Patient’s Bill Of Rights

The health of the population is a fundamental issue that should be given priority by the government. It is imperative to formulate comprehensive measures that will ensure all the citizens access quality health care services. The primary objective of the patient’s bill of rights is to foster the standard of health systems in a country. Citizens are supposed to have faith in their health system. Its primary objective should be to cater to for the health needs o the people. There should be strong policies to ensure the people make their health a priority. The citizens and the health providers have a fundamental relationship, and there should be a cordial relationship between the parties. It is imperative for all the stakeholders in the health sectors to understand their responsibilities regarding the provision of quality healthcare. The research paper focuses on the issues outlined in the patient’s bill of rights and their importance in the provision of quality health care services.

The patients should be given comprehensive information concerning their treatment. Physicians should be aware of their mandate in disclosing all the necessary information to their clients in the course of providing their services. When a patient visits a health facility, the physician should take adequate time in explaining to them the ailment affecting their health and the available treatment alternatives. The client should make informed decisions by understanding all the pertinent issues. The healthcare practitioners have the professional duty to protect the patient’s information and seek their permission before sharing such information (Dheensa, Fenwick & Lucassen, 2016). There are instances where there can be language barriers where the patient does not understand the physician’s language. In such a case, there should be a translator to enhance communication between the parties. People should be given the opportunity to select a health facility to visit when having health problems. Multiple facilities provide health services to the people. However, nobody should be compelled on the where to seek medical services.

The patient should authorize the treatment plan. However, there are instances where the immediate family of the mentally unstable ailing patients can make healthy decisions. The diseases attack people abruptly and can never be planned. Therefore, the bill stipulates provisions that guarantee the people right to seek emergency medical help. When an individual gets seriously sick, the health provider’s primary objective should be to ensure the person is out of danger without considering other issues such as financial capability. The health institutions should be held accountable where life is lost because of the inability to get the desired medical treatment. It is unethical to provide a health service to the patient without requesting their approval. The patients are bestowed with specific rights that guide their expectations while in the health facilities.

The health organizations and practitioners should not discriminate against any of their clients. Besides, the patient’s information should be protected. The patients deserve quality care regardless of their ethnicity. The citizens fulfil their mandate of paying taxes to the government that is not based on racial perspective. It is stipulated in the patient’s bill of rights that the patients should be treated with respect when they attend the health facilities (Henry, Rushton, Beach & Faden, 2015). The physicians should consider various factors such as the cultural and religious perspectives of the patients when formulating treatment strategies. All people deserve to be treated with dignity. Patients should also be accorded the necessary respect in the course of seeking medical services. It is essential for the clients to disclose all the relevant information to aid in diagnosis and the formulation of the treatment measures. The confidentiality clause was enacted as an ethical issue to encourage the patient’s in revealing all the vital details that are important in their treatment. The discussion between the physicians and the patients should be conducted in a private room where there is no infringement on the patient’s privacy. The medical history of the patients should contain facts and accurate information. It is essential for the health providers to adjust the records if it does not tally with the patient’s information.

The responsible authorities should urgently address the patient’s grievances. Numerous errors occur in hospitals because of the physician’s negligence. It is the mandate of the health provides to provide quality services to the patients. The clients undergo different stages in the health facilities in their treatment process. There are various specialists such as the nurses, doctors and the pharmacists. The patient bill of rights stipulates the mandates of both the patients and the health practitioners in ensuring there is enabling environment in the health facility (Sheikhtaheri, Jabali, & Dehaghi, 2016). Failure to observe the fundamental standards can have dire consequences. These parties should coordinate well in ensuring the sick get the best care. It is vital to take the necessary measure when the health practitioners are found responsible for the injury or death of the patients.

Health facilities should be adequately stocked with the necessary types of equipment that aid in the delivery of services. There is a significant increase in assault cases against health practitioners in the workplace. The patient’s bill of right outlines the policies the guides the physicians against such vices (Aivazi, Menati, Tavan, Navkhasi, & Mehrdadi, 2017).The patients have a fundamental role to play in facilitating their recovery. Much effort has been placed on the physicians as the primary determinant of the quality of care. However, the patients are essential to the improvement of the services. Adherence to the stipulated treatment procedures and payment for the services are significant roles of the patients that affect the health organizations operations.

The health sector is one of the fundamental components of society. Significant resources should be invested in ensuring the health facilities are adequately equipped with the necessary pieces of equipment. The patient’s bill of rights is one of the critical legislation that guarantees society access to quality and affordable healthcare. The people are entitled to all the medical information in the course of their treatment. It is unethical and illegal for health practitioners to keep medical details away from the patients. The patient’s data should be kept confidential and not disclosed to the unauthorised parties. Health organization should not discriminate against any of the patients seeking their services. All the people deserve to be given equal treatment regardless of their ethnic orientation. The cultural practices of the people should be considered in the formulation of treatment methods. The mental well being of patients is essential in their recovery. Respect should also exist between the physicians and the patients. In instances where an emergency occurs, the people affected are entitled to urgent help from the health facilities to stabilize their condition without consideration of other issues. It is imperative to address all the patients’ grievances in the bid to improve the quality of services. Medical errors can occur in hospitals because of the physician’s fault or accident. It is important to determine the factors that led to such occurrences. The patients also have a role to play in ensuring there get the necessary help to recover from their various ailments. The patient’s bill of rights is vital in guiding all the relevant stakeholders in fostering the quality of health care services.

 

 

References

Aivazi, A. A., Menati, W., Tavan, H., Navkhasi, S., & Mehrdadi, A. (2017). Patients’ bill of rights and effective factors of workplace violence against female nurses on duty at ilam educational hospitals. Journal of Injury and Violence Research, 9(1), 1-6

Dheensa, S., Fenwick, A., & Lucassen, A. (2016). ‘Is this knowledge mine and nobody else’s? I don’t feel that.’ patient views about consent, confidentiality and information-sharing in genetic medicine. Journal of Medical Ethics, 42(3), 174. doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy.yc.edu/10.1136/medethics-2015-102781

Henry, L. M., Rushton, C., Beach, M. C., & Faden, R. (2015). Respect and dignity: A conceptual model for patients in the intensive care unit.Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics, 5(1), 10-5A,6A,7A,8A,9A,10A,11A,12A,13A,14A

Sheikhtaheri, A., Jabali, M. S., & Dehaghi, Z. H. (2016). Nurses’ knowledge and performance of the patients’ bill of rights. Nursing Ethics, 23(8), 866-876. doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy.yc.edu/10.1177/0969733015584967