Posted on 159,847 Comments on Important Determinants of Health

Important Determinants of Health →

As local communities continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding the population and resource availability becomes increasingly important. Accessibility and affordability of healthcare are crucial during these times, as the virus does not discriminate against whom it affects. While the pandemic has caused changes in everyone’s lives, individuals without health insurance, access to transportation, and access to mental health services are a part of the population that is being particularly negatively affected.

To focus on the specific challenges faced by a local community during this pandemic, this blog will focus on the Albany, New York area and its population (1).

Health Insurance

In the U.S., there are over 28 million uninsured individuals (2). It can be incredibly expensive to try and afford basic care without health insurance, and patients without health insurance are limited in the providers they can see and make appointments with. Uninsured people are therefore far less likely to get medical care, which means they are not receiving yearly checkups and don’t have access to preventative measures, such as cancer screenings or blood pressure tests. In many cases, medical care is only sought in emergencies.

While the uninsured rate in New York has decreased in recent years, there are few options for those that are uninsured in Albany. One of these options is Surya Immediate Medical Care– while not currently accepting any ill patients due to the pandemic, the center accepts patients without insurance and allows self-payments. A new visit costs $150, while an established visit costs $100. Charges for additional services like strep tests and x-rays are listed on their website. For dental health, Aspen Dental in Albany is a practice that provides free exams and x-rays on the first visit, without insurance.

Access to Transportation

Being able to make an appointment is one thing, but actually getting to the doctor’s office is another– access to transportation is something that can often prevent patients from receiving the healthcare they need. One of the COVID-19 testing sites in Albany is at SUNY Albany. However, to be tested, individuals need transportation to the testing site and must be in a vehicle when they are being tested. Some resources that provide transportation include UberHealth, Medanswering services for individuals with Medicaid, and CDTA transit for Albany county resident seniors over the age of 60.

More recently, some mobile testing sites have become available and are listed here, which can allow some individuals to have access to testing without needing transportation, depending on where they live.

Mental Health Services

Mental health is an equally large component and contributor to overall health and wellbeing as physical health. With the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals are experiencing loneliness, anxiety, and other mental health issues as daily lifestyles have changed due to quarantine and social interaction is limited. To try and support individuals at home, some hotlines have become available 24/7 or throughout the week to provide help. A COVID-19 support line is available at (518) 269-6634, from 8 am to 8 pm every day. Additional hotlines and mental health resources in Albany are listed here.

While the Albany area has begun to respond to changes in healthcare availability and accessibility due to the pandemic, there are still some areas that can be improved upon, such as increased access to basic care and preventative services for people who are uninsured. Additionally, access to health insurance, transportation, and mental health services are only a few of the determinants of health and wellbeing– what do you think your local community can improve upon when it comes to the health of its population?

159,847 thoughts on “Important Determinants of Health”

  4. This makes sense. People had declining health in pandemic because they couldn’t go out and workout. But some didn’t even get seasonal flu because they were practicing hygienic and quarantine measures. So we cannot have a conclusion about this
    I was in EDUK8U in 2020 and the university literally froze and people had different impacts on their health.

    Reply

  5. cocoa mold removal
    After fermentation, 52.18% of the cocoa bean total weight
    was moisture. The sample showing the lowest moisture content
    after drying was the sample subjected to the oven drying process
    (6.90%). The next lowest moisture content was found in the
    sample subjected to the traditional drying method (7.76%),
    followed by the samples dried using the stainless steel dryer
    with plastic roof, with UV protection (8.08%) and without UV
    protection (8.03%).
    We may be able to explain these results owing to temperature
    differences experienced by the cocoa beans from the different
    drying methods. Artificial drying in the oven produced the
    highest temperature, followed by drying with direct sun light.
    Dryers with plastic roofs had the mildest temperatures. Were
    monitored the temperatures with thermometer and the drying
    that depended on solar light varied quite the temperatures but
    never exceeding 60 °C, temperature of the oven. All samples
    were considered acceptable for dry cocoa beans. Drying should
    be carried out until cocoa beans reach 7 to 8% water content,
    which requires 2-10 days depending on the method used or
    climatic conditions.
    Figure 1 shows the chromatogram of phenolic compounds
    and standards, theobromine, (+) –
    caffeine, and (-) -, respectively, and Figure 2 shows
    the OTA A standard chromatogram.
    The chromatograms showed good resolution without
    the presence of interference peaks. The retention times for
    the in the samples were similar to the peaks for the
    standard solution. The identification of the interesting
    occurred by analysis of retention time compared to the respective
    standards and spectra.
    https://cocoamoldremoval.com/

    Reply

  6. I know how to formally verify. What methods do you use to
    select and use safe companies? I’ll give you all the info
    먹튀 검증

    Reply

  8. Best solar companies perth

    To find the best solar companies in Perth, it’s worth looking at customer reviews and ratings of each company to get a better understanding of their service, as well as researching their prices, panels and warranty options. You can also check the Clean Energy Council’s website for advice on choosing the right solar company.

    Reply

  10. سرم لاکچری کوین

    خرید سرم های لاکچری کوین بیز فرانسه مرطوب کننده در مدل های مختلف با قیمت مناسب در فروشگاه بیز پلاس

    Reply

  40. Okeplay777 situs judi online tergacor dengan winrate tinggi hingga 98% ayo daftar sekarang disini!!!

    Reply

  47. Hi there, I discovered your blog per Google bit searching for such kinda educational advise moreover your inform beholds very remarkable for me.a2hosted

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *