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Health Care Issues in the United States
Ashley Barnes
Dr. George Ojie-Ahamiojie
Health Services Organization Management
July 15, 2010

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Describe how health is affected by behaviors, economics and social structure.
When it comes to our health, there are numerous factors that play a part in whether or not we stay healthy or not; some factors we can control(physical activity & nutrition), while others are not always up to us to decide (poverty level, income). There are six key factors identified by the Centers for Disease Control(CDC) (2010) that affect the health of individuals: alcohol and drug use, smoking, injury and violence, physical activity and sexual risk behaviors. A majority of these factors an individual can chose to engage in or not, however, economic situation and social structure can impact those decisions as well. For people who are in a less affluent status, they may not be able to purchase the more nutritious option in a grocery store and will have to resort to buying enriched and over processed food products that are less expensive. These types of groceries do not provide the necessary nutrition and with prolonged consumption of these goods, can lead to adverse health effects such as obesity and diabetes. Engaging in behaviors such as drinking, risky sex and violence can lead to issues later in life if started at a young age, and contribute to education and social problems that the United States currently faces (CDC, 2010). Certain behaviors can be linked to social structures, for example violence is found to be more prevalent in lower income demographics. These demographics also tend to have less access to health care and have a lower level of utilization of health services (Williams/ Torrens, 2009). By not accessing health care when needed, chronic illnesses can go untreated, leading to a higher mortality rate within the demographic. Health is not affected just by one factor, all influences are tied together and make a collective impact on the population.

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Describe the three stages of medical technology development
The development of medical technologies is a three phase process consisting of individual basic research, product development and diffusion, adoption and utilization of the product. In the first phase of development, an idea must be conceived as a result of scientific research. This is a difficult phase, in that there much be a significant amount of resources available, such as laboratories, trained scientists and funding. Time is also a major factor in this phase; it may take many years or even generations to being an idea to the next phase of actual product development. During the second phase the idea is refined and becomes a deliverable technology (Williams/Torrens, 2009). Private sector companies also begin to play a larger role in development and assist in answering the three basic questions: is there a need and viable market for the product, can a proper product be developed and do what research suggests, and can it pass trials to get approval from the regulatory agencies. Once all three basic questions have been answered the product then has the green light to move into the third phase; diffusion, adoption and utilization. In this phase the private sector has almost complete control over how the product is marketed and financed. Clinical trials will also be conducted during this time so that they can provide the results necessary for approval from the FDA. When the product has gained approval from the FDA, the diffusion and adoption aspect begins; it is critical to get the product out into the market and into the hand of those who will hopefully adopt the product into their current line of treatment.

Describe the Major Trends in Population Demographics over the past 80 years
It is without a doubt that the United States' demographics have changed dramatically over the last 80

4 years, the country is getting bigger, older and more diverse (Shrethra, 2006). The advancements made in medicine allow Americans to live longer, which has increased life expectancies. This has put strain on the health care system, which now much devote more resources to elderly care and geriatric medicine. Physicians are now looking to discover better ways to treat chronic illnesses for longer periods of time. Population as a whole has also increased, it has more than doubled in size from the 1950's. Fertility levels have remained high, and the birth rate has exceeded the replacement rate, also due to the longer life expectancies (Shrethra, 2006). Immigration has also led to an increase in population; the exact number is difficult to calculate because now all individuals who enter the country do so legally. This has also led to our increase diversity, many different ethnic groups, such as Latinos, have become more prominent within in the population.
Describe the most important trends in mortality over the past century
The overall trend in mortality over the past century has been longer life spans and an increase in chronic illnesses. With the development of modern medicine and techniques, such as vaccinations, fewer people have died from acute infectious diseases and epidemics. The focus has now turned to treatment of chronic illness, many of which are the leading causes of death in the United States. Cancer, strokes, heart disease and diabetes are much more prevalent in this country and take many lives, as opposed to back at the turn of the century when people where dying from cholera and influenza. The Baby Boomer generation has impacted mortality trends as of recently; they are getting to the age where more chronic and age related diseases and condition arise. Another mortality trend is the infant and maternal mortality rate. The United States has fallen short when it comes to have the lowest infant mortality rate globally, Hong Kong has the lowest rate

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(Williams/Torrens, 2009). There has been an overall decrease in the in the infant and maternal mortality rate, but the mortality rate among different ethnic, income and education groups has increased (Singh & Yu, 1995). Contributing factors to this rate are high fertility among high-risk women, poor maternal nutrition and lack of access to quality prenatal care.

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References
Williams, S.J., & Torrens, P.R. (2009). Introduction to Health Services. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

Shrestha, L.B. (2006) . The Changing Demographic Profile of the United States. Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32701.pdf

Singh, G.K. & Yu, S.M. (1995). Infant Mortality in the United States: trends, differentials, and projections, 1950 through 2010. American Journal of Public Health, 85. Retrieved from http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/7/957

National Centers for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, (2010). Health Topics. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/healthtopics/index.htm