The healthcare system in Nigeria has the universal tri-level of care: primary, secondary and tertiary (Asuzu, 2004). All the levels of government have responsibility for their level of care and the other two in addition and accordingly provide services at all levels. However the tertiary level happens to be the only one interested in by all. The social and infrastructural problems evolving out of the poor healthcare system have been represented as an inverted health care pyramid where the primary and secondary care are depicted as neglected (Asuzu, 2004).
Health reforms have been instituted earlier in three Development Plans but none were planned or instituted well. The Third Plan (the 1970s) was more elaborate but again responsibilities were not judiciously handled at all levels (Asuzu, 2004). The drawbacks were therefore a poorly designed and delivered healthcare system: responsibilities were not shared among the three levels of government in the generation of resources, development of manpower, services for delivery and health professional manpower. There was no clear policy (Asuzu, 2004).
The National Constitution needs to be changed to include clauses for sharing of health care responsibility among the three levels of government. Legislation needs to assist in defining the limits of their primary responsibility. Primary health care is the best option for reform (Asuzu, 2004). Community health professionals need to have their roles and responsibilities defined. The referral system to the secondary health care services and hospitals needs to be well organized for maximum benefit to patients. Training and retraining are essential moves. Continuing education of the politicians and community is equally essential (Asuzu, 2004).
With the reforms, the stress on tertiary care would be reduced and secondary care enhanced. Community care would be revolutionized and established as the real basis of care. Health workers who are committed may be fully trained into professionals (Asuzu, 2004). Financial assistance for salary payments may be given by the State governments. Young doctors may be posted to the primary care areas. Dissemination of information on health, affordable health insurance and coordination of western and traditional medicines are the expected outcomes of health reforms (Asuzu, 2004).
Reproductive health programme has been improved using the referral model for integrating family planning and HIV programmes (Chabikuli et al, 2009). Males are also addressed. However the user fee policy is pulling results down. The Government needs to reconsider it and also make plans to improve primary care.
References:
Asuzu, M.C. (2004). The necessity for a health systems reform in Nigeria, Journal of Community Medicine &Primary Health Care, Vol. 16, No. 1, p. 1-3
Chabikuli, N.O., Awi, D.D., Chukwujekwu, O., Abubakar, Z., Gwrazo,U. and Ibrahim, M. et al. (2009). The use of routine monitoring and evaluation systems to referral model of family planning and HIV service integration in Nigeria. AIDS, Vol. 23, Suppl1, p. S97-S103
Biomedical theories and models provide sound evidence-based frameworks that can be effectively utilized in care delivery. Nurses can apply certain models to ensure the provision of high-quality and patient-centered care (McEwen & Wills, 2019). These models offer a scientific view of patients health conditions, so nursing professionals have a clear picture related to symptoms, factors affecting diseases, ways humans respond to specific types of interventions, and so on. This paper includes a brief analysis of some biomedical theories and the ways they can be utilized in nursing practice.
Several cancer theories have been developed and widely used in health care. The genetic basis of cancer theory is one of these paradigms, and it focuses on the genesis of the disease. According to this framework, cancer development can be divided into three stages, initiation, promotion, and progression (McEwen & Wills, 2019). A combination of factors leads to the occurrence and proliferation of cancer cells.
Cells undergo multiple mutations affecting the pace of their proliferation, response to the immune system, and so on. Chemical carcinogens and radiation are common factors damaging cells DNA, which leads to their malfunction. Hormones (for example, estrogen) often trigger the proliferation of cells and tumor growth. A mutated cell receives signals from the bodys nervous system (regarding its development patterns, type, and number of divisions) but responds differently due to the mutation. This altered cell also starts proliferating at a considerably higher pace as compared to healthy cells, creating tumors. Due to the mutation, the altered cell cannot be repaired by the immune system. Thus, the body is usually unable to control the division and growth of such cells and repair damage, which leads to prompt the growth of tumors.
This theory is rather common and has been employed as a framework in diverse studies. For instance, Mahon (2009) stated that cancer genomics could be instrumental in improving patient outcomes as nurses could provide educational services to patients and their families. Nursing professionals should educate people on the nature of their health condition (genetic and environmental aspects), as well as ways to mitigate the negative effects of external factors (Frazier et al., 2009; Pestka et al., 2010). Advocacy for lifestyle changes is one of the elements of the nursing practice of a modern nurse. The gate control theory is often used when treating cancer patients or the ones with chronic conditions. The paradigm was developed in the 1970s and involved the exploration of the nature of pain and peoples response to it (McEwen & Wills, 2019). It was found that pain is not a merely physiological phenomenon as it is associated with the psychological and emotional domains as well.
According to this theory, gating mechanisms appear in the spinal cord while the impulses travel across the nervous system. Certain cells can inhibit pain impulses, and they do not reach the brain, which results in soothed pain (McEwen & Wills, 2019). This framework is critical for nurses providing care to patients with chronic conditions. It is noteworthy that emotional components are also important for the provision of care to the elderly, especially when it comes to the development of dementia (Yao & Algase, 2008). Nursing practitioners should understand the value of a comprehensive approach to care that implies the use of a set of pharmacological, emotional, and spiritual elements.
To sum up, it is necessary to note that the utilization of biomedical theories and models in nursing can lead to the improvement of patient outcomes and the overall development of practice. Nurses who can apply such paradigms in their practice enhance the quality of provided care. These models help nurses to understand the needs of patients and choose the most effective ways to address them.
Effective communication and transparency between patients and doctors as well as between health workers present one of the current priorities in the healthcare systems. In the patient-centered approach, communication provides the foundation for decision-making interactions, such as the statement of diagnosis and treatment options. I chose this topic because in theory, effective communication with the patient is an essential part of the healthcare system, but in practice, the step of conveying the information to the patient is often skipped. For example, according to Schnipper et al. (2021), more than twenty percent of emergency department patients do not receive an explanation about their health problems during the diagnosis process. Moreover, nearly five percent of those patients did not receive any instructions about what to do after leaving the emergency departments and what preventative measures are suitable for their conditions. Therefore, this paper will define what effect does nurses (P) giving a written (I) or verbal (C) report on a patient condition (O) have on errors in the health care setting over a month (T).
In the existing body of knowledge, the problem of verbal and non-verbal communication of health care providers is generally discussed from the points of care quality, patients level of safety, and satisfaction with the services. However, the majority of experts agree that the issue is sourced from a lack of communication skills and caregivers perception of care. According to Schnipper et al. (2021), the level of communication between the patient and caregiver is higher when clinicians adhere to the safety protocols and act intentionally and respectfully towards the patients. On the other hand, excessively open communication with patients could become the potential reason for conflicts between healthcare providers and patients and their families. Therefore, active communication in the healthcare setting should be focused on eliminating any opportunities for patients distrust and handling the patients emotions.
Next, considering the frequency of medical errors depending on nurses choice of verbal or written reports on the patients condition, incomplete documentation presents a critical human error that occurs during diagnosis or care planning stages. Miscommunication of verbal reports also presents a significant threat to patients safety levels. The article written by Schnipper et al. (2021) proposes the idea that poor communication with patients causes the majority of errors in diagnosis as patients informed about their diagnosis can determine potential errors. In addition, through the implementation of health information technology (HIT), written reports fixed in the electronic health records (EHR) are always available for patients review, which enables the direct connection component. Therefore, written reports fixed in EHR have lower chances for misunderstandings and mistakes, and facilitating patients access to electronic health records could prevent potential errors in written reports.
In general, verbal reports and orders should be devoted to more urgent cases where time spent on writing or entering the information in the EHR could critically affect a patients condition. However, the issues lie within unstructured communication within the organization or medical teams in some cases. Thus, to acquire effective communication knowledge, the healthcare staff should undergo training programs focused on integrating structured communication, such as TeamSTEPPS and simulation-based closed-loop communication. In addition, according to the study conducted by Kwame and Petrucka (2020), excessive workloads and shortages of nurses, and lack of involvement also contribute to the widespread use of verbal reports on patients conditions. Therefore, while verbal reports were initially devoted to urgent cases, due to excessive workloads in healthcare systems and unstructured communication flow, a high number of reports and medication orders are transferred in verbal form.
The latest research on the importance of verbal and non-verbal communication with patients and its influence on human errors was conducted by Ahmed (2020) and Kwame and Petrucka (2020). Ahmeds study of differences between verbal and non-verbal communication of health care providers focused on maternity care in the governmental healthcare system in Erbil, Iraq, while research conducted by Kwame and Petrucka centered on sub-Saharan Africa. In his research, Ahmed defined that nearly half of all women who gave birth in the span of three months were unsatisfied with midwives and physicians work. The study determined that there is a direct correlation between the patients satisfaction level with the service and the quality of communication of health care provides.
Therefore, increasing the communication skill of health care providers will significantly increase the overall patients level of satisfaction with healthcare services. On the other hand, the article by Kwame and Petrucka (2020) explains why communication skills are required for the nursing profession. The authors draw evidence that poor communication affects the quality of care, patients safety, and nursing practices (2020). The research defined that because of several factors such as power dynamics, communication styles, and language barriers, the communication and interaction patterns between the care providers and patients could be negatively affected.
In conclusion, giving a verbal report on a patients condition instead of a written report in the health care setting over a month could potentially result in half of the patients being unsatisfied with provided services. Factors that influence the decision to use verbal reports include excessive workloads, shortages of nurses, and lack of involvement. Possible implementation should consist of introducing health information technology (HIT) and electronic health records (EHR) and training healthcare providers communication skills. The effectiveness of implementation could be evaluated by monitoring patients level of satisfaction with the services.
References
Ahmed, H.M. (2020). Role of verbal and non-verbal communication of health care providers in general satisfaction with birth care: a cross-sectional study in government health settings of Erbil City, Iraq. Reproductive Health, 17, 1-9. Web.
Schnipper, J., Fitall, E., Hall, K. K., & Gale, B. (2021). Approach to improving patient safety: Communication. Patient Safety Network. Web.
Kwame, A. & Petrucka, P. (2020). Communication in nurse- patient interaction in healthcare settings in Sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 12, 1-22. Web.
The Healthcare system in East Harlem has been regarded as underserved due to the limited number of healthcare providers who cannot meet the communitys medical needs. Due to the high rate of immigrants in the region, several factors have made it difficult to access quality healthcare. Some factors include the lack of trained physicians to serve the region. This has been influenced by the low rates of locals who pursue higher education. Accessing quality healthcare is a major problem that has increased avoidable hospitalizations. For instance, it is reported that one in every four adults does not have medical cover. This ratio translates to about 12% of the adults who lack health insurance (East Harlem, Manhattan (History), n.d.). Avoidable hospitalizations are caused by conditions that would be treated if the patient had access to primary care in the initial stages of the condition.
In East Harlem, the rate of avoidable hospitalizations is about 2000 per every 100000 adults. This rate is almost double that of the entire New York region. Some of the conditions that lead to hospitalizations in East Harlem include obesity, diabetes, and hypertension (East Harlem, Manhattan (History), n.d.). There is also high psychiatric hospitalization level which is almost triple the rate of the larger New York region. This high rate exposes the area residents stresses leading to increased mental conditions.
The poor healthcare system has been one of the leading factors for the high death rate in the area. With a life expectancy of 76 years, premature death in East Harlem at 65 years is higher than in the New York City region, with cancer leading as the top cause of death with at least 63.3% per 100000 deaths (East Harlem, Manhattan (History), n.d.). Heart disease and HIV come second and third with 50.2% and 18.0%, respectively. The infant mortality rate stands at 5.9 % per 1000 live births in the region (East Harlem, Manhattan (History), n.d.). This is higher than that of the rest of the New York City region, which has a rate of 4.4 per 1000 live births.
Education
In terms of education, East Harlem has one of the highest rates of dropouts and school absenteeism in all levels of education. For instance, at elementary school, the level of absenteeism is at 30%, 10% more than the entire city of New York. At least 30% of elementary school students miss more than twenty days per academic year. It is estimated that at least 26% of East Harlem adults have not completed high school. College graduates in the region stand at 36%, while high school graduates are 38% (East Harlem Info, n.d.). The poor economic status of most families in the region has been closely associated with the low rate of graduates witnessed in East Harlem. Most families are low-income earners and find it difficult to finance higher education.
East Harlem has many public schools operated by the New York Department of Education. Some of the notable elementary schools include Central Park East I, Central Park East II, Mosaic Preparatory Academy, Tag Young Scholars, and The Lexington Academy. For public middle schools, Esperanza Preparatory Academy and Renaissance School of the Arts are among the notable schools in the area. Some of the notable libraries in East Harlem include the Aguilar library, a branch of the New York Public Library (NYPL) (East Harlem, n.d.). Another branch of NYPL is on 125th Street. Most of these structures are generally well equipped and have the normal standards of most public institutions. Various extracurricular activities are practiced in these schools, including arts, sports and theatrical performances such as poetry and comedy.
Health Interventions
The administration at East Harlem and New York City have been working hard to fight the health disparities in the area. Undoubtedly, East Harlem lags in most sectors, including the healthcare system. Various interventions have been set in place to address the major healthcare loopholes in the region that limit the number of people accessing quality healthcare. Over the years, these interventions have been paying off, with the area showing significant improvement in the healthcare sector and other issues such as education (East Harlem | The Official Guide to New York City, n.d.). Some of the interventions in East Harlem include; firstly, there has been an increased awareness in the community by both private and government organizations to educate the people on the need to seek medical attention when necessary. Most community members have been shunning medical care by self-reporting on their health. For instance, according to statistics, at least 48% of the people in the area self-reported their health as excellent (El Barrio (East Harlem), n.d.). Accessing medical care and regular checkups have been essential in identifying various conditions at their initial stages and treating them before they worsen. This also reduces the number of avoidable hospitalization.
One of the challenges that have been given special focus in East Harlem is teen pregnancy. For a long time, the area has been one of the leading regions in New York City, with the highest cases of teen pregnancies. There have been mechanisms in place to reduce the rate of teenage pregnancies and help the teenagers who have already gotten pregnant psychologically and medically. Various institutions have initiated programs to educate pregnant teens on maternal care and provide them with medical and counselling resources to help them monitor their pregnancies to safe deliveries (El Barrio (East Harlem), n.d.). Most teen pregnancies are at risk of infant mortality due to a lack of knowledge on pregnancys necessary care. Organizations such as Union Settlement have led this initiative by creating workshops and designing programs that offer emotional and medical help to pregnant teens.
Recommendations
Creating awareness to educate the mass on the need to shun negative practices is one of the effective methods of dealing with the inequalities in East Harlem. There are many issues affecting the community of East Harlem. Most inequalities result from social stresses, while others are due to cultural beliefs and practices (East Harlem NYC Neighborhood Guide, n.d.). My plan involves creating social institutions such as theatres and cultural heritage centers in most neighborhood parts. Secondly, there is a need to identify the most preferred cultural practices, such as songs and sports, and organize competitions and events that will bring together most people. Such events will be perfect for educating the masses on the many things they disregard.
The approach should not aim to undermine their culture and beliefs but show them the brighter side of refraining from some practices and embracing habits that meant good for the community (East Harlem NYC Neighborhood Guide, n.d.). Research has indicated that most of the children of immigrants fail to succeed in school due to the mentality of their parents due to reluctance to motivate their children on the benefits of education. Cultural events to educate the community members on a new way of life are likely to be taken positively by the population and cause a significant change in the way the locals perceive issues. In such events, it is important to include the members of the society who have embraced a positive life, such as school graduates, to talk to the youth about the importance of going to school and graduating. This technique will motivate most people to embrace a new life and shun derailing practices.
Not all hospital-related incidents or events can be entirely avoided. However, given that particular measures are implemented to actively avoid them from occurring and costing both the patient and the insurance providers finances, specific events have been identified by CMS as avoidable occurrences. These occurrences are referred to as never events. According to Anderson and Watt (2020), Several other events that are connected to severe levels of harm are not classified as never events, while not all never events are connected to significant patient harm. My organization has decided to look much further for ways to enhance patient care instead of concentrating only on never events or unsafe acts.
One important aspect that my organization has been using is technology. Health information technology is essential in achieving zero never events and in making up for human weaknesses (Chokshi & Beckman, 2022). For instance, instead of handwritten prescriptions, practitioners input all of them through a computerized system directly into an electronic system that automatically examines for faults. This ensures that the appropriate medication is provided to the right patient and at the right time. We have implemented a cutting-edge pharmaceutical processing and packing method that affixes a bar code with patient-specific data and dosing directions to each medication.
Another measure my healthcare organization has adopted is for the medical personnel to take care of themselves by getting enough rest, exercising, eating healthily, and remaining mentally and spiritually fit. According to Anderson and Watt (2020), one can only take good care of others if they take good care of themselves. Due to the fact that these events can be prevented and are unprofitable from a business perspective, most healthcare facilities and other care clinics have developed procedures and guidelines to fully eradicate them (Chokshi & Beckman, 2022). The Joint Commission has made a significant effort to address this significant issue in healthcare by developing requirements that must be met in order to be granted and maintain their accreditation, including requirements to avoid the never events mentioned by the CMS.
Primary health care entails the provision of crucial health care services through scientifically and socially accepted technologies and skills. It involves full participation of the entire community. In most cases, these services are affordable by the community since the country can maintain and sustain the service at all levels of development. According to Milo (2010), &the technologies used in primary health care are universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation (p. 211). This equates all the people in the community through the provision of affordable health care to all regardless of economic status, tribe, culture or race. This therefore encourages full participation of all individuals in the society. Primary health care advocates for self-determination and participatory spirit by all in the community through accessibility of and affordability of health care services by all. The major achievement in which primary health care focuses on is the provision of good health to all (Judge, & Welton 2010, p. 92). For instance, nineteen (19) years ago before the realization of vision 2030, childhood obesity in Saudi Arabia persisted as a national health problem, affecting girls more than the boys. In pursuit of solving this problem, different approaches came into play to realize the present status- a Saudi Arabia without childhood obesity. Realization of this goal entailed Provision of health education to schools (Teachers, parents and children), Provision of sporting activities in girl schools and inclusion of food and health topics in schools. Reduction in social disparities in health sector, conducting health services to those who need them in time, integrating health education and practices into all sectors and increasing health stakeholders for better provision of the health services have led to reduction of obesity in Saudi Arabia (Winslow 2005, p.23). Through a comprehensive primary health care plan, the realization of the 2030 vision came to a reality.
Although primary health care continues to propagate the provision of better health for all, health inequity continues to be an area of concern for many countries where disparities exist in accessibility and quality of health care provided. These differences cut across many populations, races, and socioeconomic groups. Some populations are at risk of developing certain diseases than others, and therefore differences in disease occurrence across the populations. For instance, obesity in Saudi Arabia occurs more to girls as compared to boys. Several factors determine this disparity including empowerment of boy child through sporting activities in school while girls do not have the sporting activities in their schools. Populations prone to certain diseases like girls in Saudi Arabia, experience higher mortality rates and chronic disease outbreaks. On the other hand, socioeconomic classes of people also determine the disparities observed in disease distribution among populations in that, those at higher socio economic status are more likely to suffer from obesity, simply because they can afford the luxuries, which cause obesity. For instance, rich families can afford to take their children to restaurants for fast foods. Primary health care has helped to reduce the prevalence of obesity in girls in Saudi Arabia through government provision of sporting activities, inclusion of education on food and health in the school curriculum. These factors have led to the realization of the present status of few cases of childhood obesity in Saudi Arabia.
Vision 2030 on the health sector
In the last nineteen years, the health sector adhered to comprehensive primary health care plan, which emphasized on the mitigation of health inequity based on socioeconomic status. According to Leeder (2007), Although gender and race are significant factors in explaining health inequity, socioeconomic factor is the greatest determining factor in an individuals level to access health care (p. 501). For instance, rich families in Saudi Arabia could afford health consultation professionals on obesity to their children while the poor families could not. For the case of Saudi Arabian childhood obesity, socioeconomic factors contribute significantly to the accessibility of quality health care for all children in the community. Poor or low socioeconomic status meant low education, poor employment or outright lack of employment leading to low or no income to the parents. Thus, children suffering from obesity from such families had little access to health care. On the other hand, good or high socioeconomic status means the individuals have access to good education, well-developed careers hence good jobs and high income impregnated with health benefits such as health insurance covers and medical attention allowances. Thus, children suffering from obesity from such families can access quality health care services. With reference to Saudi Arabia, every family could afford a car and television before 2030 and therefore, many girls waste many hours doing stationary activities like watching the television other than playing and doing physical exercise. On the other hand, boys tend to play more than watch the television that led to development of obesity more in girls than in boys. With the efforts of realising the vision 2030, this problem in disparity of obesity between girls and boys remains under control. Introduction of sporting and dieting programs in schools helped to check the disease. Dauble (2008) observes that, lack of medical insurance cover will lead to many patients more likely to postpone their medical care, more likely to go without medical care and more likely to go without prescription medicine (p. 56). High cost of medical or health services results into many of the Saudi Arabian parents postponing medical attention of their children suffering from obesity. This resulted into increment of health risks in the community. To prevent this in the present 2030, primary health care approach applies its principles of prevention and curative to ensure health of the children especially the girls and prevent obesity.
Social factors and lifestyles also play a major role in the determination of health of an individual. These factors may include the lifestyle of the person dictated greatly by the economic status of that person as well. Social behaviours and lifestyles such as consumption of fast foods from a restaurant increased the risk of obesity development in many children in Saudi Arabia and within the last 19 years, counter measures have changed the situation. Families of high economic class are more likely to suffer from obesity and related diseases. Such people overeat and take little or no physical exercise. On the other hand, the low economic class people are less likely to suffer such illnesses for the simple reason that they cannot afford high luxury lifestyles such as dining in restaurants. Saudi Arabian culture advocates for the disbandment of social activities such as sporting activities in girls schools, thereby increasing the prevalence of obesity among girls than in boys. This scenario created health equity between obesity in girls and boys and vision 2030 sort to address this disparity. Presently the case rests settled as the government enforces sporting activities in girls schools.
On its framework, the world health organization emphasizes on providing affordable health services to all citizens and works out means of reducing the disparity between the high and the low social classes, which eventually helps to reduce the prevalence of social related disease to a certain social, gender or age group. In the quest for the full realization of the vision 2030, the primary health care approach brought into play its principles of accessibility, public participation, health promotion, application of technology and inter-sector cooperation (Baum 2008, p. 24). In Saudi Arabia, these factors play an important role in maintaining a nation free of childhood obesity.
Comprehensive primary health care
The realization of the vision 2030 on the health sector depended largely on the performance of the comprehensive primary health care as it focused on individuals and community. It emphasized on prevention, cure and promotion of health education to all. Furthermore, primary health care allowed individual participation in decision making concerning their health especially in Saudi Arabia during the pursuit of decreasing the disparity in childhood obesity between girls and boys. In 2011, before realization of the current state, only those families who could afford quality health for obesity had the privilege to access the health facilities. In 2030, the access to both health care professionals and facilities has however become easier. Provision of health professionals and care services to the rural, remote and neglected areas is crucial and ensures patients receive appropriate health care from appropriate health professionals within appropriate period as it presently (Keleher, & MacDougal 2009, p.247). Within the last 19 years, the government approved policies to provide health incentives to the less fortunate in the society in order to access basic health care. This helps to reduce cases of childhood obesity in Saudi Arabia.
In addition, comprehensive primary health care provides for public participation, whereby all the individuals take part in decision making on their health matters. For instance, Saudi Arabia culture did not allow for sporting activities among girls and women. Sporting provides physical exercise, which increase blood circulation in turn helping to control obesity development. In this case, the Saudi Arabian citizens especially the girls in girls school had to decide to take sports to control obesity development. An institution such as school decides on nutritional programs to alleviate disease occurrence among the learners and this encourages teachers and parents decision on dietary measures to their children. In Saudi Arabia, through CPHC nutritional education programs are in place to equip teachers and parents with important information concerning nutrition and help to control the disparity in obesity prevalence between girls and boys in the present 2030. In addition, CPHC encourages the identification of a health need affecting the community and determination of alternative measures to mitigate complications accruing from the problem (Smedley, & Stith 2002, p. 24). Through CPHC, Saudi Arabians identified girls suffered from obesity more than boys and took precautions to mitigate the problem. The government introduced sporting activities in girls schools contrary to the norms of the cultures to offer physical body exercises required to check obeseness, included food and health topics in school syllabus and increased health education to the parents through print media and televisions. These led to the present reduction in the number of obesity cases and the maintenance of the present health equity in 2030. Dissemination of information to the public in the present health state reduces the chances of unhealthy living involving unhealthy dieting and lifestyles, which could lead to health problems. Furthermore, health promotion helps in educating people on health issues and entails dissemination of information concerning nutrition, sanitation, maternal health care, child health care, immunization, prevention and control of endemic diseases (Fryer, & Dovey 2000, p. 477). For instance, health education to both parents and teachers in Saudi Arabian schools has reduced the cases of obesity among schoolchildren, particularly in girls. Strict adherence to the stipulated measures of health promotion reduces the cost of health maintenance and therefore lifts the heavy financial burden of health provision to the low socioeconomic group. Disparities created due to differences in socioeconomic status in matters of provision of health care services reduce with the intensive health educational campaigns. In fact, the number of people falling sick reduces proportionally with the adherence to the set health values. For instance, educational health campaigns targeting nutrition and obesity in Saudi Arabia helps to reduce consumption of fatty foods thus reducing the prevalence of obesity in girls. Socioeconomic differences among individuals in a community bring about the differences in the value of life the children from these backgrounds get. High economic status group have their children privileged to enjoy child health care and nutrition guidance as compared to those from low economic class and therefore before the attainment of the vision 2030, the child health care for the low economic class was poor and this propagated subsequent health problems in late life such as development of obesity. This problem now with the attainment of the vision 2030, gets its solution in that, CPHC ultimately aims at providing health services including guidance to all mothers on appropriate diets to their children at affordable cost (Fiscella, & Fanks 2000, p. 2007). Child mortality has continued to reduce drastically following the continued adherence to stipulated conditions of child health. The vision 2030 strategies emphasize on provision of these health services even free to the less fortunate in the society. Hurst (2007) notes, The goal of health promotion is to reduce the demands for curative and rehabilitative care and through health promotion individuals and families find understanding of determinants of health (p. 39). The understanding of health determinants helps in the subsequent health maintenance and includes among others social factors, behaviours and lifestyles. Social health factors include the physical exercises through regular sports to prevent occurrence of diseases such as obesity and thus reduce the need by many to look for obesity medication. In this sense, individuals develop skills on how to improve their health, live a healthy life, and even protect themselves from diseases such as obesity (Hurst 2007, p. 40). Knowledge propagates healthy living and streamlines personal behaviours to fit a definite lifestyle. Health education integration in school curriculum helps disseminate health information to the most vulnerable, especially on diseases such as obesity prevalence to girls than boys in Saudi Arabian schools and universities. This reduces by about half the reported cases of health complications from the school attending age. In addition, good health currently experienced by the young children helps to develop and build self-esteem and confidence as compared to ill health. In ill health, both young and adult lose self-esteem, happiness and joy of life. The situation becomes even worse, when the financial status does not allow for proper or descent health care. This can cause stress to the family providers, which can lead to development of stress related illness and depression; this was the case before 2030. However, CPHC currently provides health information to all, which has greatly improved the health standards of all the people. Moreover, the adaptation of the primary health care leads to the application of new technology in health, which facilitates quick delivery of health services. According to Goldberg and Hayes (2004), &adoption of appropriate technology means that modes of health care are accepted in the community and signify improvement of knowledge and capacity building in delivery of health services to the target group (p. 36). By providing actual diagnosis through use of technology, the community was able to combat complicated illness such as obesity. In fact, these technologies have led to prevention of conditions, which were once unpreventable during and before 2011. The result has therefore been reduction in death cases from such conditions. Primary health care provides these advanced technologies to all the people at affordable cost simply because it bears a definite goal of providing better health to all, regardless of their financial and economic status. Before the development of the primary health care programs and its subsequent implementation, appropriate technology was too expensive to access and therefore it remained a facility for the few (Smith 2006, p. 241). Only those whose economic status would allow had the privilege to access the technology. The implication here is that, those from poor backgrounds and unable to meet the high costs of the appropriate health technology would helplessly die out of such complications. In the pursuit of the vision 2030, application of appropriate health technology at affordable cost would help many to get appropriate treatment and doses, which otherwise would not be possible. Decentralization of the new health technologies to the rural and remote areas significantly reduces overcrowding of patients in the national health facilities. Furthermore, it reduces the chances of patient to die since the patient can access the appropriate technology at the local health facility (Pencheon 2001, p. 250). Provision of these technologies by the concerted efforts of the world health organization and the government through the primary health care program helps to propel the sustenance of the current health status of the vision 2030.
Primary health care also involves the integration of different health care providers and stakeholders and coordination of all inter-sector bodies with an ultimate goal of providing good health to all. Economic, social and political sectors consolidate efforts through the primary health care program to ensure basic medical attention to all (Gillam 2007, p. 112). Different professionals and service providers collaborate and function independently to provide better health services.
Power and empowerment
Power entails the possession of ability or authority to acquire services while empowerment is the act of increasing the economic, social or political strength of a person (or a group of people) with an intention of developing his/her confidence for self-sustenance (Laverack 2009, p.27). Socioeconomic empowerment has increased the economic status of all members in the community than it was in 2011, thereby increasing societys ability to access basic health care services. This means that through economic empowerment the minorities and marginalized communities have the capacity to access health care services. Health empowerment can also imply the physical increase in body strength to fight infection enhanced by physical exercise, good dieting, hygienic living and general sanitation around living environments (White 1991, p. 621). For instance, exclusion of sports in school curriculum of many Saudi Arabian girls schools and universities encourage development of obesity in many girls as their bodies lack physical empowerment while the boys schools have sporting programs; consequently they are at lesser risk of developing obesity. Physical fitness of children helps them to fight a number of diseases. Consumption of fatty foods, as many Saudi Arabian children prefer, sets a risk of obesity especially to those who do little or no physical exercises. The governments initiative of providing sporting programs in girls schools and inclusion of female teachers in sports helps to check the prevalence of obesity in girls and reduce the disparity of obesity prevalence between girls and boys in Saudi Arabia.
Economic empowerment of many families ensures accessibility of good health education by many parents. This ensures that they provide good health living to their children. In Poor families, parents have low education due to lack of fess and therefore they have little health education. As a result, these parents lack empowerment (Fee 1991, p. 443). Disparity between the low and high economic class has therefore reduced in 2030. In addition, the economic empowerment targets the less fortunate in the society and aims at assisting the marginalised to create their own non-profit organization, which facilitate structural changes reducing the need for dependence experienced 19 years ago (Marmot 2003, p. 146). In Saudi Arabia, community educational centres provide health education to the less fortunate in the society and therefore empowering them. For example, these local organizations demonstrate healthy cooking and provide healthy foodstuffs to the needy in the community.. Empowering the parents economically and educationally provided a strong foundation for the sustenance of the current good health to both the girls and boys in Saudi Arabian schools and universities.
Conclusion
Through the implementation of the primary health care program, the World Health organization aims at providing healthcare to all the people regardless of their economic, political or social status. It achieves so by reducing the gap between people and accessibility to primary health care. The comprehensive primary health care addresses adequately the inequity between the high socioeconomic and low socioeconomic classes. The primary health care seeks to provide better health to all the people at affordable cost. Economic empowerment on the other hand, facilitated the attainment and sustenance of the current health status in 2030 by increasing the economic background of all people in the community. The example of obesity in Saudi Arabia, exemplifies the importance of empowerment through the inclusion of sporting activities, provision of health education and foodstuffs to the needy in the community. The focus on the millennium development goals has lead to great improvement in the provision of health care services and more so the adoption of new technology has led to combating of disease such as obesity. The health sector therefore continues to achieve its goals.
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This project involves a comprehensive assessment of the East Flatbush community. East Flatbush is a residential neighborhood in the Brooklyn borough, New York City. The community had an estimated population of 136,009 people in 2019, with 48.1% and 43.9% of the residents being foreign-born and native New Yorkers, respectively (NYU Furman Center, 2019). There has been a drastic decline in the communitys population since 2000 where the number of people living in this area dropped from 145,263 in 2000 to 147,390 in 2006, to 140,285 in 2010, and then to 136,009 in 2019 (NYU Furman Center, 2019). East Flatbush is a predominantly black community. According to recent estimates, African Americans account for the largest proportion of the neighborhoods population at 86.3%, followed by Hispanics, Whites, Asians at 7.1%, 3.1%, and 1.2%, respectively (NYU Furman Center, 2019). These statistics clearly indicate that blacks are the dominant racial group in this neighborhood.
Figure 1: Poverty Rate in New York, 2018 (NYU Furman Center, 2019)
Residents of East Flatbush have low household incomes compared to their counterparts in larger metropolitan areas. The median household income in the community was estimated to be $59,050 compared to New York Citys median household income of $64,850 (NYU Furman Center, 2019). The communitys median household income is less than that of affluent urban areas such as Connecticut and New Jersey, with a higher median household income of $93,382 and $92,972 (Bishaw & Posey, 2016). Consistently, the community reported a higher poverty rate of 10.2% compared to New York Citys 17.3% (NYU Furman Center, 2019). Similarly, as illustrated in Figure 1 below, the community has a low poverty rate compared to Brooklyn and NYC. Nevertheless, as illustrated in Figure 1 below, East Flatbush performed better than other rural areas, which reported the lowest median income, such as Mississippi, with an average of $40200 (Bishaw & Posey, 2016). Overall, the low income and high poverty rates contribute to poor maternal health and childbearing outcomes.
Figure 2: Real Median Gross Rent 2006 2018 (NYU Furman Center, 2019).
East Flatbush fares poorly in terms of housing compared to Brooklyn and NYC. As depicted in Figure 2, the community has experienced a steady increase in real median gross rent, rising from $1,160 to $1,350 between 2006 and 2018 (NYU Furman Center, 2019). In 2018, the percentage of East Flatbush residents who owned homes was estimated at 36.3%, while 0.4% of rental units fell within the public housing category (NYU Furman Center, 2019). 0.4% of rental units in East Flatbush fell within the public housing category in 2018, with an overall vacancy rate of 3.4% (NYU Furman Center, 2019). These patterns indicate a higher housing burden in the future, which may exacerbate health disparities.
Major Health Problems in the Community
Tobacco, Alcohol, and Substance Abuse
Figure 3: Alcohol- and Drug-related Hospitalizations in NYC (NYC Government, 2015).
Alcohol and substance abuse is a serious public health problem in East Flatbush. In 2015, about 10% of the population were smokers, and staggering 900 and 930 residents were hospitalized for alcohol and drug abuse, respectively (Figure 3). Besides that, there has been an increase in the number of women who use tobacco, alcohol, and other substance during pregnancies. This is a great risk to both the mothers and the unborn child (Wagner et al., 2019). Heavy consumption of alcohol and drugs during pregnancies can negatively affect the mother and the unborn child. It can result in severe consequences such as miscarriage and low birth weight (Nyamasege et al., 2019). The reality is, all these drugs are dangerous to the expectant mother, unborn child, and even the infant in one way or the other.
Inadequate Nutrition
Figure 4: Smoking, Diet, and Physical Activity in New York (NYC Government, 2015).
Poor nutrition is another serious public health issue in the selected community. As illustrated in Figure 4, 80% of East Flatbush residents manage to have at least one serving of fruits or vegetables per day (NYC Government, 2015). The community performs poorly compared to Brooklyn and New York Citys average of 87% and 88%, respectively (NYC Government, 2015). Inadequate nutrition is a serious concern considering that it contributes to poor maternal health outcomes and complications such as preterm birth and low birth weight (Nyamasege et al., 2019). Inadequate nutrition can lead to poor maternal and infant health outcomes, including miscarriages and underweight children. A healthy pregnancy will translate to fit and easy childrearing.
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
Figure 5: Leading Causes of Death in NYC (NYC Government, 2015).
STIs affect men and women in most societies, including expectant mothers. East Flatbush is one of the boroughs with the highest new HIV diagnoses in NYC, emerging twelfth in 2015 ranking (NYC Government, 2015). Besides that, HIV is among the leading causes of mortality rates in East Flatbush and NYC, with death rates of 11.8% and 8.4%, respectively (Figure 5). STIs such as HIV contribute to poor health outcomes during pregnancy and childbearing, including miscarriage, premature labor, disability, and even death. There is a strong need to conducting awareness campaigns to sensitize the population about the risk factors and best practices in managing STIs.
Factors Contributing to Illness during Childbearing
Maternal health problems and complications are a serious public concern in the US and globally. Nevertheless, there is a strong need to examine potential risk factors and root causes of the disorders and find effective ways of improving maternal health outcomes. This section explores some of the factors that contribute to health problems and complications during childbearing.
Pregnancy in Underage Women
A human beings body develops with age. When an underage woman conceives, there is a high likelihood that they will develop severe medical conditions. Her reproductive system is still changing, and parts like the pelvis are still developing. Underage women are also likely to have a child with low birth weight due to their underdeveloped bodies (Guzzo et al., 2019). Cases of poor nutrition are common in underage pregnant women as they are likely to develop poor eating habits. Pregnancies in underage women can be controlled through education to young girls and boys. Some of these pregnancies are from young schoolboys who need education on the risks of early pregnancies. Legal actions should be taken against any adult who engages in sexual activities with underage girls.
Women over the Age of 35
As women age, their chances of conception get lower, and even if they get pregnant, higher chances are, they might develop complications during delivery. These complications are brought about by some factors associated with aging, such as the underlying conditions of the mother, chromosomal issues- where older women are more likely to develop chromosomal-related complications compared to younger women, and miscarriages. The best strategy to overcome this challenge is educating aging women on the importance of bearing children in their twenties. At this point, their bodies are strong to overcome childbearing challenges naturally.
Obesity and Diabetes
Obesity and diabetes are highly prevalent in East Flatbush and NYC at large. In 2015, the percentage of adults who were obese and diabetic stood at 30% and 12%, respectively (NYC Government, 2015). Women who have accumulated more than the average required weight in their bodies are likely to develop complications when giving birth. Some difficulties that are likely to create are heart problems, spinal Bifida, and hydrocephaly. Gestational diabetes might also be a possibility for obese women during pregnancy and at risk of high blood pressure. These factors may result in the birth of an underweight child. Obesity can be controlled by proper nutrition and engaging in physical body exercises. Adequate nutrition will dictate even the portion sizes that you are required to consume. Educating pregnant mothers on the importance of proper nutrition will go a long way in reducing cases of obesity in expectant mothers.
Figure 6: Obesity and Diabetes in NYC (NYC Government, 2015).
Health and Human Services Agencies Available in the Rural Community
Since the health status of rural communities is generally worse compared to other communities, there are several health and human services agencies that are available in these communities to help them overcome the health and environmental challenges. The central aim of these agencies is to improve and protect the health of rural populations (Bhatt & Bathija, 2018). A good example of the most relevant resources in the selected community includes the following.
The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)
FORHP is a federal agency whose primary purpose is promoting higher quality health care services delivery across all rural areas in the country. In the effort to exercise its legal mandate, FORHP has implemented several grassroots programs and initiatives that aim to ameliorate healthcare service delivery and ensure that all people who live in rural parts of America have access to better health care services. To facilitate these services, the federal offices of rural health policy ensure they liaise with the funding programs to get the required money. The office also engages in other programs such as rural hospital programs, rural community programs, and telehealth programs to ensure they acquire enough funds to facilitate health improvement and accessibility to quality health care among the rural communities.
The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC)
CDC is an agency whose focus is to communicate the important matters that can help on improving rural health. Though the agency does not have a centralized office like the federal office, it works through the office of the associate director of policy and strategy to ensure programmatic and rural-relevant policies are well coordinated. The agency has various websites and centers such as the CDC center for surveillance, the laboratory services, and the CDC center for epidemiology, which they use for communication in providing briefs on health policies, information and policy options available for proper handling of rural and public health issues among the rural communities.
The US Department of Agriculture
The department of agriculture works hand in hand with public health agencies to support health in rural communities through the provision of financial services to the residents and businesses. Focusing on their mission for rural development, the department provides funds for water development, health care facilities, waste disposal programs, and many other programs to address rural health problems, build infrastructure, and manage the determinants of rural communities health issues. The department also provides funds to facilitate activities that ensure there is food security in the rural communities and other programs that aim at promoting the well-being of the rural communities. A good example of such an initiative is the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP).
Steps for Referring a Patient/Family to Identified Agencies
An effective referral process ensures patients will receive quality services from agencies and also facilitates cohesion at all levels of a health care system. In addition, an effective referral process will make the utilization of primary health care services and hospitals cost-effective (Richman et al., 2019). Health practitioners should adopt the following steps for referring patients to health and human service agencies.
Develop Written Policies for Referrals
Rural community health centers should have a written policy that contains agency information that guides their nurses and health practitioners on how to handle and implement referrals. Following these policies will help patients access agencies closer to their residential areas and also help them save the cost of traveling far to get medical attention.
Follow Established Referral Systems
Clinicians and nurses should follow their established referral systems to guide them in determining when a patient requires medical services or attention that is beyond the clinic services. In this case, nurses should use their best judgment in determining the clients circumstances and identify the best type of agency that best suits their conditions.
Build Strong Relationships with Relevant Agencies and Other Service Providers
Before they can refer patients, nurses need to determine whether the agency can meet the demands of the target population and establish whether there will be mutual benefits in establishing formal or informal relationships with them. In this step, the health practitioners need to develop local resources such as getting the agency contact information, verify the information like contact hours, opening and closing time as well as the location to make sure all the information is updated. Besides, there is a need to initiate a conversation with the agency to discuss key issues and determine the added value for potential referrals.
Establish Referral Agreements with the Agencies
Once all the information is obtained and verified, the next step is to sign a memorandum of understanding. The public health facility will get a written agreement that binds them with the agency. In reaching this memorandum of experience, the health facility issues require a meeting with the agency leaders and develop a mutual referral memorandum of association. Signing and mailing a draft of the MOU and cover letter will help the two parties have a binding agreement.
Provide Proactive Referrals
The staff of the public health facility must be in a position to provide referrals to the agencies proactively. To achieve this, they require to develop processes and implement them accordingly. In addition, they need to provide all their staff and clinic administration with an understanding of the importance of adequate referral provision and also provide them with a chance to exercise their skills in identification of referral needs, talking to the agencies, and following up with the clients concerning referrals.
Develop and Document System Support
The last step of an effective referral system is the development and documentation of the system support. All the information concerning the agency, the memorandum of associations, and the clients referred to the agencies need to be documented. Documentation of all issues concerning referrals facilitates an easy process and smooth transition of events from the health care center to the agency and vice versa.
Importance of A Healthy Community in Successful Childbearing/Childrearing
The community plays an integral role in maternal care and successful childbearing. Most importantly, a healthy community translates to overall well-being and the successful bringing of the children. Besides that, a healthy community promotes effective maternal care through increasing access to basic resources and services, including food, housing, transportation, and healthcare. When mothers receive good maternal care, eat well, and receive good checkups, there will reduced chances of anemia which might cause complications during childbearing. Good and balanced nutrition during pregnancy also leads to the excellent brain development of the infant and hence increases the chances of giving birth to a healthy baby. Besides, there will be low chances of getting complications during childbearing (Guzzo et al., 2019). In addition, the babies will be healthy, have a good birth weight, and have low chances of developing congenital disabilities.
Besides that, a healthy community improves maternal, newborn, and child health through empowering women, especially those who are expectant and with young children. They encourage women to participate and embrace locally-based interventions, consequently enhancing utilization and access to healthcare services and other resources that can help support childbearing. Therefore, there is a strong need to involve local communities in planning, implementing, and monitoring community-based maternal care services to improve maternal and childbearing outcomes.
Overall, people who live in rural areas in the US face a huge disease burden and health disparities. This problem is attributable to several factors, including high poverty rates, lack of awareness, and limited access to quality health care services. This has facilitated people developing conditions that would otherwise be avoidable. Therefore, this calls for the respective governments to develop health plans that will promote the overall well-being of all communities in the rural areas.
Guzzo, K. B., Hayford, S. R., & Lang, V. W. (2019). Adolescent fertility attitudes and childbearing in early adulthood. Population Research and Policy Review, 38(1), 125-152. Web.
Nyamasege, C. K., Kimani-Murage, E. W., Wanjohi, M., Kaindi, D. W., Ma, E., Fukushige, M., & Wagatsuma, Y. (2019). Determinants of low birth weight in the context of maternal nutrition education in urban informal settlements, Kenya. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 10(2), 237. Web.
Wagner, J., Neitzke-Spruill, L., OConnell, D., Highberger, J., Martin, S. S., Walker, R., & Anderson, T. L. (2019). Understanding geographic and neighborhood variations in overdose death rates. Journal of Community Health, 44(2), 272-283. Web.
In contemporary research, experts generally utilize quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods designs, depending on the studys objectives, scope, and area. The former refers to research methodology, emphasizing numerical data and reliable measurements (Goertzen, 2017). As a result, it provides objective information concerning peoples habits, trends, preferences, and other types of observable behavior (Goertzen, 2017). However, quantitative research commonly lacks deep insights into the motives and cannot answer the question of why people behave a certain way (Goertzen, 2017). Experts need to transparently designate their research objectives to utilize quantitative designs effectively and achieve the most reliable and insightful results. From these considerations, quantitative research is practical for empirical and numerical studies but is an inferior choice to learn about respondents emotional status (Goertzen, 2017). Nevertheless, quantitative research is a prominent and effective methodology that might be applicable to most sectors.
Quantitative Research in Healthcare
Healthcare is a complex industry that encompasses patient treatment, scientific research, medical financing, information technology improvement, legal regulations, and other areas. From these considerations, all research methods might be applicable, depending on the objectives and scope of the work (Nieswiadomy & Bailey, 2018). For instance, holistic patient treatment studies would require a qualitative approach to reveal the emotional problems of participants and suggest an appropriate solution. On the other hand, a quantitative research design would be most productive for determining the most effective financial strategy in hospital management. The examples show that both methodologies are prominent in contemporary healthcare but are used for diverse objectives.
Consequently, experts need to conduct an interpretation analysis to maximize the effectiveness of quantitative research. As mentioned before, the quantitative approach focuses on numerical data, which is frequently too complex to derive conclusions from directly (Nieswiadomy & Bailey, 2018). As a result, experts need to utilize statistical analysis methods to interpret the findings and positively contribute to the academic community. In turn, if the academics succeed in analyzing the data, the studies might reveal crucial insights for the whole industry. Ultimately, quantitative research is essential in the sector of healthcare.
Implications for Knowledge Generation
Lastly, it is crucial to discuss the benefits of quantitative research to knowledge generation and overall academic contribution. Knowledge generation is defined as the creation of new knowledge by changing and evolving knowledge based on ones experience, education, and input from others (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017, p. 1521). In other words, the development of the industry is only achievable via continuous research, including both quantitative and qualitative methods. As mentioned before, quantitative research might provide crucial insights and is essential to healthcare research. For instance, at present, a large number of quantitative studies examine the COVID-19 consequences, interpret the numerical data, such as the number of cases or percentage of non-vaccinated people, and offer appropriate solutions (Chen et al., 2022). The quantitative approach is also used directly to measure the infectivity of COVID-19 strains and the effectiveness of vaccines (Chen et al., 2022). Ultimately, the mentioned examples transparently demonstrate the impact of quantitative research on knowledge generation.
Conclusion
A quantitative approach is an effective research methodology that focuses on numerical data and statistical analysis. Consequently, experts interpret the findings to positively contribute to the academic community and advance knowledge generation. The current paper has demonstrated the effectiveness of quantitative research in the healthcare industry and discussed its implications for knowledge generation. Ultimately, the quantitative methodology should be used in combination with qualitative and mixed-methods designs to achieve the best possible results.
References
Chen, J., Wang, R., Gilby, N. B., & Wei, G. W. (2022). Omicron variant (B. 1.1. 529): Infectivity, vaccine breakthrough, and antibody resistance. Journal of chemical information and modeling.
Goertzen, M. J. (2017). Introduction to quantitative research and data. Library Technology Reports, 53(4), 12-18.
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. (2017). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Nieswiadomy, R. M., & Bailey, C. (2018). Foundations of nursing research. Pearson.
Like any professional who is being paid to undertake specialized tasks, Healthcare Professionals are required to adhere to certain vital principles and to develop attributes or values that would enable them to execute their work accordingly.
Most of these attributes are indispensable and are applied to daily medical practice.
Professional Attributes
Health Care Professionals are expected to commit and believe in certain fundamental principles to develop attributes characteristic of a professional person.
The main professional attributes a Health Care Professional is supposed to embrace and uphold include:
Altruism (selflessness)
Beneficence (being helpful).
Truthfulness and honesty
Interpersonal and communication skills.
Fidelity/ dedication
Professional development and lifelong learning.
Honor and integrity in all conduct
The quality of selflessness, altruism or unselfish concern for the welfare of others is one very important attribute. The best care for the patient must be the principal driving force of practice. The Health care professional should therefore identify, respect and care about the patients preferences and expressed needs; listen to, inform and educate patients. As a matter of fact, patients have all the reasons to exercise autonomy and should be able to determine their treatment.
Beneficence is the quality of being kind, helpful or generous. This quality requires health professionals to be kind to their patients and to take such actions which are in the best interest and benefit of the patients. It is one of the core values of health care ethics (Beauchamp 52). On the other hand, the quality of not doing harm to the patient is called non-maleficence and is also equally important for it allows health practitioners to first evaluate treatments to ensure they do no harm. The attribute of being honest and truthful has increased in importance over the years. It helps reduce the chances of conflict between the patient and Health Care professionals and gives the patients a chance to make informed consent.
The ability to team with other health professionals, patients and their families is very essential since it results in effective information exchange. Thus, this calls for excellent interpersonal and communication skills for health care professionals.
Health professionals are also expected to practice fidelity in the discharge of duty. This means that one should be faithful, have constancy, dedication or loyalty in discharging his or her duties and obligations. This quality underlies excellence in patient care, confidentiality and commitment to continuously advocate disease prevention, wellness and promotion of healthy lifestyles.
Like any other professional, a Health care professional should also appreciate the importance of learning and continuing professional development. One should develop a lifelong commitment to learning and should be involved in lifelong learning and periodic self-assessment; practice-based learning and improvement that involves evaluation of ones patient care and assimilation of knowledge to improve patient care and welfare.
Honor or evidence of professional standing and integrity in all conduct including generation and use of resources is another very critical attribute. There is always the need to comply with regulations and standards by having evidence of professional standing and by having all required certification and practice licenses.
Integrity itself is manifested through moral soundness; unreduced completeness or totality in commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles and by actions that demonstrate a thorough understanding of the system for healthcare (Ryan 26). It is a very vital quality for not only Healthcare Professionals but for all practitioners involved in service delivery to people.
Example Situations of this Attributes and Practical Application
Though these attributes and qualities of a Health Care Professional do not necessarily give answers as to how to handle a particular situation, they help understand, reduce and resolve conflict. Again, it is important to avoid an ethical crisis at all costs by ensuring that all the time moral values are not in conflict.
It often becomes difficult in a practical situation for a Health Care Professional to strike a balance between his values and the patients preferences. For example, the value of beneficence or taking actions in the best interest of the patient comes to test when patients refuse blood transfusion or reject certain treatments because of religious or cultural beliefs. Indeed, the cultural background can create a whole range of health ethical problems. Some cultural and religious beliefs have theories about causes of ailment and believe in some sacrilegious remedial measures. As a result, reconciling this with the western healthcare practice can be a daunting task.
Thus, when the patients interest conflicts with the patients welfare, it is upon the Health care team to decide the best way to settle the concern (Conrad 263). In the western healthcare system, the patients wishes carry the day. This is particularly the case where the patient is mentally competent to make a decision. However, in many other societies, beneficence always takes precedence over patient autonomy.
Truth-telling and honesty are also some of the attributes to which one cannot turn a blind eye to. These critical attributes have become increasingly important over the years. This is as a result of heartbreaking incidents in the past such as the historical events of the Doctors Trial as well as the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study where patients were treated like guinea pigs.
Yet, so many people do not see the need to be informed of the diagnosis. For example, it is only until the early seventies that American society started to appreciate and embrace truth-telling and honesty in healthcare. But ever since, there has been a growing influence of this attribute in Healthcare.
Today, in practice, truth-telling and honesty are indispensable especially when it comes to such complications as HIV and cancer which need to be tamed early upon detection and where a patient has to be informed accordingly and advised on the best way forward. In the US truth-telling and honesty takes precedence over other values and patients are often informed of the diagnosis (Glick 234).
On the other hand, lack of proper or adequate communication has often resulted in ethical conflicts in the Health profession. In daily medical practice, a lack of communication can lead to more serious problems. These problems can however be resolved by establishing open lines of communication and through self-commitment to learn and develop excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Works Cited
Beauchamp, Childress, James F. Principles of Biomedical Ethics . New York: Oxford University Press (2001) =A 45-60). Print.
Conrad, P. Wellness in the Workplace: Potentials and pitfalls of work-site health promotion . Milbank Q 65(2) (1987):255-275. Print.
Glick, Shamood A. A call for the development of Good Research Practices . (GRP) guidelines (1993):231-235. Print.
Ryan CJ. Ethical issues, part 2: ethics, psychiatry, and end-of-life issues . Psychiatr Times (2010):26-27.print.
Mayo Clinic is one the leading healthcare providers in the state of Minnesota. Presently, the clinic has more than 3,000 physicians and a number of employees, who deliver services to those in need of care and treatment. With its rich history that dates back to about 1864, Mayo Clinic has evolved and become one of the best in provision of healthcare services (Mayo Clinic, 2012). The growth has seen the clinic receive several individuals from the United States.
Moreover, due to the growth, the clinic has had to increase the amount of its campuses in the United States. Arizona, Iowa, and Wisconsin are some of the states that Mayo Clinic has opened its campuses. Established and operated by William Worrall Mayo, a doctor, who settled with his family in Rochester, the clinic is a nonprofit hospital and focuses on patient requirements and advanced care.
Direct Impacts of Marketing
Some of the notable direct impacts of marketing in Mayo Clinic include increased number of patients in the hospital owing to the increased awareness and expanded scope of operation. Due to increased marketing, Mayo Clinic has received several patients from various states of United States. According to the information provided by Mayo Clinic (2016), the number of patients in Mayo Clinic has increased and led to recruitment of over 3,300 employees to address the increasing consumer demands.
Imperatively, when the clinic undertook intensive marketing and highlighted the quality of its services, the level of awareness among individuals in Minnesota and the United States augmented. The rise initiated an eventual increase in the number of patients in need of services from the clinic. It is important to explain that the clinic also enjoys word of mouth marketing from past consumers of its services. Several consumers, who have gone through the clinic, refer their colleagues and relatives to the hospital because of the quality of services that the clinic provides.
Another direct impact that marketing has initiated in Mayo Clinic is an increase in the scope of operation. Apparently, marketing focuses on increasing the number of individuals, who have awareness on a given product or service (Carrigan & Attalla, 2001). Therefore, by marketing its products using various media such as the social media, the clinic experienced amplification in the number of individuals in need of its services.
The increased need for its services compelled the hospital to build new campuses in various states of the United States. Some of the states include Florida, Arizona, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Additionally, increased awareness of its services compelled the hospital to develop new campuses owing to the large number of patients in need of its services from far-flung regions away from Minnesota.
Mayo Clinic Strategy and Utilization of Its Products or Services
The strategy employed by Mayo Clinic in ensuring maximum utility of its services and products follows a systemic culture. The culture has provisions, which govern the operations in the clinic. In effect, the provisions include focus on patients, provision of quality healthcare using modern equipments, and recruitment of skilled employees. The strategy that is evident from the culture underlines the reason why consumers utilize services and products provided by the clinic.
In the words of Tefferi (2015), Mayo Clinic employs the concept of personalized patient care and uses it to advance the quality of its services. Fundamentally, modern consumers need services, which focus on individual needs. Therefore, by ensuring that its services and products follow a personalized nature, Mayo Clinic not only satisfies consumer needs, but also leads to a positive attitude from the potential users of its services and products.
Furthermore, the clinic uses modern facilities to deliver its services. Use of modern equipments relates well with contemporary consumers, who associate service or product quality with the facilities used in delivery. The implication of using modern facilities is an increase in the number of consumers, who utilize services and products offered by the clinic. In the perspective of Curtright, Stolp-Smith, and Edel (2000), Mayo Clinic currently uses modern facilities in service delivery.
The perspective compounds the transformation that is evident in the clinic. It is paramount to elucidate that use of modern facilities and equipments advances the quality of services and leads to consumer satisfaction. By utilizing the provisions outlined in the strategy, the clinic enjoys an optimum utility of its services and products.
Consequently, employment of qualified and skilled human resources is another aspect incorporated in the culture and the strategy of the clinic. The human resources working in the clinic have the requisite skills that are important in delivery of high-end services. Utilization of skilled employees makes the clinic one of a kind and a leader in patient care in the United States. According to Kennedy, Caselli, and Berry (2011), Mayo Clinic has some of the best medical practitioners in the United States.
By having the best and most qualified medical practitioners, the clinic becomes one of those that provide exceptional services to its clients in the United States. Additionally, by delivering high-end services and products to its consumers, the clinic not only expands its scope of operation and consumer base, but also instigates a scenario where they fully utilize its products and services.
Mayo Clinic Marketing Strategy
Mayo Clinic has a superb marketing strategy, which has improved its reputation and consumer base. Besides utilizing client focus, skilled employees, and modern facilities, the clinic has a smart marketing strategy, which informs and persuades clients to utilize its services. Imperatively, the clinic utilizes offline and online platforms to market its products and services. While some of the offline platforms include promotional campaigns and direct correspondence, online platforms include use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
In addition, the clinic engages in various community-based activities to market its products. According to Tefferi (2015), Mayo Clinic uses social media and engages in community-based platforms to market its products. Remarkably, combination of online and offline strategies leads to a superb marketing strategy that is useful for the clinic.
Three Separate Ways in Which Mayo Clinic Can Shape Consumer Buying Decisions
The three separate ways that I can recommend for Mayo Clinic so that they can shape consumer-buying decisions espouse research, use of modern facilities, and recruitment of skilled employees. It is imperative to explain that although the current strategy of the clinic utilizes the recommendations, it still needs further improvements. The clinic needs to improve its research and continue studying the trends that modern patients advance in relation to service and product quality.
By engaging in a continuous research, the clinic gets insights into the needs and expectations of consumers, and thus, aligns its services and products in a way that matches their requirements. Consequently, the clinic needs to ensure that its facilities are modern and its human resources have the requisite expertise. In essence, using modern facilities and skilled employees is one of the factors that generate confidence in the minds of consumers towards the clinic. Therefore, it is important for the clinic to adopt and use the three separate ways, which comprise research, use of modern facilities and recruitment of skilled employees.
References
Carrigan, M., & Attalla, A. (2001). Emerald Article: The Myth of the Ethical Consumer Do Ethics Matter in Purchase Behaviour? Journal of Consumer Marketing, 18(7), 560-578.
Curtright, J., Stolp-Smith, S., & Edel, E. (2000). Strategic Performance Management: Development of a Performance Measurement System at the Mayo Clinic. Journal of Health Care Management, 45(1), 58-68.
Kennedy, D., Caselli, R., & Berry, R. (2011). A Roadmap for Improving Healthcare Service Quality. Journal of Healthcare Management, 56(6), 385-402.
Mayo Clinic. (2012). Mayo Clinic: The Mission, Management Principles, and Commitment to Putting the Patient First. Mayo Clinic International Symposium, 1(1), 1-12.
Mayo Clinic. (2016). Patient Care and Health Information. Web.
Tefferi, A. (2015). Mayo Clinic. News Release, 1(1), 1-5.
