Morality of Healthcare reform, impact on medical imaging procedures. Emphasis on Dose monitoring

Morality of Healthcare Reform, Impact on Medical Imaging Procedures. Emphasis on Dose Monitoring

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Introduction

The healthcare reform is a move that seeks to improve the medical sector of the country. The reform ensures that all Americans have access to healthcare, so it expands access to insurance. It also ensures that physicians get merit based on quality and not quantity. All physicians wanted the merit from the government, so they struggled to treat as many patients as possible to achieve this goal. This enhanced poor services because they did not give a patient the attention the needed. They also neglected some of the procedures to be able to attend to as many as possible. They also released patients before they fully recovered and did not give respect the rights of the patients. The government became aware of such misconducts and decided to create rules and principles that would enhance the quality of service offered to a patient. This led to the emergence of healthcare ethic. Healthcare ethics are the values and principles used for making decisions in the medical field (Oslon, 2012). The healthcare sector requires these set of rules because there are many instances where a physician may want to act out of turn (Morrison and Monagle, 2009). The physicians must know that the patients have their rights and can also choose what they want with their lives as well as their bodies (Pozgar, 2004). The values and principles and values also guide physicians when making medical decisions. The healthcare is a sector that had various controversies for a long period. Many people draw their concerns on the moral aspect of the healthcare sector. There are claims that the healthcare sector violates various natural rights of the American citizens. Ethical issues arise in healthcare when a physician has to violate some of the rule for the benefit of the society. Most judgments made in the healthcare sector not only focus on the individual but also the society. The healthcare reform, also known as Obamacare, aims at solving some of the problems in the healthcare sector. The ethical issues in healthcare have an immense on diagnostic medical imaging procedures. Regulation of dose monitoring is also an aspect that may affect the health of the patient. Dose monitoring is a vital procedure in the diagnosis of a patient. It involves use of radiation to determine the appropriate doses for the patients. It also eases the work of radiologists, so they spend a short time making analysis of each patient. The healthcare reform regulates such activities and this may have a negative impact on the health of a patient. The analysis of the healthcare reform reveals ethical issues and their impact on diagnostic medical imaging procedures, and how dose monitoring affects the health of a patient.

Morality of Healthcare Reform

There are various ethical issues in the healthcare sector, but many people appreciate the reform because it solves some of the societal problems. Prioritization of many activities in healthcare depends on importance. This means that some patients may have priority over others. This is violation of the natural rights since all Americans are equal. All patients have equal importance, so this aspect brings ethical issues. A patient with minor injuries may feel neglected if the physician leaves him to deal with another with major injuries. In the past, the healthcare sector used the first come first served basis to provide services to its patient. Some patients used to die while waiting for their turn. The government thought that there was no need of giving priority to a patient who has minor problems instead of a critical one. This led to the introduction of service according to importance. This would reduce the number of deaths on the waiting line.

According to the healthcare reform, physicians should maintain the privacy of all patients (Follin, 2004). The police department requires them to disclose information regarding the case of a criminal. This brings ethical issues because the criminal also has natural rights. The court also prohibits the disclosure of the patient’s medical reports to other parties, but there are instances when the physician has to disclose this information for the benefit of the society. This creates ethical problems because the physician has to reveal the medical status of the criminal to help police in investigations, and to help the court determine whether the criminal had a perfect mental state when they committed the crime. The report may also reveal whether the substance abuse enhanced the criminal acts. For this reason, the physicians have to release such details because the life of the criminal and that of other members of the society is at stake. There are also cases when they discover a gunshot wound on a patient, so they must inform the police department. This will help the police to find the person who fired the bullet and also other details that may prevent reoccurrence of such acts. The physicians may also break the rule if a patient has a sexually transmitted disease and the spouse has no idea. The spouse should know about the sexual status of their partner. In case a patient has HIV/AIDS, the spouse should know for safety measures. The partner may use the information to determine the necessity of a checkup. If the spouse also realizes that they have the disease, they will also take the necessary measures that will help them survive. The disclosure may also make the partners determine the course of their sexually transmitted disease to find the most efficient preventive measures. Underage abortion is also another case that causes ethical problems. The parents of this patient must be aware about the act. The disclosure of such information will help the parents to take preventive measures that will help the girl avoid unwanted pregnancies. The parents may also take extra care of the other children in the family to avoid the risk in future. Revealing of medical reports is a move that aims at enhancing the lives of the community. If a physician does not release reports concerning gunshot wounds, they may be putting various people’s lives at risk. This is because the gun shot may be from a serial killer who is still committing murder, or it may be from a violent spouse or family member. The physicians have to give information concerning abortion to reduce such cases in the society and prevent children from putting themselves in compromising situations.

Physicians should support the decisions and choices of their patients even if they do not have a positive impact on their health. This principle may bring ethical issues when the patient may make the wrong choices. For instance, when a cancer patient refuses to go for chemotherapy, the physician may have to go against the will of the patient to save their life. A physician may also have to find better ways of advising the patient on the benefits of the medication they should get. This will help the patient understand why they should accept the physician’s advice. Some patients may refuse some medications because of allergies. In such cases, the physician should carry out the necessary tests to find out whether the patient’s claims are valid. In case the patient’s claim is true, then the physician should find alternatives for the medication or they should prove to the patient that the medication will not affect them.

The healthcare reform does allow the physicians to treat the decisions of their patients as their own and should also make decisions for patients who are not fit to make their own choices. A patient may come to the hospital claiming that they have a chronic disease. The physician should carry out the necessary procedures to make their own conclusions. Before the reform, the physicians gathered relevant information from the patients for diagnosis. This was a move that reduced the procedures involved in giving treatment. Physicians used this tactic to increase the number of patients they attend to on a daily basis. The introduction of quality care encouraged physicians to offer services that impress their patients. The physician may ask for previous medication to determine the appropriateness of the medication they may want to offer. The aspect of quality healthcare may also have negative sides. A physician may carry out unnecessary procedures to impress a patient. This increases medical costs in the healthcare department.

Patients in a critical condition may not have the ability to make sound decisions, so the physician must make the most beneficial choice to on behalf of the patient (Payne-James, Jones, Karch and Manlove, 2011). Physicians should take actions that enhance the patient’s health. Patients with mental problems also require the help of the physician to make sound decisions. The healthcare reform also advises physicians against decisions based on gender, race or class. In this case ethical issues arise when a patient has extra cash and demands for unnecessary tests or medication. The physician should provide their services equally. Ethical issues may arise when a patient does not have adequate funds, but needs extra care for survival. The physician may strive to save the life of the patient then deal with the finances when the patient is in a stable condition. The main objective of all physicians is to save lives. A white physician should value the life of a black physician and vice versa. A male physician should respect the decisions of a female patient. Male chauvinism is not encouraged in the medical sector. If a patient feels comfortable with a male or female physician, they can make their request. A male physician should not force a female patient to accept their services.

Physicians should also decide the amount of time to give each patient based on their capability to pay for the services and their medication process. Ethical issues may arise when a patient requires more time with the physician but they cannot afford. A patient with more than enough may also demand for a longer stay, yet they are fit to go home. In such cases the physicians should take actions that improve the lives of the patients.

Physicians also encounter ethical issues because they do not know the extent of basic healthcare. The government has not identified the limits of basic healthcare, so physicians may not know to what extent they should provide their services. Abortion is also a controversial issue in America. Many people, including physicians, have varying opinions on the matter. The healthcare reform requires all the physicians to respect the decisions of their patients. This means that if a patient demands that they want an abortion, the physician must obey their request. If the physician is against the act, they may refuse to agree with the patient. This is an ethical dilemma because the physician feels that the patient did not make the correct choice. The healthcare reform takes care of such issues by allowing the physician to refer the patient to another colleague who can handle the matter.

The healthcare sector is a business that has moral issues. These issues should not affect the running of the business or the employees in the sector. The healthcare sector aims at improving the lives of patients, but it is also a business that requires profits for effectiveness. The institutions should make enough money to take care of medical expenses, which the government does not provide. Some of the moral issues arise because the institution has to make profits and take care of its patients at the same time. Whine a patient demands for extra care, the physician will provide the service to increase profits. All businesses including hospitals have a corporate responsibility (Shaw and Barry, 2013). They hospitals have to ensure that the patients respect their staff, the government requires taxes form the business, the local authorities also require the hospital to follow the rules and obey the law, the patients demand quality service and the community also requires the business to give back to them by funding other valuable projects. Justice and economic distribution are vital aspects in the healthcare sector.

Impact on Medical Imaging Procedures

The healthcare reform has a significant impact on the medical imaging procedures. The imaging volume, the cost of the exams to the system and the ability to put up with the extra volume are the main perspectives that help to quantify the impact. The reform gives a number of uninsured people some degree of medical coverage. This means that there will be an increase in the number of new exams driven to imaging. The previous act did not allow the uninsured to get medical imaging services. The patients used their money to get these services. Patients can also demand the services they require from the physician. This gives them the right to demand for imaging services to ensure that the doctor understands their problem. This also leads to increased volumes in the medical imaging department. The reform also ensures that healthcare is affordable. This has increased the bracket of those who can afford medical imaging. The management of these immense numbers requires various institutions to make drastic changes in terms of technology and the capacity involved. The immense numbers require an institution to increase the staff members to enhance the services. The hours of service will also increase to handle the immense volumes within the required time. The institutions also require immense technology to provide efficient services. The new volume also demands for an increase in the salaries of all the parties involved in the process. This will also lead to an increase in other medical sectors for the institution to make profits. It may also decrease the quality of the procedures. As mentioned earlier, the healthcare sector is a business that also needs to make profits. The individuals who offer this service may have to ignore some of the processes to cater for the massive volumes in the medical imaging centers.

Patients have the right to make choices concerning their medication. Patients may demand for imaging services to ensure that they get quality service. This process alters the imaging procedures because the demand may be unnecessary. The patient may have to book an appointment to get the service. This will take up time needed for necessary imaging services. The healthcare reform also impacts the medical imaging procedures because when a physician suggest unnecessary imaging to impress the customer.

There are positive impacts on the medical imaging procedures. The healthcare reform will increase competition because all physicians the patients who require imaging get quality services to maintain the name of the institution. The competition will lead to installation of excellent equipment and vast technology to improve the quality of the image. Physicians will make accurate decisions that will enhance the patient’s health. The imaging services are essential because they help the physician to examine the inner organs of their patients. The reports given by radiologists will help determine the most appropriate medication.

How Regulation of Dose Monitoring May Affect Patient Care and Treatment Options in Business

Radiation dose monitoring is essential because it reduces human errors, protects system abuse and saves the time of the radiologists and technologists. It also reduces expenditure caused by inappropriate exams. Radiation dose monitoring determines the accumulated dose of the patient. This information is vital because it gives the radiologists adequate information concerning the most effective technology for examination. Referring physicians require the information from these activities to make proper referrals. The system also alerts the radiologists when the radiation dose goes beyond defined thresholds (Baim and Grossman, 2005). It also enhances preventive treatment in cases where the patient receives high radiation dose. The system also improves management of protocol. Protocols have an effect on the radiation dose and image quality. It also ensures that radiologists follow policies and procedures to maintain low patient doses. They also help physicians to determine whether the risks involved in imaging examinations outweigh the benefits (National Research Council and National Academies Press, 2012). Post procedure information provides medical physicists to make dose estimates for patients such as expectant mothers and those with skin erythema due to extensive fluoroscopy examinations. A collection of these data is essential for reviewing radiation dose related strategies. It can also help to understand health impacts of radiation exposure, and the most effective management and measurements.

The healthcare reform has an impact on medical imaging procedure such as dose monitoring. Many people believe that radiation dose monitoring is harmful to their health, so they may refuse to go through the process. This will reduce chances of improving the health of the individuals. Radiologists and other staff members may have a hectic time trying to figure out the most appropriate diagnosis for patients. Regulation of dose monitoring may also lead to poor image quality because the radiologists may not have permission to carry out some of the procedures. Regulation of dose monitoring may also lead to inadequate research materials needed for reducing the effects of dose monitoring. Dose monitoring is a procedure that requires regular research to eliminate all the risks involved. Referring physicians also require such information for credible referrals. Regulation of dose monitoring may affect the reports given to other physicians because they may not have the ability to determine the amount of radiation a patient received. Regulation of dose monitoring may lead to provision of ineffective dose estimates that may affect pregnant women. Regulation of dose monitoring will give patients reason to refuse such procedures. Radiologists may not adhere to the procedures required to keep the doses of the patients low. This is a health risk to the patients because extreme exposure may lead to destruction of internal organs. This may also worsen the condition of the patient. For pregnant women, extensive exposure may lead to the death of their unborn children.

Conclusion

Healthcare reform aims at ensuring that all citizens have access to quality medical care. Many Americans could not access medical care because they had no insurance cover. Physicians also gave inadequate care to the patients because they wanted to make more money. Such aspects called for reforms in the medical sector. The healthcare sector has values and principles that enhance governance. There are cases when ethical issues arise because physicians have to follow the professional ethics in their field and at the same time respect the rights of their patients. Patients have natural rights, so physicians should not violate any of them. There are cases when the physician has to go against the rules for the benefit of the society. When a physician deals with a criminal, they have to give the medical reports of the criminal to the police. They also have to provide the reports of cases such as underage abortion to the parents of the minor. The physicians may also go against the will of their patients to save their lives. The physicians should not discriminate against any patient. They should treat all their patients equally regardless of class, gender or race. The healthcare sector is a business, so they also strive to make profits. They also have corporate goals, which are vital for the progress of any business. The healthcare sector also makes contributions to the society. It can only do so when it makes enough profits. The employees in the sector also require attention because without them, the business will not exist. All this aspects call for morality in the sector. The principles and the values are the key factors that help the healthcare sector to fulfill its corporate responsibility. Medical imaging procedures are also essential in the healthcare sector, so the regulation of dose monitoring has an immense impact on the activities involved in improving the lives of patients. Dose monitoring systems alert the radiologists when the radiation goes beyond. This is significant because it will help the physician to act immediately before the process causes damages. The healthcare reform may have some flaws but at the end of the day, it improves the quality of service in the medical department. The reform reduces the number of deaths caused by lack of proper medical care because it advocates for quality services to a vast population of the American citizens.

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