Introduction
- Cleveland community is marked by several health concerns;
- Opioid crisis;
- Obesity;
- Inadequate access to healthcare;
- Low income and unawareness of available services;
- Recent official reports identify these issues.
The review of the needs of Cleveland community shows the growth in opioid abuse, especially characteristic to people with low income. Obesity is another health issue that is associated with many additional health complications. The literature presents relevant data regarding these issues.
Opioid use increase
- Sharp overdose noted in 2017 compared to 2016;
- Emergency visits increased by 27,7 percent;
- Opioid epidemics tends to grow further;
- Both males and frames as well as adolescents are involved in this health issue;
- Per day, there are about 6-7 overdoses, as reported by the recent report;
- It is suggested for health professionals to provide education as a preventative measure (Astolfi, 2018).
The recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that there is an increase in opioid overdoses among the population of Cleveland (Astolfi, 2018). The data is compared to the previous year, and it is found that the mentioned numbers may even worsen in the future.
Obesity
- Obesity accounts for approximately 34 percent of the population of Cleveland (“Community health needs assessment,” 2016);
- It is one of the most common mortality causes;
- Researchers from Cleveland Clinic discovered that obesity is preventable;
- Obesity leads to high cholesterol, diabetes, and hypertension;
- The contributing factors are alcohol and tobacco abuse along with family history;
- Fast food largely used by low income population is noted as leading to obesity, too (“Cleveland clinic study,” 2017).
As it can be observed from these points, obesity is one of the major health concerns in Cleveland. Caused by various factors such as poor eating habits, low income, and so on, it leads to health status decrease and even death. It is stated that obesity may be prevented, while the current disease rates in the given community are rather high.
Access to healthcare services
- It is challenging for people with low income and those in poverty to access healthcare;
- An unaffordable cost of services is the first reason for the identified health issue;
- Low availability of ambulatory care and preventative services;
- Unawareness of how to access healthcare and that of available services;
- Inadequate transportation is one more cause of the problem in Cleveland;
- The majority of the population relies only on emergency care (“Community health needs assessment,” 2016).
As stated in the community needs assessment presented by Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital, the population faces several barriers to accessing adequate healthcare services. While a lack of education and the corresponding unawareness are noted, poor transportation, high costs, and reliance on emergency care are determined as the key reasons for this health issue.
Conclusion
- 34 percent of people living in the community of Cleveland are obese;
- Opioid crisis rates are 28 percent;
- It is anticipated that the above rate would grow;
- The population lacks awareness;
- Emergency care is seen the main way to react to health problems;
- Little attention is paid to disease prevention.
To conclude, Cleveland community encounters with obesity, opioid abuse, and poor access to health care services. It should be stressed that the population considers emergency help as the key way to address their concerns, while ambulatory and preventative care remain underappreciated. Thus, the identified health issues provide the direction for further interventions to improve the existing situation in Cleveland.
References
Astolfi, C. (2018). Cleveland ER doctors witnessed spike in opioid overdoses as CDC finds Ohio ER visits surged 28 percent. Web.
Cleveland clinic study finds obesity as top cause of preventable life-years lost. (2017). Web.
Community health needs assessment. (2016). Web.