Despite the vehement significance of safety and recognition of the patients’ rights in the medical spheres, the issues related to the ethical conduct take place. In this case, being the head health administrator at the USA Community Hospital implies that I have to pay vehement attention to the compliance of the procedures with the safety regulations and minimize the frequency of the violations of the rights and freedoms of the patients. Currently, the medical institution experiences issues with dealing with the complaints concerning the denial of services and mistreatment of the patients with HIV/AIDS.
Based on the matters indicated above, one of the goals of the paper is to design a plan to determine the rationale for the denials of services. At the same time, it is critical to describe the roles of different levels of subordinations in ensuring that the actions of the personnel comply with the principles of the ethical conduct. Alternatively, designing plans to enhance the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients and change perceptions about their conditions in the society can also be discovered as the main objectives of this paper.
Plan to Investigate the Denials of Services
In the first place, it is essential to assess the relevance of complaints of denials and minimize the number of misunderstandings in the recent future. In order to enhance these procedures, it is vital to develop a sufficient mechanism to address these claims, underline the significance of human resources, and determine the gravity of various policies related to this matter. It remains apparent that one of the central goals of the USA Community Hospital is to minimize the levels of discrimination and offer equal medical assistance to everyone. Using this approach assists in emphasizing the significance of the patient-centered care that gains its popularity and pertains one of the most important trends in the medical sphere (Epstein & Street, 2011).
In the first place, it is vital to assess the scope of the problem and define various instruments and tools that can be used to address the arising claims. One of the main steps is to determine whether the customers are satisfied with the delivered services, as it is the core of the concept of the patient-centered care (Epstein & Street, 2011). At the same time, using this strategy will help understand the reasons for the refusals and denials of services, and these topics can be addressed when organizing various meetings with the managers and employees. Analyzing the acquired results will have a beneficial impact on improving the quality of the services and underlining the idea that the medical institution treats all individuals equally disregarding their diagnosis. The survey to collect the opinions of the patients will be available in the brand community group of the hospital and its official website.
The results acquired with the assistance of the questionnaires and surveys can be actively used to enhance the effectiveness of the employees and improve the quality of the provided services. In this instance, it not only helps increase satisfaction among patients but also makes the services more personalized while taking into account needs and preferences of the patients. Working together with the HR department will decrease the number and frequency of denials and offer high-quality services for people with HIV/AIDS by developing new policies and designing innovative training programs that emphasize the significance of ethics. Simultaneously, new policies have to be developed that take into account the preferences and the needs of the patients, as not complying with them may lead to the development of misunderstandings. Consequently, a training program, mechanism, and new policies have to support the principles of the patient-centered care and discover its patients as equal contributors to decision-making.
Critical Roles of Different Staffing Levels in Maintaining Ethical Conduct
Despite the need to address the issue of denials and complaints with nurses and physicians, there are other actors in the medical institution that have to be considered when maintaining ethical conduct. To support the principle of equality, all employees of the hospital have to be aware of the main rules and concepts of medical ethics. For example, an administrator or office clerk forms the first impression and creates a particular image of the hospital and the quality of the healthcare (Spath, 2014). It is evident that these professionals have access to the healthcare records and can understand from the system whether an individual has a particular diagnosis including HIV. Being able to react adequately to this information and treat the patient with dignity will help create a friendly atmosphere and assist the patients in feeling as a central part of the relationship (Spath, 2014). Consequently, educating these professionals regarding ethics is vital, as they create an initial perception of the hospital.
At the same time, nurses and physicians also have a critical contribution on upholding ethical conduct in the organization. It remains apparent that the issue of prejudice related to a particular diagnosis tends to exist not only among the members of society but also is broadly spread among the medical personnel (Oe, 2011). Consequently, being able to overcome the existent stereotypes and rely on the principles of medical ethics will help build friendly atmosphere in the hospital while treating patients with dignity.
Alternatively, one cannot underestimate the role of management in underlying the significance of the ethical conduct of the medical practices of the hospital. In this case, the management can contribute by creating a particular vision and vision that not only supports a patient-centered care but also deals with the existent stereotypes and stigma. It could be said that it helps distribute certain values among different levels of subordination in the medical institution and create a friendly atmosphere for the patients. Overall, all actors mentioned above are vehemently important for developing a friendly and ethical environment for the patients with HIV/AIDS since the hospital is a complex system with the interdependent components.
Plan for the Ethical Treatment of HIV/AIDS Patients
Based on the analysis of different roles of medical employees in creating an ethical atmosphere for the patients, it is possible to develop a plan that will propose ethical treatment of the patients with HIV/AIDS. As it was mentioned earlier, HR department plays a pivotal role in offering training that underlines the significance of ethical conduct. In this case, one of the most appropriate methods is to organize various training sessions that will help see a direct connection of legal aspects with the ethical treatment of the patients. This training and educational sessions not only cover the theoretical concepts but also review them with the help of the real-life case scenarios, as this approach will have a beneficial impact on the understanding of ethics while being close to the reality and increasing understanding of potential consequences of malpractice (Bonney, 2015). Using this practice is highly beneficial, as it has a positive impact on the learning outcomes (Bonney, 2015). Training has to take place before starting working at the USA Community Hospital, and the employees have to sign a contract that they are aware of the existent policies.
Simultaneously, it is reasonable to organize meetings that will help underline the significance of treating patients with HIV/AIDS with dignity and respect. During these sessions, the employees will review the recent changes presented in the medical ethics and sign the documents that they will implement them in practice and prioritize them in treating patients with special needs and diagnoses equally. These sessions and meetings can take place quarterly. Meanwhile, apart from the group sessions, the employees can be contacted individually and have a private conversation with a supervisor in the case of having any questions concerning ethics and treatment of HIV/AIDS patients.
After that, the performance of the employees will be monitored with the help of contacting supervising managers and gathering information from the patients. In this instance, the concept of multisource feedback can be actively employed (Meenakshi, 2012). It will help discover the compliance of employees’ actions with the ethical principles and legal system and determine the presence of any violations of rights and freedoms of the patients. The meetings to provide feedback can be organized quarterly while their frequency can be modified when necessary. Nonetheless, all matters mentioned above have to be used systematically, as, otherwise, different problems concerning ethics may take place, and stigmatizing of the patients with HIV/AIDS may occur. Using these principles not only enhances the relationships with customers and emphasizes the significance of ethics but also underlines the critical role of the patient-centered approach that is one of the main focuses of the company.
Plan to Serve the Persons with HIV/AIDS
Apart from designing a plan to offer ethical treatment to the patients with HIV/AIDS, the USA Community Hospital has to develop unique ways of serving patients with this diagnosis and create a communication plan to change the perception of these individuals in the community. In the first place, it is evident that the patients with the similar diagnosis have to be treated with respect and dignity. Meanwhile, the confidentiality of the diagnosis has to be maintained, as it is the primary source of information for the community and relatives of the patient. This matter will help avoid the unnecessary spread of information and develop a trusting relationship with the patients while prioritizing the significance of ethics.
As for de-stigmatizing and expanding the horizons of the community regarding HIV/AIDS, one cannot underestimate the pivotal role of the educational sessions. These events can take place once a month and offer critical information concerning this diagnosis, its risks, and the ways of transmission. Simultaneously, organizing interactive workshops and small presentations once in two weeks will clarify the viewpoints regarding HIV/AIDS. In this case, doctors and nurses can contribute to participating and organizing these sessions, as delivering the information from the perspectives of the medical professionals can establish a trusting relationship and increase the level of reliability of the provided facts. In the end, it remains apparent that it is highly important to address this issue internally and externally. Consequently, the instruments mentioned above have to be used as a combination to increase the awareness of the community about HIV/AIDS and decrease the levels of stereotypes concerning this matter.
References
Bonney, K. (2015). Case study teaching method improves student performance and perceptions of learning gains. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 16(1), 21-28.
Epstein, R., & Street, R. (2011). The values and value of patient-centered care. Annals of Family Medicine, 9(2), 100-103.
Meenakshi, G. (2012). Multi source feedback based performance appraisal system using fuzzy logic decision-support system. International Journal of Soft Computing, 3(1), 91-106.
Oe, A. (2011). HIV related stigmatizing attitude and practice among health care workers in Northern Nigeria. Journal of Infectious Diseases and Immunity, 3(13), 226-232.
Spath, P. (2014). Tips to take your hospital patient-friendly environment. Hospital Peer-Review, 35(2), 60-62.