Health System & Ethical Guidelines: Making Informed Choices - Essay Sample

Introduction

According to Devlin and Maida (2017), health system recommends that a person is competent to make reasoned choices unless indicated to be otherwise. Nevertheless, concerns sometimes show up when a patient is deemed to be incompetence. Ideally, this always aims at protecting a patient affected from results of impulsive decisions. Treating a family member, according to the ethical guidelines of the American Medical Association, is not advised. Regardless of the ethical guidelines, such practices have always been witnessed in various parts of the world. However, a physician can orate about a patient's capacity, but cannot determine the competency of a patient. It should be noted that the determination of competency is only made through a judicial finding made in a law court.

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Impact of Competency in Healthcare System

Competency is an ability or capability to make use of relevant knowledge, and abilities needed to perform a proper work function. Every person needs at least some basic knowledge that helps in day to day life situation (Odag, Wallin, & Kedzior, 2016). For instance, a student should be able to relate what is learned in classwork to a normal life situation. Competency is a framework that has always boosted employees' behavior which results in the success of a business. This involves circle coordination in a particular organization from the managers downwards.

Capacity Evaluation

Kaufmann (2016) argues that functional capacity evaluation is a collection of tests, ideas, and remarks that are gathered to determine the ability of the assessed person to function in a variety of circumstances. There are various purposes of the capacity of evaluation. It determines fitness to work despite long medical leave. In a case that an employee has not shown up after a long leave, through capacity evaluation, a solution can be reached in consideration of the possible drawbacks that might have occurred. Additionally, to be able to understand employees with disabilities and the ones with medical challenge condition, capacity evaluation is important. A functional capacity evaluation is important and therefore one or more doctors always involve in the assessment.

According to studies, a patient sometimes wants to be mostly involved in own health care (Kaufmann, 2016). Commonly, it happens when insufficient attention is given to patients at the moment when they feel they should be a part of decision making and engagements. In most cases, patient-doctor interactions still follow old office visit set-up. In such channels, the patient is inactive and therefore does not give any direction or their thoughts. Patient involvement in health care decision making always boosts their courage to express themselves despite any condition. Though patients do vary in ideas and ability to share their mind with other people in decisions about their medical treatment. It is useful for a patient to be able to understand the complex information in their medical care.

Competency Decisions and Impact and Healthcare System

Scherer (2015) argues that in the health care system, competence is considered a complex concept. It is a key for an employee to meet an expected job quality and even to deliver constant effective care for patients. When patients experience an improvement in their health status, relevant clinical outcomes and also an improvement of their safety. Besides, the effectiveness of competence in health care is also evident when there is a positive perception of satisfaction when there is a provision of care. Another significant factor in the health care system is competency drive outcomes. Notably, in the recent past, most employees are more comfortable and satisfied when they work together with competent peers. On the other hand, patients do feel contented when they perceive that they are being cared for from well and highly qualified staff. Generally, through competence patient's safety initiatives are equally understood and given much support.

A competency is also a tool for developing staff. Competency evaluation is considered an obvious tool for the development of clinic and non-clinic staff. Moreover, it also creates business alignment amongst the health sector in general. Competency also ensures that an employee focuses on an employee's potential to improve (Scherer, 2015). A good employee is the one who keeps on getting better at work to the time. An employee should benefit from daily duty experience at work to become an expert. Researchers argue that competency evaluation progression can improve employee assignation and job satisfaction. The same studies also show that engaged staffs perform more constantly, effectually, and professionally than equally-qualified, non-engaged teams. Finally, competency supports personal and organizational accountability. Administrators who do not hold employees accountable for slight mistakes always motivate their employees to work well at their total peace for an excellent result.

Effects of Health Literacy on Healthcare System

A healthy lifestyle is one of the best achievements an individual can ever gain. Seeking medical care and useful health information that makes an individual obtain process, and also to understand health is what qualifies a person to become health literate. Health literacy is significant in the healthcare system. According to Sorensen et. al., (2015), a person that has limited health literacy skills is likely to skip important preventive measure hence making them seek healthcare system when they are weaker. On the other hand, those with adequate health literacy skills take precautions and therefore healthier. Secondly, individuals with inadequate health literacy skills are more likely to have chronic conditions which may be a challenge for them to handle successfully. It is evident that patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, and HIV/AIDS who lack health literacy skills have less knowledge of their diseases and how to control them.

Generally, across most parts of the world rate of hospitalization and use of emergency services are consequent results of limited health literacy which is always accompanied with high cost of emergency treatment (Sorensen et. al., 2015). Also, studies show that an individual with limited health literacy skills is more likely to report poor health status. Finally, various studies have observed that those with limited health literacy skills have often shown a sense of shame about their skill level. To find a remedy to their problem, most of them hide reading and terminologies difficulties to uphold dignity.

Hospital Ethics Committee

Health ethics committee is important in providing relevant advice and guidelines on the proper ways of handling situations on matters that concern patient care. The committee also considers several factors that are equally important in the provision of care just like other stakeholders may take part. Conferring to Annas, and Grodin (2016), the committee should ensure that it facilitates a proper understanding of the condition in the workplace and promotes peace and coming up with the best solutions. This is the primary role of the health ethics committee as it contains the core of the health sector. It is on a note that this committee is not a decision-making body. Decision-making authorities should be in the hands of patients, families, and caregivers, and therefore the minor role of the committee is to facilitate ethical decision-making together with physicians and healthcare team.

References

Annas, G., & Grodin, M. (2016). Hospital Ethics Committees, Consultants, And Courts. AMA Journal of Ethics, 18(5), 554-559.

Devlin, M., & Maida, V. (2017). The Demon in Deeming: Medical Paternalism and Linguistic Issues in The Palliative Care Setting. Canadian Family Physician, 63(3), 191-194.

Kaufmann, P. M. (2016). Neuropsychologist Experts and Civil Capacity Evaluations: Representative Cases. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 31(6), 487-494.

Odag, O., Wallin, H. R., & Kedzior, K. K. (2016). Definition of Intercultural Competence According to Undergraduate Students at An International University in Germany. Journal of Studies in International Education, 20(2), 118-139.

Scherer, M. U. (2015). Regulating Artificial Intelligence Systems: Risks, Challenges, Competencies, And Strategies. Harv. JL & Tech., 29, 353.

Sorensen, K., Pelikan, J. M., Rothlin, F., Ganahl, K., Slonska, Z., Doyle, G., ... & Falcon, M. (2015). Health Literacy in Europe: Comparative Results of The European Health Literacy Survey (HLS-EU). European Journal of Public Health, 25(6), 1053-1058.