Determinants of Health and Health Equity

Determinants of Health

• Determinants of health are factors influencing a person's health, including social, environmental, and genetic factors.
• Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) are a set of social and economic factors impacting health outcomes.
• These factors include income, education, employment, social support, physical environments, and experiences of discrimination.
• Specific groups like Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQ individuals, and Black Canadians experience more pronounced health disparities.

Health Inequalities vs Health Equity

• Health Inequalities are differences in health status between individuals and groups due to genetics, choices, and social determinants.
• Health Equity aims to eliminate unfair systems and policies causing disparities, ensuring everyone has access to health-conducive conditions.

Consent

• Consent is a voluntary agreement to engage in an activity.
• The Health Care Consent Act, 1996 (HCCA) and The Substitute Decisions Act, 1992 (SDA) are relevant legislation for consent.

Informed Consent

• Informed consent is an ongoing process respecting patient autonomy, a legal and ethical principle ensuring informed patient decisions.
• Informed consent ensures patients understand treatment details, purpose, benefits, risks, side effects, alternatives, and the option of no treatment.

Informed Consent Elements

• Disclosure: Providing information about the procedure.
• Comprehension: Ensuring patients understand the information, tailored to their language, literacy, and cognitive abilities.
• Voluntariness: Patient decisions are free of coercion or undue influence.
• Competence: Patient is legally and mentally capable of making decisions.
• Consent: Explicit agreement through verbal, written, or other communication methods.

Nursing Responsibilities in Informed Consent

• Nurses ensure patients fully understand proposed treatments.
• Nurses advocate for patient needs (if comprehension is lacking).
• Nurses verify patient capacity to give consent; acting as patient advocates for informed decision-making in health care.

Health Literacy

• Health literacy is the ability to access, understand, evaluate, and use health information to make informed decisions.
• Health literacy involves:
  • Accessing relevant health resources
  • Understanding medical information
  • Evaluating credibility and relevance of information
  • Communicating effectively with healthcare providers
  • Applying knowledge to manage health

Importance of Health Literacy

• Health Literacy leads to better health outcomes, including disease management, preventive care, and informed decision-making.
• Health Literacy promotes patient empowerment.
• Health Literacy improves communication between patients and providers, enhancing adherence to treatment plans.
• Health Literacy reduces healthcare costs by minimizing unnecessary visits and procedures.