Introduction
At the end of a course, it is beneficial to reflect on each topic to conclude what we’ve learned. A brief review of what I’ve gained from the material in the Master of Health Critical Foundation in Health Disciplines course will pull those topics together. It is also helpful to look ahead and imagine what direction our healthcare system will move. A discussion about what obstacles we will be facing, as well as exciting developments in healthcare that we will be lucky enough to experience, will help conclude my thoughts.
A review of MHST 601
Reflecting on the Master of Health Studies 601 – Critical Foundations in Health Disciplines, we have covered much ground! Unit 1 started with a reflection on our own social media presence and inter-professional connections. We reflected on our professional role, as well as how we portray ourselves on social media. We then began to develop an ePortfolio in Unit 2. Unit 3 moved into a focus on the definition of ‘health’ and the determinants of health. We compared the World Health Organization to other definitions of ‘health’ and explored how this could be improved. We learned about the determinants of health and how they all influence the overall health of our population. Unit 4 focused on multi-level approaches to healthcare. We learned that focusing on health issues from a multi-level perspective can allow us to evaluate and intervene at each of these levels that affect one’s health, instead of focusing on one single determinant. Unit 5 moved into chronic disease prevention and management in Canada. I researched cancer care and discussed the incidence of cancer in Newfoundland and Labrador in comparison to other places in Canada. I then researched Newfoundland and Labrador’s upcoming plan for managing and preventing cancer. Given such a high incidence of cancer, I was pleased to see the screening initiatives that Newfoundland and Labrador have in place. Unit 6 incorporated vulnerable populations and how their healthcare is impacted. We learned that marginalized populations face several inequalities when it comes to their health, and that we all need to do better as healthcare workers, to improve the outcomes for these populations. Now, in Unit 7, we are reflecting on what we can take away from this course, and imagining and researching what is to come for healthcare in the future.
Image retrieved from https://www.pharmacistsgatewaycanada.ca/pharmacy-practice/canadas-healthcare-system/
Overall Takeaways
Throughout this course, one major theme has been that healthcare is always changing and evolving. The World Health Organization’s definition of health, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” is a great example of this. (World Health Organization, n.d.). It once was thought to be perfectly fitting, but over recent years, we’ve realized that the term ‘health’ is broader than we originally believed. One can experience good health while living with chronic disease and can feel poor health without such diagnoses. Another evolving topic is that of marginalized populations. Realizing that healthcare needs to be individually tailored to the person and that the health needs of each individual may vary, is, unfortunately, a developing concept. Cultural considerations need to be taken for Indigenous populations to provide appropriate, holistic care to these people. Similarly, the 2SLGBTQ+ population is also experiencing negative health outcomes due to the care (or lack thereof) they receive. Hopefully, these topics will become a large focus for research and education so that we see improvements for these populations in the future.
Some Challenges Ahead
One of the most obvious challenges moving forward in healthcare is our aging population. By 2031, it is anticipated that seniors will make up nearly 25% of the population in Canada. (Kootnikoff, 2023). Because of this, it will be important for multiple healthcare initiatives to move to the forefront, such as healthy aging, prevention and management of chronic diseases, and the use of home-based services. Some healthy aging interventions that are being considered are exercise programs, education on exercise, education on screening (for chronic diseases), education on nutrition, and activity-based programs. (Visconti & Neiterman, 2021).
Image retrieved from https://www.rehabmagazine.ca/healthcare/aging-in-place-myth-or-reality/
Some factors that make an aging population challenging are the increasing costs of care and the shortage of healthcare professionals. Over the next 10 years, our aging population is expected to add $93 billion to healthcare costs in Canada. At the same time, our aging population means there are also fewer people in the labor force, which leads to both a shortage of healthcare workers and a reduction in employment tax revenues. (Gibbard, 2018). It will be very important for the aging population and evolving healthcare needs to be considered in the years to come.
Future Developments in Healthcare
On a more positive note, technology is developing extremely quickly in the world today, which will have a major impact on healthcare in the coming years. It may be one way that we can maintain healthcare services with a reduced amount of people in the workforce. Radiology, in particular, is an area that has already started identifying opportunities for reducing inefficiencies in workflows by integrating artificial intelligence (AI). Because there is a shortage of trained radiologists and the use of medical imaging is continuously expanding, the workload for radiologists has increased significantly. (HealthITAnalytics, 2020). Using AI can improve the practice of radiology in the following ways:
Detection and prioritization (automated detection to triage the exams, replacement of human radiologists with AI wherever results are consistently more accurate, and using AI supports to manage time-intensive activities.)
Segmentation (using AI to isolate an area of interest from an image to reduce inefficiencies.)
Monitoring (monitoring the development of a tumor by comparing the progression from numerous images.)
Image acquisition (addressing challenges related to the quality of the images obtained; AI assistance in choosing a personalized patient protocol to balance radiation dose and image quality.)
Reporting (AI automated report generation can lead to more standardized terminology used in reports.) (HealthITAnalytics, 2020).
Image retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13172760
AI can improve the world of radiology by augmenting scanning procedures, optimizing image fidelity, and supporting image reconstruction in MRI, CT, and PET scans. There are many opportunities to incorporate AI into practice to enhance the quality and efficiency of patient care in the future. Of course, there will be an adjustment period while advancing to incorporating AI into practice and considering any ethical implications that may arise, however, the relationship between AI and medical imaging in the future is very promising. (Najjar, 2023)
Conclusion
Throughout this course, I have been able to look deeper into the evolution of health, the struggles of our healthcare system today, and the direction that healthcare is going in the future. It has been eyeopening to dive a little deeper into these aspects of healthcare and set a great foundation for moving forward in the Master of Health Studies program.
References
Benefits of artificial intelligence to radiology workflows. HealthITAnalytics. (2020, August 25). https://healthitanalytics.com/news/benefits-of-artificial-intelligence-to-radiology-workflows
Canada’s Healthcare System. Pharmacists Gateway Canada. (2023, June 13). https://www.pharmacistsgatewaycanada.ca/pharmacy-practice/canadas-healthcare-system/
Constitution of the World Health Organization. World Health Organization. (n.d.). https://www.who.int/about/accountability/governance/constitution
Gibbard, R. (2018). Meeting the Care Needs of Canada’s Aging Population. The Conference Board of Canada.
Kootnikoff, M. (2023, May 26). Shaping the future of healthcare in Canada: A 10-year prognosis and mitigating risks. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/shaping-future-healthcare-canada-10-year-prognosis-risks-kootnikoff/
Miller, G. (2018, June 14). Aging in place-myth or reality? Rehab & Community Care Medicine Magazine. https://www.rehabmagazine.ca/healthcare/aging-in-place-myth-or-reality/
Najjar, R. (2023). Redefining radiology: A Review of Artificial Intelligence Integration in medical imaging. Diagnostics, 13(17), 2760. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13172760
Visconti, C., & Neiterman, E. (2021). Shifting to primary prevention for an aging population: A scoping review of health promotion initiatives for community-dwelling older adults in Canada. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.17109
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