HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
Introduction
Healthcare is one of the fundamental issues affecting individuals all over the world. In the United States, health institutions have been categorized to offer exemplary services as per the expectations of the government as well as the society. Quality is one of the exclusive issues that should define and apprehend the exemplary approaches and measures in the healthcare sector. As such, the same assumptions should be drawn based on the realistic implications that are affirmed on the logics of meeting the needs of people. In most cases, the healthcare services have been known cost more from state to state, depending on the improvement of the sectors within each amenity. In addition, funds used for the healthcare purposes and enhancement are never enough in most of the countries that embrace health as a priority. For instance, in the US, health is a significant factor that should be affirmed but the funds used to advance the health systems are normally misused and the sector not catered for by the end of the goal making processes and, therefore affecting the quality of healthcare (Bodenheimer, 2005). This study covers a discussion on the quality of healthcare in the African-American community, with American Nursing Association being the lead for the quality delivery of services.
The Problem
The main issue in the United States is healthcare planning and provision for the patients who are normally the Americans. Specifically, healthcare in the most African-American communities is a vital factor that has not been considered, especially in terms of the quality control and demands for the individuals. In other words, the specific intention of the healthcare services is to advocate and deliver quality work, which so far has been a challenge (Herr et al, 2006). Therefore, the quality of health in the United States is poor, compared to the funds that are used for the facilitation of such services under the initiatives and campaigns that are always affirmed. As such, the importance of improving better quality or services under health is of the essence. According to the survey conducted by the Healthcare People in 2010, some of the factors that contribute to the questioning of healthcare quality include the sexual orientation, the income from people as well as the level of awareness during the creation and development of the foundation in the sector (“Leading Health Indicators”, 2016).
The Community
In the United States, the healthcare issue is more intense and critical since it involves the use of medical covers that in several cases, people have no access to due to their increased rates. In as much as healthcare is fundamental and being improved through the formulation and implementation of healthcare services, most Americans are limited to the medical services due to the tight budget. For instance, most households in the poorer African-American communities experience difficulties and challenges in accessing the healthcare services due to their poorer income levels that cannot cater for the medical cover, also referred to as the Medicare, hence settling for the poor quality by default. In 2013, the Healthy People magazine reported that there were over 40 million Americans who were uninsured, and out of this figure, 28 million are African-American (“Leading Health Indicators”, 2016). The gap is growing by day and the basic or primary approach of helping narrow it has become an issue, even being discussed on the economic grounds.
Consequently, the high-income earners have an advantage on the position of healthcare sector and as such, would be more considered, due to the affordability to pay and cover for the medical card being offered at a higher fee. According to Atdjian (2005), an individual in any healthcare facility has higher chances of receiving specific intense services if they are high-income earners or are caucasian. In as much as ethnicity is prevented in the 21st century through the advocacy being run by different institutions, the factor widely contributes to the diversity and systems of treating a specific disease or condition. Moreover, the mortality rates for the African-American increase by day according to the Healthy People magazine (“Leading Health Indicators”, 2016). Further, the indicators highlight that over 80% of the women treating and managing breast cancer, 60% have cases that are more critical and are attended to with more sensitivity compared to the 20% who are from the African-American community (“Leading Health Indicators”, 2016). In other words, technologies like radiation and conserving surgery have been aimed to treat the white women under the breast cancer management.
As emphasized by Flores (2006), Apart from breast cancer, heart disease and heart conditions are rampant in the black community with the 10% likely to be attended to in case of emergencies. In other words, high cholesterol rates are highly registered in the black community as an affirmation that the personnel in health care have no appropriate response and strategy to managing the condition. In addition, the outcome of this issue is the increased reports on heart failures as well as heart attacks that are affecting the African-American community.
The Organization
The American Nurses Association (ANA) focuses on promoting a safe place for conducting nursing and other medical issues. Also, the organization ensures that ethical issues are strictly followed during the service delivery procedures. The ANA is amongst the organizations worldwide, known for the improvement of healthcare through provision of quality services. From its mission and work ethics it encourages nurses to enhance their career for the delivery of quality healthcare. ANA is considered as a voice for most nurses that is attributed through creation of awareness, campaigns as well as leadership and the practice of quality delivery of services.
The American Nurses Association has been chosen since it prioritizes quality as a fundamental element to be considered in healthcare systems and service delivery. The main objectives in the ANA policy is to include the issues of health as paramount during any discussion, specifically, the population of the United States is a concerned to this department. In targeting the population, the areas covered and individuals involved are African-Americans who are considered to be receiving low quality healthcare services. In other words, the main sentiment is to apprehend and extract the designs used in the implementation process, specifically in the rural areas. ANA targets to enhance the medical sciences and supplement the desire to deliver quality healthcare for all communities in the United States, especially the African-American community. In it, the association considers the fees in healthcare facilities and fights to collaborate with the government for the affordable rates, which would cover every individual.
In terms of delivering quality services, the ANA has partnered with the World Health Organization to affirm and promote healthcare services in different facilities, especially the ones Africans can easily access. In addition, according to the National Care Disparities Survey, most of the individuals that lack quality healthcare are from the black community. Moreover, 35% of these individuals are reported to have different complications health wise, whereas the white community has a 10% research that has so far been reported (“Leading Health Indicators”, 2016). ANA seeks to collaborate with different states for the provision of quality healthcare in diverse ways. So far, the contribution of United Nations and the WHO has be helpful and considered significant within this objective.
In conclusion, the ANA and quality healthcare are two fundamental elements that will help African-American community to receive quality healthcare. Consequently, the management and operation of systems within this incentive is paramount and will be consider
ed relevant during the delivery period, and reviews of the goal, both long and short term.
Recommendation
In order to assist the community in terms of healthcare planning as well as the provision of healthcare, I would recommend that the government should come up with a plan to improve the shift and changes within the healthcare industry, which will in turn assist the community by improving in and outpatient clinics, acute care hospitals, as well as the long-term care facilities. Furthermore, this will result to a timely assessment of the community health care strategic plans in addition to putting in place periodic, regular strategic planning.
Goals and how to measure the Effectiveness of the Recommendation
The first goal would be the improvement of access to quality healthcare and services in the community. This goal would be achieved by supporting as well as increasing the number of access points to healthcare for expanding the availability of health care services to those who are underserved, geographically isolated, disadvantaged, as well as special needs populations within the community. The second goal would be improving the quality in addition to efficacy of a healthcare safety net in the community. It would be achieved through the provision of technical assistance to care systems and providers to ensure that everyone within the community gets quality care throughout their life-span in an integrated and comprehensive way. Finally, I would measure the effectiveness of my recommendation by checking whether or not it has resulted in a timely assessment of the strategic planning of the community, as well as whether regular, periodic and strategic planning has been put in place.
References
Atdjian, S., & Vega, W. A. (2005). Disparities in mental health treatment in US racial and ethnic minority groups: Implications for Psychiatrists. Psychiatric Services, 56(12), 1600-1602.
Bodenheimer, T. (2005). High and rising health care costs. Part 2: technologic innovation. Annals of internal medicine, 142(11), 932-937.
Flores, G. (2006). Language barriers to health care in the United States. New England Journal of Medicine, 355(3), 229-231.
Herr, K., Coyne, P. J., Key, T., Manworren, R., McCaffery, M., Merkel, S., …& Wild, L. (2006). Pain assessment in the nonverbal patient: position statement with clinical practice recommendations. Pain Management Nursing, 7(2), 44-52.
Leading Health Indicators, (2016). Healthypeople.gov. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/Leading-Health-Indicators