Category: Healthcare

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a legislative rule advocating for the development of quality measures to safeguard patients’ well-being data from being disclosed devoid of the owners’ permission and knowledge. HIPAA was established with two main goals; firstly, it addresses insurance coverage for individuals between jobs since such workers used to face insurance coverage losses because of the nature of the positions (Carlson & Mandel, 2017).

Secondly, HIPAA prevents healthcare fraud and ensures that all secure health data is stored appropriately and safely. This essay will explore HIPAA and the ACA and their impact on general health care procedures, information advancements, and medical data confidentiality.

Thus, these guidelines have potentially improved the efficiency of the health service, increased the mobility of health coverage, and safeguarded the security of patient information. For instance, HIPAA introduced several essential benefits for the healthcare sector to aid with the transition from the paper written to electronic forms of health data making it safe and easily accessible (Carlson & Mandel, 2017). The procedures have also helped improve efficiency in the health facilities and ensure that health data is securely transmitted. Lastly, HIPAA guarantees that the transfer of electronic health information is effectively shared between healthcare specialists, health plans, and other concerned entities.

Moreover, HIPPA founded regulations requiring health organizations to manage and regulate who is responsible for checking and sharing health records. In general, HIPAA’s main objective is to protect clients’ privacy while ensuring that they receive the best medical care needed (Shahriar et al., 2021). Violating HIPPA guidelines leads to very unrelenting repercussions. Being aware of the consequences, healthcare professionals should keep in mind how to secure this delicate data and enlighten the patient on protecting their sensitive data safely.

On the other hand, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was officially implemented in March 2010 to provide comprehensive health care to the general public. The regulation offers clients health care allowance, which decreases the prices for families with earnings between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL) (Powell & Xirasagar, 2017). Furthermore, ACA has assisted in expanding medical professionalism and developed a health insurance marketplace for patients, especially from low-earning households. It has also averted insurance companies from declining coverage because of certain disorders, allowing everyone to receive medical attention.

Improving healthcare services through the use of technology is among the primary objectives of the ACA rule. The process of integrating technology and data to improve the quality care of the patient is called informatics. Thus, because of ACA, informatics has been used as a method to assess treatment options. Healthcare professionals find it easy to track the historical records on how patients have been treated previously. Informatics has enabled doctors to easily share their patient’s data through integrated electronic health care records. This allows physicians to monitor, regulate, and provide the best care for the patients (Tavares et al., 2017).

Furthermore, ACA’s efforts have also helped in improving medical efficiency. This is easily noticed when professional doctors check the success of specific treatments. Thus, the system can reveal the unseen mistakes either in medical or Medicaid, which allows experts to follow-up and remedy the situation. Hence, this informatics has become an efficient way of increasing revenue and reducing costs in health centers.

Furthermore, through informatics, ACA plays a part in integrating new technology. While increasing the quality of healthcare services, medical technology creates a means of balancing innovations to improve caregiver performance and promote the recovery process. (Tavares et al., 2017). Technological progress gives doctors opportunities to access genome sequence information. This allows efficient diagnosing of diseases; hence more research on mutations and other better learning processes can be applied. Due to the above aspects, it becomes easier, safe, and practical to transfer data, thus, safeguarding patient privacy.

As a result, healthcare institutions must handle technologies and HIPAA compliance as more medical personnel use smartphones to enhance communication on patient problems. On the other hand, the rapidly expanding area of healthcare informatics promises to have a tremendous influence on medicine and health care.

References

Carlson, S., & Mandel, J. (2017). Commentary on “Electronic communication of protected health information: Privacy, security, and HIPAA compliance.” The Journal of Hand Surgery, 42(6), 417-419. Web.

Powell, D., & Xirasagar, S. (2017). Excess deaths among the uninsured before the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and potential post-ACA reductions. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 23(3), e18-e28. Web.

Shahriar, H., Haddad, H., & Farhadi, M. (2021). Assessing HIPAA compliance of open-source electronic health record applications. International Journal of Information Security and Privacy, 15(2), 181-195. Web.

Tavares, J., Goulão, A., & Oliveira, T. (2017). Electronic health record portals adoption: Empirical model based on UTAUT2. Informatics for Health and Social Care, 43(2), 109-125. Web.

Post 1. A Matter of Life and Death: The Arguments of the Hospital Staff

Providing decent healthcare services to terminally ill patients, who are unwilling to accept these services, is especially complicated for a medical organization in that the needs and the demands of such patients are often in a permanent conflict.

While, according to the code of medical ethics, terminally ill patients require intensive treatment, such patients often show the willingness to terminate their suffering and part with life, which is quite understandable, yet legally and ethically inadmissible. To prove the inconsistency of the choice of euthanasia in the given case, the following arguments should be provided:

• Healthcare services are supposed to improve health, not facilitate death;
• Hospital staff is legally and ethically supposed to do everything possible to save the patient;
• It may be possible that Mrs. R. E. Fusal may not understand the consequences of her actions (Pozgar, 2011).

Although it is necessary to stress that Mrs. R. E. Fusal’s decision must be appreciated and that it goes without saying that she has the right to make a choice, it must be made clear that no misunderstanding has taken place. The cost of human life is far too high to take such ethically controversial steps in such a hasty manner.

Post 2. From the Point of View of the Patient: The Right to Die

While the doubts of the hospital staff concerning the choice that was made by Mrs. R. E. Fusal is rather legitimate, it still must be admitted that the patient has the right to decide how to manage his or her life, which is why it is necessary to accept the patient’s refusal to continue the treatment process.

The hospital staff applies to the principles of the Hippocratic Oath as the basis for their decision, yet the postulates of the given oath can be interpreted in benefit of Mrs. Fusal’s choice as well, seeing how the oath demands to strive for the patient’s greater good, which is not necessarily dragging out a miserable existence. Below are the key arguments in favor of refusal:

• The hospital staff does not have the right to make choices concerning the patient’s life as long as the latter is able to do so him- or herself – it is only the patient who has the right to make choices that his or her life depends on;
• The healthcare staff may be unaware of some of the risks associated with the treatment due to the unpredictability of the ways in which the patient may react to the treatment (Saks, 2010).

It must be admitted, though, that the key argument in the given case concerns the patient’s consent. The role of a healthcare professional is to define the best methods to address the problem, whereas the patient’s role is to either choose these methods or not.

Post 3. Picking a Legitimate Point to Support: Mrs. R. E. Fusal

As it has been stressed, the key problem in the given case can be related to the conflict between the responsibilities of a healthcare specialist and the point of view of a patient. Even though the problem of patient’s consent or refusal regarding the provided treatment is an extremely controversial issue, I would, probably, prefer the idea of a patient making a conscious decision on whether to choose the specified treatment or not.

In addition, apart from the issue of patient’s rights, the ethical concerns should be addressed. Seeing how blood transfusion is the issue in question, it can be assumed that religious issues might make Mrs. R. E. Fusal reject the surgery. Therefore, going against her will presupposes violating her religious beliefs, which is also a punishable offense. Eventually, it is crucial to realize that Mrs. R. E. Fusal is the only person who has the right to be in command of her own body.

Reference List

Pozgar, G. (2011). Legal aspects of health care administration (11^th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Saks, E. R. (2010). Refusing care: forced treatment and the rights of the mentally ill. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Introduction

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement is one of the largest organizations within the United States (US) that affects change in the health environment. The organization offers training courses to personnel in the medical profession at global and community levels. Thus, this analytical treatise attempts to explicitly review the role of nurses in the Institutes for Healthcare Improvement activities.

Role of Nurses in Effecting Change

Enormous increase in health care costs is increasingly becoming a concern to government, corporate as well as personal budgets. Draper et .al (2008) revealed that the health care expenditures have increased by an average of two percent higher than the growth of GDP for the past fifty years. The underlying concern is that if this trend continues, health care expenditure is likely to consume more than twenty-percent of government expenditure in most countries by 2050.

The trends in government expenditure are disturbing. However, this organization promotes efficiency in service delivery, hence reducing the cost of services at health facilities. Since nurses have a primary contact with the patients, participation on the efficiency management at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement organization will greatly reduce the unnecessary costs such as wastages and misuse of health provision instruments (Draper et al. 2008).

The general agreement is that wellness programs run by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement have profound positive benefits to both the administration and patients. Through these initiatives, patients have the opportunity to live happier, healthier, longer and more productive lives.

Being the most important assets to an organization, improved productivity of health institutions presents a bundle of benefits to the administration. The development and implementation of wellness programs and health programs is initiated and managed by nurses. As a result of involvement of nurses in this change process, hospitals and other health facilities are likely to experience dramatic shift from a culture of treatment to prevention (Jennings et al. 2007).

When developing records management mechanisms, numbers of setbacks befall health program providers. Data storage has become a complex element in records keeping. This problem is further complicated by merger of health facility departments and integrated health delivery services.

Fortunately, the records management and treatment skill offered by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement equips nurses with the relevant skills of micro managing records especially in the remote health facilities. Thus, a nurse involved in the records management course offered by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement will have necessary expertise in professional records management of patients (Draper et al. 2008).

The concept of leadership can be broadly defined as the intrinsic ability to internalize a setting with the intention of empowering a group or team to proactively and creatively contribute towards problem solving.

On the other hand, management, in the broad spectrum, can be defined as the process in an organization that is inclusive of setting, strategic planning, managing resources and deploying the needed resources to realize specific objectives that are measurable within a specified period of time. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement encourages nurses to offer primary leadership and management skills in implementing changes through the participatory approach (Jennings et al. 2007).

Conclusion

Leadership inspires the need to contribute proactively towards creation of a suitable environment for closing the gap that may exist between a challenge and its solution. A nurse participating in the change activities of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement may offer creative leadership which is a rich recipe for an imaginative response to stimulation. The stimulation creates a wider chain of adaptation of viable solutions when implementing change in the healthcare environment.

References

Draper, D. A., Felland, L. E., Liebhaber, A., & Melichar, L. (2008). The role of nurses in hospital quality improvement. Web.

Jennings, B., Baily, A., Bottrell, M., & Lynn, J. (2007). Health care quality improvement: Ethical and regulatory issues. Web.

Bird Flu Pandemic. President Obama’s Senior Adviser

Containment policies are never easy to discuss (Pozgar, 2011). Needless to say, most people seem to be unaware of the benefits of containment as a strategy for preventing the disease from taking a statewide scale. It is important to stress, though, that the recent examples of influenza containment show high rates of efficiency of the given practice.

From the point of view of common sense, the policy of containment seems the most reasonable step: “The combination of early intervention with antiviral administration, prevaccination, and quarantine could contain strains with a reproductive number around 2.4” (Smith, 2005, Aug. 3, para. 24).

Allowing slowing the problem down and, thus, stopping it from spreading all over the state, the given step will lead to handling the virus before it strikes the entire population of the U.S. Thus, the people who will contract the virus will be cured fast and efficiently, while the rest of the population will remain safe.

It could be argued, though, that the citizens who will be unfortunate enough to contract the virus of influenza will argue against being separated from the rest of the world, even for a few weeks. However, it can be assumed that, after a stage of containment, the virus will be dealt with efficiently and will no longer pose a threat to the population.

Bird Flu Pandemic. A Private Citizen

The very idea of separating the people who will contract the virus of influenza from the healthy ones seems unreasonable, since, isolated from the rest of the USA, the so-called ghetto for the people sick with influenza will raise prejudice against the people living in the containment area, therefore, making the communication with the influenza victims and the healthy part of the population unnecessarily complicated.

It is the duty of the healthcare specialists to search for the cure for the influenza instead of creating closed communities, in which the disease is most likely to progress to the point where it becomes incurable and where the risks of recidivism are close to 100%.

Despite the containment practice being an admittedly reasonable means to restrict the case of epidemics to a specific area, it is clear that the chosen method of problem solving is unethical in relation to the people who will contract the virus and, therefore, be doomed to live in the containment area.

More to the point, the people in the given area will be unable to acquire information concerning the current status of the disease and the existing treatment methods. The given step is, therefore, the breach of ethical code of healthcare service, which says that healthcare service “supports access to medical information by appropriate health providers, researchers, and public health agencies, balanced with appropriate consumer protections” (NAHO, 2011, p. 3).

Bird Flu Pandemic. A Response to a Classmate

Even though the problem of influenza pandemic is very serious and must be addressed immediately, the idea of creating containment areas in order to keep the healthy part of the population away from the ones who have contracted the virus does not seem adequate to me.

At present, it will be much more efficient to focus on creating the vaccination that will keep the U.S. population safe. In addition, other preventive measures must be undertaken by the citizens to remain healthy. The availability of vaccination, medicine and information about the influenza seems a much better means to keep the population safe than the creation of an asylum for the ones with flu, where the chances for getting well are driven practically to zero.

Reference List

NAHO (2011). Code of ethics and standards of practice for healthcare quality professionals. Web.

Pozgar, G. (2011). Legal aspects of health care administration. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Smith, M. (2005, Aug. 3). Containment said key to preventing avian flu pandemic. MedPage Today. Web.

Mortality Rates

How have mortality rates in Kenya, Angola, Australia, Haiti, and China have changed over the past 20 years?

A brief overview of the maternal mortality rates has shown that major improvements have occurred to the Angolan healthcare and midwifery, as the maternity mortality rates have become three times as low as they used to be in 1990 (Maternal mortality ratio: Data by country, 2014). Little progress has occurred to the Australian midwifery, though being the lowers, the maternal mortality rates have remained nearly unchanged. The same can be said about China, though being comparatively low from the start, MMR has not altered significantly.

Millennium Development Goal 5 (MDG, 5). Antenatal Care Coverage (1 visit or more)

How has the Antenatal Care Coverage changed over the past 20 years in Kenya, Angola, Australia, Haiti, and China?

The chart displays in a rather graphic manner that the provision of antenatal care needs to be improved significantly in all the states under analysis. Specifically, the fact that only the information regarding the antenatal services provided for the past five years is available shows that the issue has been viewed as significant only recently. Herein the need to promote further progress lies (Women: Data by country, 2014).

Antenatal Care Coverage

How successfully has the Antenatal Care Coverage as a part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals been promoted in the rural and urban areas of Kenya, Angola, Australia, Haiti, and China?

Urban

The chart above shows that there has been a major change in the provision of services for women living in the urban areas of the states in question. For example, Haiti has shown an 8% improvement in the antenatal care coverage within a one in three years visit in the country area and a 7% one in the rural parts of the state in 2005–2012. Likewise, Kenya has also displayed significant progress on the specified time slot (4% for each area correspondingly (Place of residence: Data by country, 2014)).

It is also quite peculiar that no data has been provided on Angola, Australia, and China. The specified phenomenon can be attributed to the fact that the states mentioned above have not adopted the Millennium Development Goals as a part of their strategy for changing healthcare.

Reference List

Maternal mortality ratio: Data by country. (2014). WHO. Web.

Place of residence: Data by country. (2014). WHO. Web.

Women: Data by country. (2014). WHO. Web.

Major Facts

Pacific Healthcare has over 1,500 beds. The facility offers evidence-based services to many patients in Santa Barbara County. The institution has been using X-ray films from Kodak. Barney Rubble is currently the facility’s Corporate Director of Supply Management. Mr. Rubble plans to select a cheaper a supplier. This change of policy is aimed at supporting the facility’s future goals. Kodak has been providing different services such as maintenance and furnishing of X-ray equipment. The biggest concern facing Barney Rubble is how to get quality supplies while at the same time minimizing the facility’s overall costs (Langabeer, 2008).

Major Problem

Can Pacific Healthcare find a single-source supplier of quality X-ray films while at the same time reducing its overall expenses?

Possible Solutions

Alternatives to Consider

The current goal is to ensure the facility gets a single-source supplier. The contract is expected to last one year. As well, the institution is looking for quality films. The institution is also planning to reduce costs for various medical supplies. Barney Rubble should therefore consider various alternatives in order to address this problem in a professional manner (Balaraman & Kosalram, 2013). The first alternative is to target a new supplier such as Fuji or 3M. Studies indicate that such companies produce acceptable X-rays films. This alternative will make it possible for the facility to minimize its expenses. However, such films might not be of the best quality. As well, the companies will not offer the required maintenance practices. The second alternative is to purchase such supplies from companies such as Agfa and Dupont. Each of these companies produces quality films that can support the facility’s goals.

The X-ray films marketed by these two firms are cheaper compared to the ones marketed by Kodak. The company will save a lot of money. Such savings can be used for maintenance purposes. However, the firm might be unable to get qualified personnel to service its X-ray equipment. This move can be disastrous and eventually result in numerous losses (Mathew, John, & Kumar, 2014). The other option should focus on the services provided by Kodak. This company is also the leading marketer of high-quality X-rays films. It is agreeable that the move will address the organization’s problem. The healthcare institution can therefore continue obtaining its films from Kodak. The above options can address the current problem facing Pacific Healthcare. Barney Rubble should therefore identify the best alternative in order to support the facility’s goals.

Sourcing Decisions

The current problem facing Pacific Healthcare arises from its supply management practices. According to the facility’s policy, procurement decisions should be made by the Corporate Director of Supply Management. However, different medical practitioners have been making various sourcing decisions. This practice has made it impossible for Barney Rubble to address the current situation at the facility. This situation explains why the organization should support every supply policy (Heine & Maddox, 2012).

The death of Thurston Howell has resulted in new problems at the organization. The facility should therefore appoint specific individuals who will make the best sourcing decisions. Several reasons can be used to support this practice. For example, some medical personnel may decide to focus on their personal interests. This move will eventually affect the future of the facility. The approach “can promote various malpractices such as corruption and lack of transparency” (Leone & Rah, 2012, p. 18). The practice will eventually affect the integrity of the organization’s supply policies.

The supply policies should identify the right people to make appropriate decisions. The targeted department will acquire quality materials in order to fulfill the needs of the facility. This idea will make it possible for the firm to focus on specific changes in the external market. Different market changes can affect the future goals of the healthcare facility. The “facility should therefore have a single department whose role is to make appropriate sourcing decisions” (Leone & Rah, 2012, p. 74). Such decisions should be implemented accordingly depending on the changes experienced in the market. Several factors can also affect the facility’s sourcing decisions.

Staying with Kodak: Advantages and Disadvantages

Pacific Healthcare is a leading provider of quality health services in Santa Barbara County. The facility’s partnership with Kodak is something that has continued to support the best goals. Kodak supplies X-ray films to this facility. New supply strategies have been proposed at the company for different medical supplies. The facility can benefit significantly from its agreement with Kodak. To begin with, the healthcare organization will always get quality X-ray films. Such films have the potential to support the quality of health services availed to different patients. As well, the decision to stay with Kodak will ensure the institution gets the best maintenance services (Langabeer, 2008). The facility will also get substantial discounts from the Kodak. However, some disadvantages might emerge if Pacific Healthcare stays with Kodak. For example, the organization might continue to pay more for the X-ray films. This practice can eventually affect the hospital’s profitability.

The other alternative is for Pacific Healthcare to identify a new supplier. This move will ensure the institution gets cheaper X-rays films. The approach can “reduce the institution’s operational costs” (Langabeer, 2008, p. 65). The facility will also be able to identify new suppliers in order to reduce costs. However, the strategy can produce several disadvantages. For example, the facility will have to incur more expenses whenever maintaining and servicing its X-ray equipment. The use of new X-ray films can eventually discourage more patients. This situation explains why Barney Rubble should make appropriate decisions. Such decisions will ensure every hospital gets quality supplies in a timely manner. The approach will eventually make the institution successful.

Obtaining Reduced Film Prices

The case study indicates that Thurston Howell always wanted the institution to acquire its X-ray films from Kodak. Thurston Howell was the institution’s director of radiology. During his time, the director failed to authorize the use of X-ray films from other companies. Barney Rubble is currently the facility’s Corporate Director of Supply Management. He is the one who should monitor the procurement of various supplies. Rubble should have used appropriate measures in order to obtain reduced prices for Pacific Healthcare’s X-ray films. Mr. Rubble should have collaborated with Howell in order to have a proper procurement strategy. The team should have “discussed with Kodak in order to have reduced prices for its films” (Hopp & Lovejoy, 2012, p. 37). This approach would have succeeded because Pacific Healthcare was one of Kodak’s leading customers. The “loyalty portrayed by the facility could have encouraged Kodak to market its films at a discounted price” (Toba, Tomasini, & Yang, 2008, p. 53).

The two individuals should have used new approaches in order to address this issue. For instance, Thurston Howell should have obtained maintenance services from other providers. This approach would have forced Kodak to establish a new agreement with the institution. As well, Mr. Howell should have identified other potential suppliers such as Dupont, Agfa, and Fuji. This strategy could have reduced the level of dependence on Kodak’s X-ray films. The facility’s “important goal is to get quality resources and eventually reduce its operational costs” (Heine & Maddox, 2012, p. 5). This strategy would have identified new procurement practices at the facility. New agreements could have also been made with Kodak in order to support the needs of the facility. The availability of cheaper X-rays films can eventually make the healthcare facility successful.

Choice and Rationale

The facts presented in the case study explain why Barney Rubble should consider a new supplier for different medical resources. The supplier should be able to deliver quality but cheaper X-rays films. Companies such as Dupont and Agfa should be considered because their products are much cheaper (Heine & Maddox, 2012). The savings obtained from this new contact can be used to service and furnish the facility’s X-ray equipment. This is the case because the facility uses over 1,500 sheets of X-ray film every day. The current contract between Kodak and Pacific Healthcare is not sustainable.

Implementation

A powerful plan should be used to implement the above choice. Barney Rubble should make appropriate consultations with these companies. The next approach is to identify competent individuals who can service the organization’s equipment. The Finance Department should also be consulted in order to offer the best suggestions. The approach will ensure Rubble’s choice is sustainable and profitable (Balaraman & Kosalram, 2013). New policies should be implemented in order to streamline every sourcing process. The hospital will minimize its costs and eventually realize its objectives.

Reference List

Balaraman, P., & Kosalram, K. (2013). E-Hospital Management & Hospital Information Systems: Changing Trends. International Journal Information Engineering and Electronic Business, 1(1), 50-58.

Heine, P., & Maddox, N. (2012). Hospital Management Reform: A Step to Healthcare Reform. Journal of Management and Marketing Research, 1(1), 1-7.

Hopp, W., & Lovejoy, W. (2012). Hospital Operations: Principles of High Efficiency Health Care. New York, NY: FT Press.

Langabeer, J. (2008). Health Care Operations Management. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.

Leone, G., & Rah, R. (2012). Supplies Management in the OR. New York, NY: Flow Publishing.

Mathew, J., John, J., & Kumar, S. (2014). New Trends in Supply Chain. Operations Management, 1(1), 1-10.

Toba, S., Tomasini, M., & Yang, H. (2008). Supply Chain Management in Hospital: A Case Study. California Journal of Operations Management, 6(1), 49-55.

Healthcare systems should ensure the provision of high quality healthcare services to the people. A number of healthcare systems exist in the United States and are run by the federal government and the private sector (Sultz & Young, 2005). The stakeholders are usually involved in the planning of the various healthcare systems in order to ensure effective implementation.

Healthcare systems in the US have witnessed significant changes with the government seeking to ensure universal healthcare provision, particularly when it comes to insurance. This essay discusses the several issues and concepts found in the US healthcare systems.

Public health efforts and those of private medicine complement each other and together serve the spectrum of health service needs of American society. However, the relationship between these key players in the healthcare sector has been so contentious. Most Americans now get publicly available health services although they can still access private services and vice versa (Docteur, 2004). One of the most important differences is the varied patterns of practice between the public and private medical care providers.

Private medicine efforts offer comprehensive and individualized care unlike the public providers. Lack of appropriate facilities, competent staff, and adequate financing have been identified as another contributor of contention between the two medical communities (Sultz & Young, 2005). Also, the private medical community offer services to those who can afford the correspondingly high cost while the poor opt for the public health departments.

The population-based orientation of public health can be contrasted with the individual-centered focus of private health practitioners. Both run as parallel systems which are self-contained and are not linked in any way. Population-based orientation is more focused on prevention of disease and injury while individual-centered is more curative because highly susceptible individuals are identified (Docteur, 2004).

The major goal of all healthcare services is the provision of high quality care to the people. Quality in medical care may be defined as achieving the greatest benefit at the lowest risk. Healthcare systems have made significant efforts to ensure that the allocation of resources and other priorities enhance quality (Cronin, 2004).

The government and private sector have embarked on creating awareness among the people on the need for preventive measures against diseases and other causes of ill health. Prioritizing prevention goes a long way in minimizing the cost of curing diseases and hence ensuring a healthy population.

Medical care should be constantly assessed in order to ensure high-quality service provision. Structure, process, and outcome are some of the key considerations during such assessment. The extent to which any medical care ensures recovery, restoration of good health and chances of survival is what is known as outcome (Sultz & Young, 2005).

Outcome is very crucial when assessing the quality of medical care. Some examples of outcome include mortality (perinatal) rates, surgical fatality rates and the success in restoring clients from psychiatric hospitals into the society.

However, many researchers have concluded that attention should be focused on the process of medical care instead of the outcome (Docteur, 2004). Process has therefore been regarded as another key approach to assess quality of medical care. Examples of what to evaluate include; the appropriateness of services offered, physical as well as diagnostic tests, competence of staff and the general continuity of medical care.

The third way of assessing quality of medical care is to evaluate the settings in which the process of care is carried out (Sultz & Young, 2005). This approach is commonly referred to as structure. This may also include the evaluation of administrative ranks associated to the process of providing care. It includes the assessment of availability of appropriate facilities and technical equipment, fiscal issues, and the organization of the available staff.

Most researchers in the healthcare system receive funding from commercial companies. Concerns of whether the authors should or should not recognize their financiers in the scientific publications have emerged. It is crucial for contributors to be acknowledged in the final publications although this is not as formal as citations (Cronin, 2004). Those who fund researches, therefore, ought to be acknowledged since this will help when it comes to evaluating the efficacy of various sponsored scientific work.

It has been reported by the Institute of Medicine that medical errors are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. This should be regarded as a matter of national importance. The federal government, therefore, should take the necessary steps to monitor the status of this high-risk situation. Trusting the healthcare providers may only worsen the situation.

Quality healthcare should be the top priority of the federal government and the private sector in the United States. The essay has broadly evaluated and discussed the various issues that are being experienced in the American healthcare system. Regulating this industry when necessary will ensure the security of the entire population.

References

Cronin, B. G. (2004). Healthcare in the US: financing scientific researches. McGraw-Hill Plc.

Docteur, E. (2004). Developing high-performing healthcare systems: population-based care. OECD Plc.

Sultz, H. A. & Young, K. M. (2005). Health Care USA understanding its organization and delivery (6^th ed). Jones & Bartlett Learning

Providing healthcare services to the representatives of different cultures means being able to establish intercultural dialogue. Unless a healthcare specialist is capable of talking to the people that suffer from a particular disease, it is impossible to cure the latter. For example, there is a tangible difference between the concept of “being sick” (illness) and the conceptual entity of symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment approaches (diagnostic category) (Frake 115). Speaking of which, the means of identifying the ways to locate a deeper affinity between isolated and seemingly different symptoms in various patients may require thorough research.

It should also be born in mind that the alterations in the patterns of disease symptoms make the process of diagnosing the patient extremely complicated. Seeing that the names of diseases carry several elements, it is essential, yet nonetheless, very difficult to identify the dominant name. This does beg the question of whether a common ground is a viable reason for connecting several instances of a disease that do not have any symptoms in common other than the one stated above.

Though at first, one might assume that the problem of labeling a specific health issue is rooted in the issues within the current healthcare taxonomy, it, in fact, concerns linguistics rather than medicine (Foucault 18). In the realm of globalization, the possibility to create an intercultural dialogue has been provided, yet new challenges also emerged. At this point, the link between the globalization process and the emerging trends in healthcare needs to be mentioned.

Speaking of cultural fusion and the acceptance of new healthcare approaches, the phenomenon of biomedicine taps on the concepts of globalization and indigenization, therefore, linking healthcare to the key cultural processes (Kleinman 38).

Biomedicine is linked closely to the Western concept of progress. Because of the challenges that the 21^st-century healthcare has faced, the priorities of biomedicine have been shifted from providing care to pursuing economic and political goals. Still, for a successful intervention, one must take the intercultural issues into account; particularly, the differences in the views of different cultures on healthcare, in general, should be analyzed closer. For example, the concept of healthcare adopted in the Lwezi tribe makes one wonder if the concept of treatment as a synonym to witchcraft in the Lwezi tribe prevents from advancing the Lwezi healthcare system (Bazinga 121).

It should also be noted that the assistance, which a healthcare professional is ready to provide to the patient, may not be enough. In most cases, it is required that the patient should be ready to cooperate. In other words, it is imperative that the patient should put a stop to the usurpation of their self. In each case of a disease or a disorder, a patient has their “possession of the fate of the happening” (Sansom 191), and it is the duty of a healthcare professional to make sure that the patient is provided with an opportunity to get a hold of themselves. Therefore, the necessity to make the patient completely conscious of both the treatment process and the changes that the patient undergoes is crucial for a successful intervention.

The consciousness of the patient, however, is often an uncharted road that a healthcare specialist must blaze a trail on, and the reification of the patient is often the only way of taking control over the process of diagnosing and treating one (Taussig 3). Accessing the consciousness of the patient, in its turn, presupposes that the cultural context should be taken into account (Bates 30); particularly, the origin of the patient and the environment, in which the problem emerged, should be analyzed. Some researchers, however, argue that in the course of treatment, there may be no patient – the personality of the latter should not conflict with the process of addressing a particular disorder or disease (Harvey 577).

Works Cited

Bates, Don G. “Why Not Call Modern Medicine ‘Alternative’?” The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 583.1 (2002), 12–28. Print.

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Introduction

Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs (ZHO) is a government organization that caters for needs of orphans and people with special needs. The organization offers humanitarian services to needy people in Abu Dhabi Emirates region. Its objective is to support needy people to aid them to make their contribution to society. Since its inception, the organization has grown into an umbrella organization that heads all humanitarian organizations, orphanages, social services bodies, and institutions linked to humanitarian services in the Emirates. Any organization developed to cater for people with special needs is registered under ZHO.

History and establishment

ZHO was established in 2009 based on a directive from the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The organization was established under Law No. (2) of 2004. It was founded to cater for needs of orphans and people with special needs in the Emirates. The main objective of its founding was to empower orphans and people with special needs using financial, human, and technological resources to elevate their position and role in society.

Vision and mission

The organization’s vision is to grow into an organization whose services win the society’s trust and confidence by achieving its objectives in an efficient manner. In addition, the organization envisions fulfilling expectations and needs of orphans and individuals with special needs in order to make them active in society.

The mission of ZHO is threefold. First, it aims to provide rehabilitation, educational, and therapeutic services to individuals with special needs. It strives to apply internationally accepted standards in the field of rehabilitation and special care to achieve its objectives. Second, it aims to integrate orphans and people with special needs into the community. Third, it aims to promote the utilization of financial, technological, and human resources to facilitate quality special care to individuals.

Contacts

The organization’s main office is located behind Carrefour building on Airport Road. Its phone number is + 971 2 698 5555, while its fax number is + 971 2 441 8099. Offices hours run from Sunday to Thursday from 7.30 am until 3.30 pm. Public service hours run from Sunday to Thursday same time as office hours. Their address is 35444.

Services

Services offered by ZHO include health, sports clubs, blind printing services, agricultural services, early intervention, vocational training, special needs employment, inclusion, and psychological and social counseling. Other services include service of academic education, therapy, and assessment. ZHO has 12 centers spread across Abu Dhabi that offer special services to disabled people enabling them to become part of the community.

The organization provides an array of services specially tailored for people with special needs. They include speech therapy, physiotherapy, early intervention, functional therapy, psychological care, counseling, and special training and education. The organization also has a branch that takes care of orphans. The Orphan Care Sector aims to create a supportive educational environment that promotes positive behaviors among orphans as well as instilling knowledge and developing skills. In addition, it aims to develop personalities that enable orphans to adapt and interact with different cultures on a global scale.

Sectors

The organization has two main sectors. These include the special needs sector and the Dar Zayed sector. The special needs sector takes care of individuals with special needs and manages about eight centers. The Dar Zayed center offers family care mainly to orphans. It has four corners that include the youth corner, family corner, incubation corner, and the family counseling corner.

Publications

ZHO has produced many publications that highlight its services and achievements. Publications are classified into different groups that include Itlalah, Special Needs Sector Booklet, Excellence Bulletin, Konooz Publications, Thimar Alkheir, and ACCESS Abu Dhabi 2011. These publications contain different articles that cover services offered by the organization. Information about the organization’s activities, plans, challenges, and achievements can be obtained from these publications.

Goals

The organization has several goals that it strives to achieve by offering different services to orphans and people with special needs. Their goals include the integration of people with special needs into the community, education, and training of orphans, rehabilitation of people with special needs, and care of people with disabilities.

Service delivery

To facilitate effective service delivery, ZHO strives to expand its facilities in order to accommodate more people. It has adhered to its founder’s wish to expand the organization’s scope of service to include new sectors that provide special services. For example, the organization has worked hard to provide therapeutic services in all centers in Abu Dhabi. Currently, the organization manages 12 centers and sporting facilities under the Special Needs Sector.

The sporting facilities include Abu Dhabi Special Needs Club and Al Ain Club that caters for the disabled. The other centers include Zayed Agricultural Center for Development and Rehabilitation, Abu Dhabi Center, Sila Center, Giyath Center, Al Koua Center, and Delma Center among others. Most of these centers provide rehabilitation, therapeutic, and educational services in order to serve many people.

Strategy

The organization’s strategic plan comprises three goals based on three perspectives. The first perspective consists of three priority strategies. These include research and studies, serving and supporting people with special needs, and rehabilitating orphans. The second perspective based on operation and technology. Under this perspective, strategic priorities include the development of infrastructure, leadership, and excellence.

The third perspective based on the development of human resources. Strategic priorities under this perspective include the enhancement of employee qualification and acquisition of employee best practices. The organization has established 36 strategic initiatives that it seeks to achieve within the next five years. The organization’s Strategic Planning Department collaborates with different stakeholders to update and implement the strategic plan to ensure that ZHO achieves its goals. The organization’s strategy involves the provision of all services in all its centers across Abu Dhabi through partnerships with other organizations. To facilitate quality service delivery, ZHO strives to offer educational, therapeutic and rehabilitation services in all its centers.

Partners

ZHO’s partners include Abudhabi Tourism Authority, Family Development Foundation, Higher Colleges of Technology, Health Authority-Abu Dhabi, and Municipality of Abu Dhabi City. Others include Abu Dhabi Education Council, BOS, Abu Dhabi Airports Company, GIZ, Abu Dhabi Systems & Information Centre, Emirates Foundation, Al Khawarizmi International College, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan Cultural Center, and Al Hilal Bank.

Conclusion

Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs (ZHO) was founded in 2009 to care for orphans and people with special needs. It offers education, rehabilitation, and therapeutic services. Its goals include the inclusion of orphans and people with special needs into the community and rehabilitation of people with special needs. To facilitate service delivery, ZHO collaborates with other organizations. It has many centers that offer services such as early intervention, vocational training, special needs employment, inclusion, and psychological and social counseling

In their study, Zon and Kommer (1999) want to develop a model that can optimise the use of resources available to medical institutions. In order to achieve this goal, they rely on multiple linear regression analysis which is an important part of dynamic programming. In particular, the scholars want show how various resource allocation decisions taken by healthcare organisations affect the future demand for medical services. The framework developed by researchers can be useful for improving the policies of healthcare administrators.

In this case, the use of multiple linear regression analysis is required because there are several independent variables affecting demand for medical services. In particular, one should speak about the interventions which are related to the allocation of resources such as technologies or employees. It should be noted that any form of medical activity entails the distribution of resources. For example, the decision to choose a certain treatment mode results in the necessity to allocate resources such as employees, costs, and time (Zon & Kommer, 1999, p. 88). In turn, the dependent variable will be the health state of patients and their subsequent demand for medical services as well as resources.

For instance, this demand can be determined by examining the daily needs of a patient. Among such needs, one can mention the number of minutes or hours that physicians and nurses will need to spend on this individual (Zon & Kommer, 1999, p. 88). Provided that medical workers identify the type of services required by a patient, they will be able to estimate the amount of costs which will be needed. In turn, multiple linear regression analysis will be useful for determining how different interventions influence patients’ demand for the resources. Moreover, they may single out and eliminate those interventions that significantly increase the costs of a hospital and increase the demand for services.

Yet, this step can be taken only if it does not compromise the quality of patient care. These data will be needed for meeting the constraints that hospital administrators should consider. Among such constraints, one can distinguish the budgetary requirements that medical institutions have to meet. Another constraint is the minimum amount of money and other resources that should be spent on a patient in order to ensure adequate treatment. Thus, the use of linear regression analysis is important for choosing the most suitable intervention. These are some of main details that can be distinguished.

One should note that this analysis is necessary for creating a dynamic linear programming model developed by researchers. This approach has to be adopted at the time when a person has to take a set of subsequent decisions. More importantly, the range of decisions available to a person or an organisation at a certain point is dependent on the steps that were already taken in the past. In turn, the researchers argue that dynamic linear programming is necessary because each resource allocation decision taken by the hospital will affect the future demand for resources (Zon and Kommer, 1999, p. 87). The results of multiple linear aggression analysis will be needed to select the most optimal interventions during every stage of dynamic programming.

On the whole, this discussion shows that linear aggression analysis can be useful for improving the work of healthcare institutions. In particular, this approach can help administrators optimise the use of available resources. The use of this method is particular important if it is necessary to develop dynamic linear programming models. These are the main aspects that can be distinguished.

Reference

Zon, A., & Kommer, G. (1999). Patients flows and optimal health-care allocation at the macro-level: a dynamic linear regression approach. Health Care Management Science, 2(7), 87-96. Web.