- Describe current federal health care policies and standards that are designed to offer guidance to health organizations to ensure quality of care among vulnerable populations.
- Describe current health care policies and standards in your state that are designed to offer guidance to health organizations to ensure quality of care among vulnerable populations.
- Summarize strategies that health care organizations can implement to foster ethical decision making among employees
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
Healthcare policies and standards play a vital role in offering guidance to health organizations in delivering quality care to vulnerable populations. While federal policies provide a broad framework, state policies offer specific guidelines that cater to local needs. Additionally, ethical decision-making is crucial in the healthcare industry as it ensures that patients receive appropriate care without compromising their dignity and autonomy. In this context, this article aims to outline federal and state health care policies and standards and offers strategies to promote ethical decision-making among healthcare employees.
Federal Health Care Policies and Standards:
The federal government has implemented several policies and standards focused on improving and ensuring the quality of care for vulnerable populations. One such policy is the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which aims to provide access to healthcare for all Americans. The ACA requires healthcare organizations to adhere to specific quality standards, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Value-Based Purchasing Program, which links payment to the quality of care delivered.
Another example is the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS), which provides guidance to healthcare organizations to ensure that healthcare services are adequately tailored to the cultural and linguistic needs of diverse populations, including vulnerable ones such as immigrants and minorities.
State Health Care Policies and Standards:
States have recognized that specific guidelines are required to cater to the unique needs of their populations. For instance, in California, the Office of Health Equity published guidelines for healthcare organizations to reduce health disparities and better serve vulnerable populations. Similarly, in Ohio, the Health Equity and Quality Services program published guidelines for healthcare professionals aimed at reducing health disparities and providing quality care to all populations.
Strategies for Ethical Decision-Making:
Creating a culture of ethical decision-making in healthcare is essential to ensure that employees make appropriate decisions that prioritize patients’ well-being, especially for vulnerable populations. One effective strategy is to develop a code of conduct that outlines the expected behavior of healthcare employees in various situations. Training programs that provide healthcare employees with ethical decision-making scenarios and offer guidance on how to handle them can also be useful. Regular assessments that evaluate employee ethical decision-making capability can provide insight into the effectiveness of these strategies.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, healthcare policies and standards play a critical role in ensuring that healthcare organizations deliver quality care to vulnerable populations. The federal government has implemented policies such as the ACA and CLAS standards that offer guidance to healthcare organizations nationwide. Similarly, states have adopted specific policies that cater to their local populations. Health care organizations can use strategies, including developing a code of conduct, providing regular training, and assessments, to foster a culture of ethical decision-making among employees.
