HCS430 University of Phoenix Standards of Care Discussion Response

Read and respond to at least two of your classmates’ discussion posts. Be constructive and professional with your thoughts, feedback, or suggestions.

175 words each response

1.Standards of care are there to help as a moral compass for health care organizations and all health care professionals. Having a set of standards help prevent unethical decisions and behaviors that can potentially hurt and give improper care to the patients. And more importantly, standards create an environment of accountability for all actions being taken on and are responsible for; especially when legal actions are being taken or being audited (Emanuel and Emanuel, 1996). Like I have mentioned, it serves as a moral compass therefore it centers towards the way health care organizations and professionals treat their patients with quality of care and with the outmost of integrity. It allows for patients to feel comfortable knowing that health care organizations and their employees have a set guideline that their privacy is of importance and they are given care with dignity. A good example of this is the use of end of life care, certain patients and their families have certain rituals or values, and respecting their wishes is a good example of giving them the dignity of dying.

In my opinion, as we progress with new advances in health care from new disease discoveries to new technologies, standards need to be aligned with the changes and growth as well.

2.Regulation plays a major role in the health care industry by protecting and regulating public health at every level. Health care standards and regulations are necessary to ensure compliance by monitoring facilities and practitioners, which provides safe health care to all who access the health care system. Some of the regulatory agencies we have are the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), which provides government-subsidized medical coverage through programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Another agency is the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which performs research focusing on improving the quality of health care, patient safety, medical errors, and reducing costs. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO)’s focus is ensuring health care organizations are providing quality care. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) focuses on the quality of managed care plans. In addition to these agencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversee all other areas of public health regulations.

I think the standards are adequate because they’re all a result of something happening. HIPAA is a result of patient’s rights and personal health information not being protected. Because we’ve had unsafe drugs, cosmetics, and dietary supplements, we have the FDA to control and monitor the safety and effectiveness of these items. I think these laws and regulations are in our best interest.