Question

The purpose of this assignment is to discover how social determinants affect the health of a particular population. The first step of this assignment is to choose a location and disease process from the following list:

1. An emergency department in New Orleans; addiction, hypertension management
2. A rural tribal clinic in northeast Arizona; addiction, diabetes management
3. A children's clinic in McAllen, TX; obesity, diabetes management

Write a 750-1,000 word paper in which you accomplish the following:

1. Describe the setting of your facility.
2. Describe the chosen population.
3. Explain how social determinants affect the population's health status.
4. Analyze how this health status affects the demand for health care.
5. Provide one or two ways this health issue can be addressed.

Answer 1

Your paper could include the following points.

1. Describe the setting

• One of the largest/ most prominent hospitals
• 30 beds and 20000 patients a year (for e.g.)
• Emergency transport available
• Urban setting
• Access to 30 or more specialties

2. Describe chosen population

• Trauma and accident
• Adult
• Paediatrics

3. Social determinants affecting health

• Access to healthcare
• Average literacy of the local population
• Community factors like discrimination, social cohesiveness
• Economic background
• Environment and availability of healthy food, fresh air and also neighborhood crime rate etc.

4. How the current health status affects demand

• For e.g. if the area is saturated with industries and factories, rate of respiratory diseases will spike during peak months of heavy industrial work.
• In such case, well trained respiratory therapists, trained doctors and nurses will have a high demand.

5. Solution

• Access to education
• Affordable education
• Public safety
• Toxin free environment
• Availability of a number of emergency and health services