Financing of Healthcare Services
Financial decisions in healthcare can significantly impact the quality of treatment with which an establishment can provide its patients. Therefore, funding plays a prominent role in the level of services. Both preventive care and healthcare services treatment are crucially important areas of care. While illness healthcare deals with already existing conditions, preventive care supports one’s well-being and ensures that a person does not have any illnesses in the first place. Both types of healthcare services should receive an equal amount of financing because of their significance to people’s health. Preventive healthcare is extremely important as it allows individuals to avoid additional spending for disease or illness treatment. By giving people an opportunity to maintain their well-being, preventive health care services also influence the health of the general population. Therefore, preventive services are a vital part of healthcare and should be financed at the same level as illness healthcare.
Many elements of healthcare services can affect one’s well-being. Regular health examinations and evaluations are one of them. For instance, the speed at which any illness can be prevented can greatly change the overall health of one individual and a population as a whole. Sufficient funding allocated for preventive healthcare organizations can provide nurses and other medical workers with the necessary equipment and resources for maintaining people’s well-being. Sándor et al. (2016) state that health-promoting activities and routine health evaluations can positively impact public health and change the rates of various illnesses. Moreover, the disadvantaged parts of the population can also benefit from preventive care more than from the treatment of diseases because it often requires less expensive interventions and procedures. Thus, preventive health care services should receive funding to reduce the rates of illnesses and contribute to the health of the population.
Patient Advocacy in Nursing
Nurses’ work directly impacts patients and their health. Therefore, patient advocacy makes them one of the most influential factors in patient care quality. However, nurses can also encounter some risks that can occur because of their position. First of all, the effectiveness of nurses performing the role of advocates can affect their emotional stability and mental health. According to Davoodvand, Abbaszadeh, and Ahmadi (2016), nurses can feel frustrated, hopeless, or angry because of their involvement with the well-being of many individuals. By placing patients first, nurses may experience burnout and detachment from their work. Advocacy usually implies that employees put the needs of their clients above their personal ones. Therefore, nurses, who emphasize the rights of their patients, may undermine their own well-being. Furthermore, nursing advocates can also feel detached from their peers due to concentration on patient’s satisfaction. Davoodvand et al. (2016) note that nurses may leave the profession if they feel as though they cannot adequately perform the role of a patient advocate.
While there seem to be many risks connected to being a patient advocate, one can find different benefits to it as well. Nurses who act as patient representatives can contribute to the decision-making process, share their experiences with other nurses, and create policies that improve public health. Moreover, their mental health can also be positively influenced by their activities, as nursing advocates may feel appreciated and respected in the community. The quality of patient advocacy can directly affect the level of care provided. Nurses who center on patients’ needs can foster a stronger connection with their clients and create lasting relationships that contribute to patients’ compliance with treatment and their overall readiness to follow instructions.
References
Davoodvand, S., Abbaszadeh, A., & Ahmadi, F. (2016). Patient advocacy from the clinical nurses’ viewpoint: A qualitative study. Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine, 9, 5.
Sándor, J., Kósa, K., Papp, M., Fürjes, G., Kőrösi, L., Jakovljevic, M., & Ádány, R. (2016). Capitation-based financing hampers the provision of preventive services in primary health care. Frontiers in Public Health, 4, 200.