05/03

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05/03 POPLHLTH303 – The Health System & Health Informatics (W1) - Introduction 1. How the New Zealand Health System Works Structural Overview New Zealand operates a publicly funded, centrally coordinated health system. Key Components ● Ministry of Health ● ● ● ○ Sets national policy and strategy ○ Allocates funding ○ Oversees system performance Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora) ○ Delivers health services nationally ○ Manages hospitals and community services ○ Previously DHBs (now centralised) Primary Care ○ GPs, nurses, pharmacists ○ First point of contact ○ Mostly community-based Secondary & Tertiary Care ○ Hospital specialists ○ Acute and complex services How Funding Decisions Are Made Funding is informed by: ● Population size and demographics ● ● ● Disease prevalence (long-term conditions) Health inequities Data from clinical records ● National health priorities This is where health informatics becomes critical — data informs resource allocation. I will talk about Type 2 Diabetes. 1. Description Type 2 Diabetes is a long-term condition where the body cannot use insulin properly. This causes high blood sugar levels and can lead to problems like heart disease and kidney damage. 2....