Social, Economic and Political Policies in Physical and Mental Health Care

 Introduction

The economic, political and social policies play a significant role in the development of a health care system (Owusu-Manu, Badu, Agyekum, Akom, 2015). To understand the health care system concerning the developmental aspects, t is mandatory to overview how the social, economic and political policies work. All the three aspects are equally important as it is consistent with the
health equalities. In the current paper, all three policies the social, economic and political has been evaluated to understand the health care system and its effectiveness. The physical health is interlinked with the mental health of the patient and the family as well. The social policies elaborated how discrimination and inequalities due to race, religion, and ethnicity affect the equal chances of availing health care among the population. Secondly, the political policies highlighted the democratic role in formulating policies concerning the equal rights of the medical or mental health patient.

Also, it signified how the ineffective democracy in developing countries adversely affects the physical and mental health status of the population. Thirdly, the economic policies strived at providing equity to those people who belong to low socioeconomic status (Owusu-Manu, Badu, Agyekum, Akom, 2015: Bartley, 2016). The taxes, budget and related issues have also been discussed in the current paper. Also, the economic evaluation of the rationing has been found imperative to keep a balance between the resources of the need of the people. The rationing in healthcare also been discussed in the current chapter to elaborate on how the restriction of health care services to a particular group can help in maintaining the balance between economy and health. Lastly, the vertical and horizontal aspect of health care has also been highlighted, to depict the general as well as specific healthcare service provision. How the vertical and horizontal approaches are working to control the health issues in the community. In short, the current paper provides an in-depth understanding of the health and health care system covering all the social, economic and political aspect.

Main body

Economics, Politics & Social policy and Health Care. The economic, political and social policies are fundamental to promote understanding regarding health care for multiple reasons. All three aspects the social, economic and political policies play a significant role in health care system concerning development (Phelan, Link, Tehranifar, 2010). First of all, social policies pose the potential to acerbate health inequalities by diversely distributing social advantages regarding health to different social subgroups. Such as social policies targets providing equity to the disadvantaged group regardless of socioeconomic, racial, ethnic discrepancies (Phelan, Link, Tehranifar, 2010).

The social inequalities in health care services are the key hindrance in promoting physical and mental health status among the population (Vogenberg, & Santilli, 2018). The social services inequalities occur due to social disparities in social determinants such as race, religion, ethnicity, and sect (Jacobs, Skocpol, 2015). The minority groups of society experience substantial disadvantage, and health status of any society cannot be enhanced due to such inequalities (Phelan, Link, Tehranifar, 2010: (Owusu-Manu, Badu, Agyekum, Akom, 2015). The health care system practice and promote equalities and social justice to each patient considering the nature of treatment and care by implementing a person centre approach (Dei, & Sebastian, 2018).

The political policies comprised of broader the range of government decisions managed by the prime minister of the country (Owusu-Manu, Badu, Agyekum, Akom, 2015: Bartley, 2016). The executive officer and president if a country takes charge and through the researchers, policymakers identify the needs of the patients and community and formulate new policies (Béland, & Katapally, 2018). In different countries, political policies are different and helping to eradicate the medical problem of societies. It is an admitted fact in some countries the political policies are better, while in another country due to ineffective democracy the policies are not capable of meeting the needs of the community (Boerma, & Mathers, 2015: Béland Ride 2016).  Substantial empirical data on social inequalities and health care has exponentially increased. Hence, the political and social policies on health have not been studied thoroughly (Lafond, Charlesworth, Roberts, 2016).

In recent years of the 20th century, numerous countries achieved democracy and implemented the policies for social expenditures, but still not gained that success compared to developed countries (Béland, & Katapally, 2018). Navarro et al. postulated the multidimensional theoretical framework that has been used to elaborate on the relationship between health outcomes and politics (Borrell, Espelt, Rodríguez-Sanz, & Navarro, 2007). The represented how political trade union characteristics electric behaviour promote the welfare state concerning the labour marketing policies for labour. The theoretical model elaborates that the expansion of welfare is higher among social democratic countries (Lafond, Charlesworth, Roberts, 2016) as the social democratic countries provide full employment policies. Also, include women quota in labour force to eradicate the social inequalities to improve health equality. Therefore, the welfare of the social democratic countries are better and possess fewer inequalities in health as compared to developing or underdeveloped countries (Borrell, Espelt, Rodríguez-Sanz, & Navarro, 2007).

The economic policies help in investing funds, insurances and other related facilities in health care (Béland, & Katapally, 2018). It is hard for a community to fulfil health-oriented needs of the patients due to alarmingly rising population, growing chronic illnesses and use of expensive yet vital health technologies ((Voß, Simons, 2014: Boerma, & Mathers, 2015). The balance between health care facilities and the economy of the nation is mandatory for improving the quality of life among people (Lafond, Charlesworth, Roberts, 2016). According to substantial data health performances and income, performances are interlinked. The economically developed country has a healthier population and low health risk issues such as mortality rates (Béland, & Katapally, 2018). In contrast, poverty leads to mal-nutrients that adversely affect the life expectancy of the infant, children and mothers (Dei, & Sebastian, 2018).

National economic status and income directly affect the development of the health care system of the nation promoting public spending and insurance coverage (Lafond, Charlesworth, Roberts, 2016). World Health Organization, 1997 the macroeconomic and health of 167 countries found to be dependent on national income (Boerma, & Mathers, 2015).

The use of unhealthy health habits such as tobacco use and smoking affect the health system through institutional baking the use of tobacco and smoking may prevent implementing high taxes (Vogenberg, & Santilli, 2018). The other public health policies, such as restriction on the use of tobacco and smoking in public places with the high fine as punishment are helpful (Voß, Simons, 2014: Lafond, Charlesworth, Roberts, 2016).

A few countries such as Ireland has banned the tobacco use which is courageous initiative legalistically ((Owusu-Manu, Badu, Agyekum, Akom, 2015: Dei, & Sebastian, 2018). The universal coverage by the institution agreements is another way to attain a small sector help (Béland, & Katapally, 2018). Liberation and globalisation effect health care manipulating restricting prices and policies regarding pharmaceuticals to promote health surveillance in society (Boerma, & Mathers, 2015.

Economic Evolution in Rationing Resources. Rationing resources are significant in the health care system to provide health care service to all people of the community. Different authors have rationing differently covering the significant areas of economic resources (Carey, Crammond,  Keast, 2014: Vogenberg, & Santilli, 2018). It is difficult to provide health care services to all those in need of such services due to limited resources and unlimited demands (Dei, & Sebastian, 2018). Rationing resources mean restricting the potentially effective health services to some people for maintaining the budget (Keliddar, Mosadeghrad, & Jafari-Sirizi, 2017). The goal of rationing is to provide reasonable and cost-effective health services and reducing health services.

The fundamental aspects of the health care and health services unlimited or limited resources necessities health service rationing (Oliver, Lorenc, & Innvær, 2014).  Health care rationing can be accomplished through a fixed budget, benefits package, payment mechanisms, queuing, copayments, and deductibles (Keliddar, Mosadeghrad, & Jafari-Sirizi, 2017). The economic evolution in rationing resources found to be balanced in the developed countries such as in the US for rationing resources the advanced technologies used rather than less expensive resources (Keliddar, Mosadeghrad, & Jafari-Sirizi, 2017). The health care policymakers should administer effective strategies such as rationing and priority setting to promote affordable, safe, patient centred, and effective services to deliver best health services (Keliddar, Mosadeghrad, & Jafari-Sirizi, 2017). 

The World Health Organization defines the rationing as prerequisites to universal health coverage. The rationing can be administered into four stages, i.e. health care manager, health care policymaker, patient and health care provider (Owusu-Manu, Badu, Agyekum, Akom, 2015: Vogenberg, & Santilli, 2018). The rationing in health care can be done through benefit package, queuing, payment machine, deductible, fixed budget and copayments (Keliddar, Mosadeghrad, & Jafari-Sirizi, 2017). The most significant aspect that should be ration by a society or health services is controllability, sacristy and value (Oliver, Lorenc, & Innvær, 2014: Vogenberg, & Santilli, 2018). The explicit and implicit meaning of ration allows going people without beneficial services (Dei, & Sebastian, 2018). The “implicit” rationing known as hidden nonsystematic; in contrast, explicitly refers to open systematic mode (Keliddar, Mosadeghrad, & Jafari-Sirizi, 2017).

Implicit rationing implies hidden rules and norms practices by health care practitioner such as physician (Keliddar, Mosadeghrad, & Jafari-Sirizi, 2017).  In distinguish, the explicit rationing focuses on the indicators of the patients such as gender, age, socioeconomic status and clinical conditions (Oliver, Lorenc, & Innvær, 2014). The health care rationing depends upon the social determinant of the patients (Keliddar, Mosadeghrad, & Jafari-Sirizi, 2017).

Traditionally, the care staff, doctor, physician and other health care practitioner decide when to given treatment to the patient in an uncoordinated way (Vogenberg, & Santilli, 2018). The public cannot take the initiative in the decision-making in rationing or hidden nonsystematic approach (Keliddar, Mosadeghrad, & Jafari-Sirizi, 2017). The physician manages the expenses in a given limited budget, distribute resources based on health priorities and inter-specialty bargaining power (Dei, & Sebastian, 2018).

The economic evolution of rationing is mandatory to intact for economic and health of the population (Dei, & Sebastian, 2018). Without rationing the resources, the health outcomes in any community cannot be achieved (Lafond, Charlesworth, Roberts, 2016: Pineo et al., 2017). The difference between developed and developing countries concerning the rationing is evident due to distinguishing technologies, resources and economic conditions. the equity must be considered while distributing the resources of health care to population (Keliddar, Mosadeghrad, & Jafari-Sirizi, 2017).

Horizontal and Vertical Equity and Assess in the Evaluation of Health Care Systems. Vertical aspects of health care focus on prevention but stem from a curative care model. In such programs, the western problem-solving approaches are followed and primarily health or disease-oriented such as malaria or AIDS (Dei, & Sebastian, 2018). The programs are very appealing to western funders to attack a health problem and formulate the strategy to eradicate it. Western state shows immense produce for conquering polio or another disease in the country (Vogenberg, & Santilli, 2018). Hence, they often lack sustainability because they lack in having community ownership (Lafond, Charlesworth, Roberts, 2016). The expert of nation guides the community what should be the fixed problem (Oliver, Lorenc, & Innvær, 2014: Fafard, P. (2015). Vertical programs deal with the specific health issues when poverty prevails, and epidemic flourish, general health services are least concerned in such community (Vogenberg, & Santilli, 2018).

Vertical programs are least effective to meet the demands of the general issues of the community (Sodha, & Dietz 2015: Owusu-Manu, Badu, Agyekum, Akom, 2015: Bartley, 2016). Vertical approach comprised of three components, i.e., monitoring & evaluation, intervention delivery and intervention strategies (Boerma, & Mathers, 2015). The intervention strategy focus on making plan and strategies to overcome the health issues from society (Keliddar, Mosadeghrad, & Jafari-Sirizi, 2017). The monitoring & evaluation intend to explore the impact of intervention delivery (Dei, & Sebastian, 2018). The intervention delivery does not come under the vertical program; rather it has linked with vertical-horizontal programs (Oliver, Lorenc, & Innvær, 2014: Owusu-Manu, Badu, Agyekum, Akom, 2015). The world health organisation designed a program to treat TB through direct observed Treatment Strategy (Vogenberg, & Santilli, 2018). Another program to control the polio was National immunisation program polio. An onchocerciasis control program is a comes under a vertical approach and achieved its target to control the health issue in the community (Keliddar, Mosadeghrad, & Jafari-Sirizi, 2017).

In contrast, horizontal program work for facilitating and prevention the community responses to manage their health problem. Such programs found to be very effective, but due to lack of funding and resources, the beneficial results cannot be achieved (Sodha, & Dietz 2015). Health care programs are based on the horizontal system for providing general health-oriented services to the population (Dei, & Sebastian, 2018).  Such as widespread immunisation, has been implemented to ensure that the children of specific age are receiving the immunisation regimen as recommended by world health organisation (Sodha, & Dietz 2015: Owusu-Manu, Badu, Agyekum, Akom, 2015). African program for onchocerciasis control program was launched in 1995 to eliminate the onchocerciasis problem and develop the socioeconomic development in the fourteen countries (Sodha, & Dietz 2015).

Both the vertical and horizontal approached are imperative in promoting health services and health status among the population (Vogenberg, & Santilli, 2018). The mixed approach of vertical and horizontal approaches in intervention delivery found to effective in literature bringing about effective results (Boerma, & Mathers, 2015). The health of the population in any country primarily depends upon the general and specific community and health-oriented services (Keliddar, Mosadeghrad, & Jafari-Sirizi, 2017). The economic social and political plays a significant role in eradicating the poor health issues and provides extensive understanding regarding health-oriented concepts.

Conclusion

The provision of health care in developing and developed countries has been a major concern in recent years. The physical health is interlinked with the mental health; sick people cannot experience metal health. The unhealthy people not merely suffer, but the people around them also experience psychological issues. The major issues in maintenance the good health among the population are an economic issue. The rising population and limited economic resources eradicate the chances of maintaining balances between need and resources. The developed counties utilise advanced technologies to provide health care, therefore encounter least issues in health budget and economy.

Furthermore, the polices to control high fertility and mortality rates helps in controlling the health-oriented issues among the population. The developing countries also need to implement such policies to achieve the desired results. The social policies consider important as the disparities among the population concerning their race, religion and ethnicity cause discrepancy in treatment modalities. If the population will be treated uneq ually the health status of the nation as a whole cannot be achieved. The rationing in the health service also causes issues due to limited resources and high demands of medical facilities. The literature suggested that rationing in health care bring about positive results. Although the vertical, as well as horizontal approaches, are working effectively to promote health care system, but not have some limitation if used separately. The intervention delivery through vertical-horizontal approaches helps in understanding as well as eradicating the issues. In short, the current paper provided an extensive picture of the social, economic and political policies in understanding the conceptual framework of health care covering the ineffective vs. effective policies and its impact on health care system.  

It has been proved through recent data and literature that the economic, political and social policies play a significant role in the development of a health care system.  The developed countries should focus on the policy-making for social, economic and political aspect for the prospect.