Question

Describe how need and demand measures are used in the policy process Compare and contrast the terms need, demand, equity, and disparities as used in the policy process

Answer 1

Answer :

Need : need is something required For a safe ,stable and healthy life while a want is a desire ,wish or aspiration

Demand : demand is a economic principle referring to a customers desires and willingness to pay price For a specific good or service .holding all other factors constant ,an increase in the price of good or service will decrease demand and vice versa.

Health needs :

Health needs are often measured using the following :

• Self report .
• Health status indicators .
• Biomedical measures of health status .
• Geographic variations .

Self reported need :

Excellent .

Good

Fair .

Poor .

One group might have a higher percentage of people with poor health status .

Biomedical measures :

Body mass index

Blood pressure

Cholesterol

One group may be more obese than another group .

Geographic measures :

Some geographic regions might have risk associated with specific health problems .

One state may have higher infant mortality rates than another

Equity :

The absence of systematic and potentially remediable differences in one or more aspects of health across population groups is defined socially ,economically ,demigraphically .

But how do We determine who should get more.

Should We provide additional inputs to disadvantaged groups .

Who are disadvantaged groups : native americans , poor , men etc.

Disparities : racial or ethnic differences in the quality of health care that are not due to access relatwd factors or clinical needs ,preferences or appropriateness of intervention

Opposite of equity .