2024-07-15 02:07:00
Health care, what young people want for public health in the near future
The improvement in life expectancy and the awareness that there are still many steps to be taken to bring health among the main points in the “wishes” of Italians old and young, who are well concerned about the current situation. Confronted with this pressing question, Novartis Italia promoted the scientific research done by Astra Ricerche on the right “YOUTH AND HEALTH: THE FUTURE WE WANT”. The aim is to understand the views, needs and priorities of young Italians “under 30” on the future of health. The study involves the process of comparison between young people and health protagonists. After all, the project, included in the broader work called “Partners for the future” will involve companies to take concrete actions on the issues of prevention and access to innovation. All with the aim of reducing current health inequalities.
Health care, to more balance and access to health
What came out of the study? Young people look beyond inequalities and hope for more equality and access to health. For young Italians (18-29 years old) the main health challenge of the future will be that against tumors (42.8%). In second place is mental health (26.8%), with a difference of ten points compared to those asked “over 30”. Moreover, for 7 out of 10 young people, economic differences are the cause of inequalities in health (69.6% “under 30” and 75.1% “over 30”). These inequalities are considered the first true injustices. From a regional point of view, 67% of young people believe that there are regional differences in the health services available (72% “over 30” and 67% “under 30”). Young people then appear divided about the idea of gender differences regarding the right to health, with 39.2% of “under 30s” who believe that there is little or no difference between men and women while 34.5% of their peers instead, it believe that gender differences exist. very much or very much. The awareness is higher than that of the “over 30s”, where 59.7% of the interviewees do not notice any difference between men and women in appreciating the right to health.
Healthcare, digital will be important especially the elderly
Looking to the future, almost half of the young people who were interviewed (45.9%) believe that the digitalization of health will even affect the elderly. 43.8% see these differences between different age groups of the population in access to health services. A perception that is even more rooted in the “over 30s” (62.9% and 54.9%). In any case, trust in our health system is challenged. 41% of young people say they are convinced that, in case of illness or medical needs, the NHS can provide them with the best care available and the most advanced scientific innovations. Furthermore, 37.6% of young people “under 30” believe that NHS services are physically close and accessible to citizens. The majority of “over 30 years” however defined themselves in negative terms, with 30.3% believing that the services are close and accessible and 34.5% believing that the services are not very accessible or not accessible at all. However, few young people (three in ten) believe that the NHS has adequate resources to guarantee quality services to citizens. The same percentage (31%) expressed the opposite opinion, stating that in their opinion the facilities are few or not enough and 35% think that they are generally enough. Regarding the status of doctors and health workers, “under 30s” are more optimistic than “over 30s” regarding this aspect. 35.1% consider them very or appropriate while 43% of “over 30s” consider them inappropriate.
Health care, what are the priorities on which to intervene
What are the important things to intervene on? Investments in scientific research (26.8%), greater economic resources (19.1%) and new digital technologies (15.0%) are priorities for young people between 18 and 29 for future health challenges. While the “over 30s” put the need for new recruitment of doctors and nurses first. Therefore, economic differences represent for half of the young people (55.7% “under 30” and 64.9% “over 30”) the main priority to the dream of equal health available to all. In second priority are regional differences (13.4% “under 30” and 15.7% “over 30”). In thinking about the health of the future, the gap between the young and the old rises to 10 percentage points with regard to the importance given to ethnic differences as an important factor on which to intervene to ensure adequate health insurance (13.9% “under 30” vs. 3. .7% “over 30”). The collaboration between doctors, companies, patients and the company is considered to be of the first priority by all. And finally prevention. Italians know the importance of prevention, in line with the “over 30” segments of the population (80.7% “over 30” vs. 76.8% “under 30”). 58.2% of “under 30s” declare that they do preventive visits and tests every one or two years, a percentage that rises to 68.9% of “over 30s”. Oncology prevention is in the first place in terms of relevance and by all age groups (74.7% “under 30” and 80.1% “over 30”), but young people attach more importance to prevention than to mental health (45.9% vs. 30.3). %) and infectious diseases (43.3% vs 28.8%). Finally, doctors (general practitioners and specialists) are the main source of health information for all age groups (80.8% “over 30” and 75.8% “under 30”), but it grows in younger groups of young people use the web to find out about their health, with 37.1% of “under 30s” interviewed (vs. 24.2% of “over 30s”) saying they use information or media websites society in general, while 9.8% use online telephone consultation and tele- visit services (vs. 6.2% of “over 30s”).
#Healthcare #35s #future