based on cultural background, disability, or sexual orientation. Anti-discrimination legislation reinforces these rights by requiring healthcare facilities to provide interpreters and culturally appropriate care.
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- Equity ensures all Australians receive fair access to healthcare regardless of their circumstances. The principle works by removing financial barriers that prevent people from seeking medical treatment. Medicare demonstrates equity by providing universal healthcare coverage where bulk-billing general practitioners charge no fees to patients. As a result, low-income families can access essential medical services without financial hardship. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme further illustrates equity by subsidising prescription medications, ensuring life-saving treatments remain affordable for all Australians.
- Participation empowers communities to identify their specific healthcare needs and develop appropriate solutions. Community involvement occurs when healthcare services involve local populations in planning and decision-making processes. For example, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations enable Indigenous communities to design culturally appropriate healthcare programs. These services consequently achieve better health outcomes because they address community-identified priorities and respect cultural practices.
- Access focuses on removing geographical and physical barriers to healthcare services. Telehealth initiatives demonstrate this by connecting rural patients with specialists in metropolitan areas. Remote technology enables people in isolated locations to receive expert medical advice without travelling vast distances. Similarly, mobile health clinics bring essential services directly to isolated communities, ensuring geographical isolation doesn’t compromise healthcare quality.
- Rights guarantee that all individuals can expect dignified, respectful healthcare treatment. Legal protections ensure healthcare providers cannot discriminate based on cultural background, disability, or sexual orientation. Anti-discrimination legislation reinforces these rights by requiring healthcare facilities to provide interpreters and culturally appropriate care.
♦ Mean mark 51%.