WEEK 6
Read two or more of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question.
Respond to at least two colleagues. Your responses should be substantial and should contribute to the Discussion. Support with evidence, if indicated.
Response 1
N. Wheeler
RE: Discussion – Week 6
COLLAPSE
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According to Sanga et al. (2020), Social justice is the idea of creating an egalitarian society or institution based on the principles of equality and unity, with the understanding of values and human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. To me, this means that every human being is created and evolves equally. They have equal access to health care, income, wealth, and opportunity. It means that society focuses on individual rights do not on group rights. Moreover, government involvement and social recognition are neutral in strategies to improve individualist needs, rights, and individual efforts, services, funding, and merit. So that society is not impartial, and outcomes are favorable and maximized for all or most. I would compare social justice to socialized medicine rather than communism. Although I do not think It is entirely social justice, it is definably the pathway to complete equality. Socialized medicine is more like social justice in that It provides an equal opportunity and access to medicines and healthcare solutions regardless of social and economic determinants.
Money does not matter. Income does matter. Age does not matter. Gender does not matter. Wealth does not matter. Social status does not matter. Privilege does not matter. Political party affiliation does not matter. Nevertheless, affordability matters. Access matters. Public interest matters. Transparency matters. Fundamental rights and liberties matter—equality and justice for all Matters.
In contrast, communism, to me, is more focused on prejudices, predispositions, partialities, inconsistencies, governmental gain, secrecy, enslavement, oppression, swiping freedom, autonomy, and benefits for burdens, materialist gains, the privilege, group goals, and collective control. In communism, there are the haves and have-nots. There is an equal distribution of social services and equal opportunities for all with social justice.
In evaluating the health care system in the United States, the political party in control and politics often determines the demand and control of health care spending and investments made on health care services for the American people (Chemounit, 2018). Only in another four years or another presidential term to change again. Does it always make healthcare access fair and consistent, and individualist? No! Nevertheless, based on a vote and presidential candidate! I feel the Obama Care insurance plan was a great attempt at social justice and ensuring access to affordable health care insurance for all or most. It attempted to target those in poverty or suffering from vulnerable conditions, reduce the cost of health care, and make health insurance and a wide range of health care services accessible and available to many. Through the advocacy of governmental measures, consumer healthcare subsidies, and legislation that lead to equal opportunity and basic healthcare access across the board. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2021), 31 million Americans were insured and received coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Legislation requirements endorsed access to healthcare for both higher and lower-income individuals, helping to maximize medical services and reduce overall mortality rates, suffering, and severe disease. In America, the Affordable Healthcare Act of 2021 was a great attempt at social justice in the United States as it attempted to prevent the worst without forfeiting anything of comparable significance. Also, in the US, the health care system has been improved by using The Healthy People Initiatives, which are healthcare objectives that guide health promotion and disease prevention efforts and help improve the health and well-being of the nation (CDC, 2020). This strategic framework provides healthcare transparency for the American people, establishes benchmarks to drive progression, and provides an inclusive and continuous effort to act, achieve goals, and support the mission. Also, reliably and understandably, it explains the efficient use of government resources and spending and efforts that ensure the quality of care, safety, and optimal patient health outcomes. This was another great effort to achieve social justice and eliminate barriers, prejudices, and social determinants to health and impartiality imposed by today’s healthcare system.
Many barriers to healthcare include the lack of access to health care, education, employment, transportation, food and healthy options, social integration, and healthcare coverage which can contribute poorly to healthcare outcomes. The Elements of the healthcare system that need to be changed are accessibility, efficiency, quality and safety, responsiveness, expenditure and cost, and utilization (Li & Shang, 2020). Checks and balances in the healthcare system should be in place to ensure health equity and social justice. Elimination of structural and social inequality was attempted by legislative initiatives proposed by The Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA) of 2018 (Alegra eta l., 2021). For example, Individuals that lack access and availability to primary care physicians and live in rural areas and usually would not have access to providers in close proximity may have to travel. However, they lacked the funds and transportation to get to faraway facilities. The HEAA act helped alleviate this, provided more nurse practitioners with clinics, and helped serve and treat underprivileged areas (Menon & Belcher, 2021). Babies are born into single-parent families and lack the parental influence of their parents, and custodial parents lack the additional helpmate. In the healthcare system, factors, for instance, client schedules and work obligations, may conflict with doctors’ hours, so making sure primary providers are available around the clock to see patients can be beneficial in accessing healthcare. Maybe on a Thursday or one specific day of the week (Consistently), clinicians can extend their hours to adapt to their patients’ schedules and lifestyles. Improving communication between provider and patient is also a chance to improve efficiency, quality of care, and safety. Improved timing of lab work and results to provider and patient is also often an issue and can delay patient care, so improving the process and providing patient portals, provider notifications of critical lab work, and adding critical technology alerts to computer systems can help aid in responsiveness and reduc3e delayed treatment, more severe illness, and healthcare spending and cost. Quality improvement processes can drive change in the healthcare system by allowing individuals to have more quality outcomes, reducing the use of healthcare facilities, improving quality of care and life expectancy, patient satisfaction, perceived value, and the overall patient care experience.
References
Alegría, M., Frank, R. G., Hansen, H. B., Sharfstein, J. M., Shim, R. S., & Tierney, M. (2021). Transforming Mental Health And Addiction Services: Commentary describes steps to improve outcomes for people with mental illness and addiction in the United States. Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, May 12). The Affordable Care Act Helps People Living with HIV/AIDS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved May 16, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/policies/aca.html
Chemouni, B. (2018). The political path to universal health coverage: power, ideas and community-based health insurance in Rwanda. World Development, 106, 87-98. Affairs, 40(2), 226-234.
Li, Y., & Shang, H. (2020). Service quality, perceived value, and citizens’ continuous-use intention regarding e-government: Empirical evidence from China. Information & Management, 57(3), 103197.
Menon, D. U., & Belcher, H. M. (2021). COVID-19 pandemic health disparities and pediatric health care—The promise of telehealth. JAMA pediatrics, 175(4), 345-346.
Sanga, F., Simon, I., & Pagnucco, R. (2020). Julius Nyerere’s understanding of African socialism, human rights, and equality. The Journal of Social Encounters, 4(2), 15-33.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2021, April 18). New HHS Data Show that More Americans than Ever, Have Health Coverage through the Affordable Care Act. HHS.gov. Retrieved May 16, 2022, from https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/06/05/new-hhs-data-show-more-americans-than-ever-have-health-coverage-through-affordable-care-act.html
RESPONSE 2
K. Mateski
RE: Discussion – Week 6
COLLAPSE
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Practicum project: prevent teenage pregnancy by providing open and honest sexual education in grade school
Social justice in healthcare is defined as providing equal services for all individuals, regardless of their economic status, race, ethnicity, age, citizenship, disability, or sexual orientation (Habibzadeh et al., 2021). An example of this was the Obamacare mandate which is no longer in effect as of January 1, 2019. This mandate required all Americans to either have health insurance or pay a penalty. Some states still have this requirement, but it is no longer federally regulated (Porretta, 2022). My project is an example of social justice; there is a need to require a strong sex-ed curriculum in schools and have it be controlled at a federal level.
Change is needed. I went to a middle/high school in Wisconsin with a tremendous sex-ed program. I was astonished to find out that Wisconsin has no requirements for sexual education. Therefore, there are no curriculum requirements either, and school districts are taking it upon themselves to decide whether or not to educate students. There is no way of knowing if the information given to students is up to date or even accurate. It is often left up to the physical education teacher and whatever they are comfortable with. Permission slips are sent home to see if parents will let their child be in the classes offered. How is this right? Why doesn’t every child deserve to know not just about the changes their body will go through but how to handle EVERYTHING that goes along with being sexually active.
My project is advocating for the future of our nation, the young girls and boys whose bodies cause them to be curious. And with that curiosity comes a lot of responsibility. Lives can change in the blink of an eye. A young girl could become pregnant and drop out of school to work and provide for that child. A young man could have a sexual encounter with someone who has HIV, and now his clock is ticking for when it will develop into AIDS. So let us be proactive in giving the youth all the tools and knowledge necessary to combat teenage pregnancy.
Habibzadeh, H., Jasemi , M., & Hosseinzadegan, F. (2021). Social justice in health system; a neglected component of academic nursing education: a qualitative study. BMC Nursing, 20(16). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00534-1
Porretta, A. (2022, January 21). EHealth | Get Health Insurance Plans & Quotes. Does Your State Require Health Insurance? | eHealth. Retrieved from http://www.ehealthinsurance.com/resources/individual-and-family/does-your-state-require-you-to-have-health-insurance
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