Overview Of Diabetes In Australia: Types, Risk Factors, And Discrimination In Healthcare

Causes and Types of Diabetes in Australia

Discuss about the Professional Practice and Cultural Safety in Diabetes Management.

Diabetes is a condition that causes an increase in the blood sugar levels (Anikeeva et al., 2015, pp 29). Insulin hormone converts glucose to other storage forms and energy (Anikeeva et al., 2015, pp 32). In diabetic patients, there is an abnormally in insulin production. The hormone is either secreted in small quantities or produced, but the body organs cannot assimilate it (Anikeeva et al., 2015, pp 40). Moreover, the immune system can at times attack the hormone secreted. Diabetic patients experience elevated amounts of sugar.  Insulin hormone regulates the amounts of sugar in the bloodstream. Diabetes affects all ages in Australia and other parts of the world. The distribution of gender in line with diabetes is equal.

Diabetes type one affects all ages. However, the type is mostly prevalence in young adults and children. In the model, the pancreas secretes Insulin hormone into the bloodstream. The immune system fails to detect the hormone as an auto-hormone hence attacking and destroying the insulin (Anikeeva et al., 2015, pp 42). After the destruction of Insulin, the body cannot convert the blood sugar into glycogenic molecules. Thus, individuals who have this type should take injections of insulin on a daily basis.

Type two of diabetes majorly affects individuals above the age of forty (Anikeeva et al., 2015, pp 44). However, the type affects individuals below the age of forty. The disease is hereditary hence individuals hailing from family members who have had diabetes can contact the disease. The species occurs as a result of the failure of the pancreatic cells to secrete insulin hormone (Anikeeva et al., 2015, pp 46).

The third type of diabetes is the Gestational type. The caliber affects pregnant women. The disease is short term as it ends after child delivery. Women who encounter the disease during pregnancy have high chances of contracting diabetes type two (Anikeeva et al., 2015, pp 47). Regular physical exercise and balanced diet manage the condition. Diabetes affects all locations in Australia irrespective of the cultural identity. The disease also affects all age groups.

Poverty and affluence are essential health determinants. Generally, the prevalence of diabetes is higher in poor communities such as those of Aboriginals and Torres Islanders (Kelly, & Ismail, 2015, pp 454). Recent studies show that women occupying remote and rural Australian regions are likely to contract diabetes than those in urban set-ups. Men living in remote places report fewer diabetes cases than their female counterparts (Schofield et al., 2015, pp 609). Moreover, the health facilities in remote and impoverished regions say more diabetic patients as compared to city hospitals. Death rates as a result of diabetes are higher in poor people than in wealthy individuals.

The Role of Poverty and Affluence as Health Determinants

The disparity shows that poor people are more vulnerable than individuals who are well-off. The social determinants such as social, political and historical factors determine the distribution of diabetes in Australia. The Aboriginals live under deplorable poverty levels hence highly vulnerable to the disease (Schofield et al., 2015, pp 610). Regions that belong to the ruling party have better health facilities than the opposing areas. Therefore, fewer people contact diabetes in such places. Poor people mostly occupy the remote areas. However, wealthy individuals live in elegant city apartments. The unfortunate individuals have insufficient resources to manage diabetes. Additionally, the poor folk lack rewarding economic activities (Schofield et al., 2015, pp 612).

The unfortunate individuals have lifestyles that lead to diabetes. The poor people mostly smoke, and they do not eat enough fruits. Additionally, the regrettable individuals have limited time for physical exercise. The above lifestyle issues lead to the onset of obesity which is a risk factor for diabetes. Obesity sets in as a result of excessive fats in the body (Schofield et al., 2015, pp 614). The excess cholesterol blocks body organs such as pancreas and the blood vessels. Thus, the pancreatic cells produce Insulin, but the hormone cannot reach the blood to facilitate the conversion of sugar into glycogenic energy forms (Schofield et al., 2015, pp 624). Therefore, an obese individual has high chances of acquiring diabetes.

The unfortunate individuals lack enough money to seek medical attention when they contact diabetes. Remote areas also require enough health facilities and practitioners to diagnose the disease and manage it at an earlier stage. Impoverished regions also have poor road networks hence find it difficult to assess health facilities. The poor cannot afford a regular balanced diet.  Moreover, the individuals cannot evaluate modern physical exercise equipment located in urban centers (Schofield et al., 2015, pp 609). Therefore, when the poor suffer from diabetes, the death rates are higher than the rich people.

The Australian government has put in place necessary bodies and regulations to manage healthcare. The code of conduct, the standards of practice and system of ethics emphasizes the need for person-centered care in treatment. The three rules of practice demand equal and affordable treatment for all regardless of their ethnic backgrounds. However, a section of diabetic patients has reported discrimination in health care provision from the various health facilities in Melbourne. Diabetic patients have different types of hemoglobin according to the levels of sugar in their blood (Webster et al., 2017, pp 27). Additionally, clients have varied kinds of cholesterol types and quantities. Of significant note is that high cholesterol levels cause obesity which is a risk factor for diabetes. Moreover, hemoglobin makes up the blood. High sugar levels in the bloodstream lead to the onset of diabetes.

Discrimination in Healthcare Provision

A section of patients that answered questionnaires on discrimination noted that caregivers hesitate to treat clients with the A1C type of hemoglobin (Rose, & Harris, 2015, pp 114). Individuals having the other types of hemoglobin receive the best form of medical attention. Australian practitioners discriminate diabetic clients on their racial orientations. The originals obtain the best care whereas; the Aboriginals and Torres Islanders get below par treatment. Language barriers exist between most Aboriginals and the clinicians. Therefore, the caregivers find a hard time in dealing with this group of patients. There is a difference in cultural beliefs between the Torres Islanders and the caregivers (Khoury, 2015, pp 471). The Aboriginals believe in traditional medicine as opposed to the modern treatment in the health facilities.

A section of the diabetic clients also claims that they face discrimination due to their levels of education. Caregivers provide excellent treatment to the enlighten patients than those with little educational backgrounds.  Highly educated individuals have a deep understanding of medical procedures. Additionally, the enlightened individuals do not experience language barriers between them and the clinicians. However, those with inadequate education have a language barrier problem with the clinicians (Khoury, 2015, pp 480). Moreover, the unlearned individuals have minimal understanding of treatment processes. Therefore, clinicians prefer to attend to learned persons as compared to the unlearned clients.

The level of income is also a determinant factor of discrimination. The rich and the influential persons get urgent and quality care compared to the needy individuals. The rich can afford the high costs of managing diabetes (Khoury, 2015, pp 486). However, the poor folk lacks sufficient resources for treatment of diabetes. Healthcare providers attend to the affluent individuals more readily than the needy clients. Another source of discrimination is the age factor. Clinicians prefer visiting the young diabetic individuals as opposed to the elderly. The young persons are physically active as compared to the elderly individuals who have a delicate body. The gender factor is also critical in healthcare provision (Khoury, 2015, pp 490). More women report discrimination cases as opposed to the men.

Diabetic patients who have lower than usual IPC ratings stand a higher risk of discrimination than those with standard scores (Khoury, 2015, pp 492). The amount of A1C is another point of perception.  Patients having elevated amounts of A1C face intense discrimination levels than individuals who have low A1C quantities (Khoury, 2015, pp 494). Clinicians associate high A1C levels to the complexity of diabetes. High levels of A1C lead to high complication of diabetes, hence making the treatment procedure to be difficult. Therefore, the doctors shy away from treating severe cases as they attend to patients with minor diabetic conditions. The health practitioners have cited the weak relationship between them and the patients as the other cause of discriminations. Clinicians shy away from treating harsh patients as they attend to friendly clients.

The Primary Model of Care

Discrimination in healthcare provision is contradictory to the Australian Code of Conduct for nurses. Moreover, the vice goes against the standards of practices for Australian nurses (Thomas et al., 2018, pp 54). Furthermore, the code of ethics discourages discrimination in the health sector (O’connell, Gardner, & Coyer, 2014, pp 2728). The three bodies insist on the provision of quality care for all regardless of their racial backgrounds. The nurses should attend to diabetic patients whether young or old. Moreover, the Aboriginals and Torres Islanders should receive the same care as the other citizens of Australia (Kangasniemi, Pakkanen, & Korhonen, 2015, pp 1744). Treatment of diabetes should be top notch, whether a patient is having type one, two or gestational diabetes. Nurses need to be patient in their care provision. The nurses should not consider the educational level, income, age and gender in the provision of care.

Primary Model

The primary and the secondary models dominate the provision of healthcare in Australia. The primary model is the first step of treatment in the Australian health facilities. The rule of care takes place at home and other areas apart from the hospital (Wakerman et al., 2017, pp 80). Health practitioners including nurses and pharmacists carry out the primary model of care (Duckett, & Willcox, 2015, pp 10). The patient requires no referral to obtain health care in the category. The practitioners offer the medical attention at community-based facilities among other places. The care caters for prevention measures towards diabetes. Moreover, the primary model promotes health awareness.

Secondary Model

The secondary model operates in a multi-chain consisting of a significant number of health stakeholders. The care is broad and incorporates other departments apart from health (Cheema, Robergs, & Askew, 2014, pp 870). The care requires a referral as opposed to the primary care which does not need a reference. When a physician feels that they cannot handle a particular type of diabetes, they refer the patient to the next available specialist. The provision of medical attention takes place in the setting of a health facility (Lennox, Van Driel, & Dooren, 2015, pp 35). The individuals who offer secondary care are specialists with a wealth of experience in the management of diabetes. However, a referral is the first step in the treatment process.

People and Family Centered Care

Both primary and secondary models should center on the diabetic patient and the family members. In other words, the care models should exercise person-centered care and also listen to the opinion of relatives during diagnosis (Hall, 2015, pp 495). The models should respect the personal disparities among diabetic patients. The age, income, and gender differences should be non-issues in the provision of healthcare (Hepburn et al., 2015, pp 560). Every Australian citizen deserves equal medical treatment regardless of their cultural backgrounds (NMBA, 2016, pp 190). The clinicians should allow patients to make their treatment choices (NMBA, 2018, pp 206). The practitioners should provide valuable insights on the treatment options to the patient.

The other principle dictates that Australian citizens should assess quality care regardless of their backgrounds. Determinants such as an individual’s age, income, gender, and racial background should not determine the kind of care that people receive from specialists (Nancarrow, 2015, pp 9). The Australian Health System should pay keen attention to the vulnerable people in the society (ICN, 2012, pp 68). The Torres Islanders and the Aboriginals should equally receive quality healthcare as any other person. Australians should also share the responsibility for their lifestyle choices (Nancarrow, 2015, pp 9). Therefore, individuals should assist one another to ensure that they eat a balanced diet.

Conclusion

Diabetes is a severe complication affected a vast population of Australia. The government, health stakeholders, and the relatives of the patients need to improve in specific areas to help in the appropriate management of the condition. The Australian administration should establish special health facilities to cater for diabetic patients. The individual hospitals should provide quality care to the patients regardless of their ethnicity. Additionally, all health stakeholders should urge the national executive to facilitate the training of more diabetes specialists. The Australian executive should also ensure adequate resource allocation into the health facilities to cater for the patients.

The government should ensure that diabetic patients incur no costs in treatment. The high prices of treatment have discouraged individuals from seeking medical attention. The clinicians should carry out an awareness campaign to sensitize the general public on the signs and symptoms of diabetes. The nurses should urge the patients to undertake a regular physical exercise in an attempt to manage diabetes. Family members of the affected individuals should help the patients to monitor their diet.

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