Implications of Lung Disease in Canada
Healthcare System
There has been a significant decline for government funded research and this in turn, has added to the type of care that patients are receiving as well as the treatments that are currently available. "In striking contrast, respiratory research, which is vital to the development and introduction of
innovative technologies and treatments, represented only 2.4 per cent of health research funding distributed by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) in 2013-14. This is a significant decrease from the 4.5 per cent of CIHR funding respiratory research in 2008/2009, and overall, disproportionately low given the significant burden. Up to now, the federal investment in lung health research has not been sufficient to adequately address the toll of lung disease in Canada."
The kind of treatment that patients are receiving is questionable as there are so many patients and it is almost impossible to address all of their concerns and needs in a proper timely manner. Often times many patients with these diseases are left untreated. "A large number of Canadians with COPD and asthma also remain undiagnosed." (Source: https://www.lung.ca/lung-health/lung-info/impact-lung-disease).
Since so many people are diagnosed with various lung Diseases, this causes a strain on our healthcare system. The healthcare system can only in-take and treat a number of patients at a given time. Therefore, long wait-lists as well as the need to hire more professional trained nurses or doctors rises.
The Costs associated with having different types of Lung Disease are very high and expensive.
"Every day thousands of Canadians are pulled out of their workplaces, schools and homes and into doctors’ offices, emergency rooms and hospital beds by a myriad of respiratory illnesses: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sleep apnea, lung cancer, cystic fibrosis, influenza,
tuberculosis (TB), pneumonia and other diseases. According to the Conference Board of Canada, without continued concerted action, the cost to the healthcare system of asthma, COPD and lung cancer alone will rise to more than $18 billion by 2020 and $27 billion by 2030."
"Over 2 million (10%) Canadians aged 35 years and older were living with diagnosed COPD in 2012─2013" "The number of Canadians aged 35 years and older living with diagnosed COPD increased by 82% ─ from 1.1 million to a little over 2 million ─ between 2000─2001 and 2012─2013."
The costs for Canadians who are diagnosed with COPD as of 2010 from Statics Canada for both sexes was "$761,334,978".
"3.8 million
The number of Canadians living with diagnosed asthma reached 3.8 million (10.8%) in 2011/12. Approximately 820,000 people sought medical attention due to their asthma during the same year."
The costs for various individuals who have to live with and or are diagnosed with Asthma as of 2010 from Statics Canada for both sexes was "$1,245,427,771"
"It is estimated that 28,600 Canadians will develop lung cancer in 2017 and 21,100 will die from it. Incidence of lung cancer remains higher in males (76.5 per 100,000) than females (65.3 per 100,000). Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both males (26.1% of cancer deaths) and females (26.2% of cancer deaths)."
The costs that are associated for those people who are diagnosed with lung Cancer are included as follows via the chart in notes attached to this subtopic.
Family
Societal status can lead to different upbringing and understanding of the disease, and can also hinder or help treatments for such conditions later in life.
Pre-disposed genetic conditions can lead to debilitating lifelong implications.
The Financial Burden and stress that Family members go through, out-of-pocket expenses and hidden costs associated with lung disease.
Individual
Societal pressures can lead to influence on minors and young individuals to use Lung damaging products and create addictions early in life.
The financial burden of not being able to work or live your everyday life (i.e. having others take care of you, spending most of your time just taking pills, eating and sleeping)
Other of pocket expenses associated with the different various Lung Diseases. There are many fees that depending on the province your residing in are not included in your medical costs. This financial burden would then leave you with that portion of the bill.
Media and Advertising
Creating a false image of "coolness" in context to "smoking"
Ciagrette pacakage design
False Idolizing of celebrities in order to improve sales within the market.
Sponsoring and Campaigns from certain brands or certain government founded fundraisers.
Economy
The fact that Canada operates under a government medicare system, the legalities associated with funding such a system is often subject to criticism and scrutiny among the general public. The controversy surrounding Lung disease is particularly contentious given the availability of tobacco and damaging products readily accessible on the open market.
Since the taxpayer is responsible for the costs associated with Lung Disease in Canada, they also create a private sector of funding in order to try and obtain the funds that are not being government-funded. "The Lung Association has taken the lead in addressing this research gap by creating the National
Respiratory Research Strategy (NRRS) in partnership with the Canadian Thoracic Society and the Canadian Respiratory Health Professionals. The NRRS advances the prevention, detection, management, and treatment of breathing disorders and respiratory diseases by funding research, enhancing and
integrating training for researchers, and supporting knowledge translation. The Lung Association has launched the national fundraising campaign, Breathing as One, with an initial goal of raising more than $10 million to support the implementation of the strategy." These strategies are set-out to help the economy with the burdening financial costs of respiratory diseases' within Canada.
The costs associated with different types of Lung Diseases are taking an extreme toll on our economy.
"The Conference Board conservatively estimates that the economic burden of chronic lung diseases was $12 billion in 2010. The estimate includes direct healthcare costs,
including hospital and physicians ($3.4 billion in 2010), as well as indirect costs such as premature death and long-term disability ($8.6 billion in 2010)."
Employment
Depending on the specific types of various tasks and responsibilities' ones' implementation of their given duties may be hindered or affected.
Social Circles often times lead to stress and anxiety in the workplace.
Strain on mental health in the workplace
