Effects of the Policy on the Oral Health program in my State
The policies brought about will benefit the people of my state immensely. Many have had to go through great pain and long healing processes due to a lack of proper policies in the past. With new policies, there will be a significant improvement in oral health. The residents will now be able to receive solutions for health issues way before they even fall sick. The policy will enable early detection of symptoms of ill-health and address them promptly (Longest, 2004). Being able to detect a medical condition early and taking the initial step to contain it has tremendous financial, social and psychological benefits. Concerning the economic benefits, residents will save on the cost of medication. The reason for this is that with early detection of illnesses, the overall expenditure on treatment will be reduced significantly. People will have more quality time to spend with family and friends. With reduced healing time, they can fully participate in social work and other activities that can help build a more cohesive and happy society (Longest, 2010). With a decrease in illnesses due to efficient policies, there will be psychological wellbeing of the general population of my state. Residents will be in a better state of mind to handle various challenges that may face them.
My Policy Recommendations
The state has a good number of able dentists and other oral health officers that are capable of handling the large population in my state. They have the ability to afford their patients quality care. The state’s department needs to get more involved in the welfare of the patients within its borders and those who opt to receive their medication from within the county. The patients from other counties who come into my county for medical assistance should not be locked out because each person has the right to seek treatment from their place and facility of choice. Dentists have to acknowledge the fact that Section 1 of the ADA code spells out the patient’s autonomy and as such, their freedom of choice plays an overriding role in any situation (Longest, 2010). I would suggest that dentists try their best at all times to ensure that they familiarize themselves with all revised and updated policies affecting their handling of duties. They should recognize that failure on their part to provide any patient with the kind of care they are seeking amounts to abandonment. Such a situation is bound to raise ethical concerns. A dentist should at all times report to the relevant patient the state of their dental health as required under their oral health reform policy. In ensuring that dentists adhere to the guideline of the new policy brief, it is paramount that it be made a requirement for all patients to request for a report on their oral health from their respective dentists. I will draw a proposal on how to achieve the suggestions and Marshall up support from my fellow congressmen to get the numbers needed to incorporate them into law.
Effect of the Oral Health Program
The Texas oral health program has resulted in an improvement in the quality of oral health care. The general health of individuals, their life expectancy and quality of life they lead has improved significantly. The need for costly emergency services has fallen as a result. There has also been a decrease in medications and visits to health facilities. This reduction has led to great savings on health-related expenditure by both the state of Texas and the residents living in the Texas region. When a single part of the body gets infected, the infection tends to spread to other parts of the body, bringing about the need for other forms of treatment (Welie, 2006). The decrease in demand for other health services can be attributed to the Texas oral health project.
Another benefit of the program has been an improvement in the economic status of the Texas residents. With decreased medical cost, more Texas residents have experienced an increase in their disposable income. Money that was initially spent footing huge medical bills is now increasingly being put to good use. Children would have otherwise been out of school due to lack of fees resulting from high medical costs that their parents have to deal with (Longest, 2010). With good health, workers have become more productive at work due to less suffering from pain arising from illnesses. Adults can now spend more time at work, increasing their income and being able to meet more of their financial needs than was the case before. The health program has also made it convenient for any Texan in need of dental services to access them through the idea of dental homes. Each resident of Texas has a pre-assigned dental facility that helps in tracking their oral health. New initiatives under the program have given dentists an incentive to work in areas that were initially underserved, ensuring treatment of underserved populations.
Learning Objectives
For a much better outcome, I would advocate for policies that help institute strategies that are aggressive in nature. The implementation of a policy that promotes education and awareness on the importance of ensuring better oral health services that even much of the older population can quickly access is necessary. The best policy will be one that actively engages all the stakeholders. It should promote a sense of shared responsibility among allied health professionals, schools, parents, policymakers, dentists and community-based organizations. Given the magnitude of the task involved in maintaining efficient access to oral health services, it would be unwise to attempt to leave the work to a single group to tackle it on its own (Welie, 2006). Decisive action is necessary now rather than later as the dental health of each Texan resident is crucial in achieving any meaningful progress in the state.
The main objective of my proposed policy would be to have a Texas that is healthy. I desire a situation whereby all the residents reap the benefits of a great and efficient oral health. Such kind of health needs to be a key part of overall health. Through my campaigns, I hope to get more Texans to acknowledge and appreciate the link existing between their oral health and the state’s overall health. My mission will be to use my leadership abilities to promote oral health through policy development, education, public health policies, and preventive services that are population based. The best policies according to me would be those that have an impact on the largest number of people as opposed to those that benefit just a specific group of people
References
Longest, B. B. (2004). Managing health programs and projects. San Francisco, US: Jossey-Bass.
Longest, B. B. (2010). Health policymaking in the United States. Chicago, US: Health Administration Press.
Welie, J. (2006). Justice in oral health care: Ethical and educational perspectives. Milwaukee, Wis: Marquette University Press.