Policy Connections Comprehensive Essay Example

Policy Connections Comprehensive Essay Example

The success of any state is dependent on the health of its citizens. This reason precedes the need for an interconnected and multisectoral collaboration among stakeholders involved in healthcare delivery in the private and public domains. This collaboration is guided by policies and legislation established by the government and other related health governing bodies within all local, regional, and nationwide levels. In the US, policies and legislations are crucial in guiding the provision of a universal, accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare service. This essay discusses the relationship between health policy and legislation, regulations, finance, and practice.(Policy Connections Comprehensive Essay Example)

The primary purpose of healthcare policies and regulations is to establish consistency in day-to-day operations in the healthcare environment, including relationships with external stakeholders (Sultz & Young, 2014). Furthermore, regulations and laws are essential in offering guidance in mitigating healthcare practice problems and practices that influence patient health and safety, including compliance with the regulatory standards and relevant legal provisions. Particular to this is the financial providers and insurance companies. This means that any breakdown in policies, legislation, regulations and healthcare finance has a significant effect on the entire nation’s clinical practices and health status.(Policy Connections Comprehensive Essay Example)

Create a visual representation of the relationship between health policy and legislation, regulation, finance, and practice 

Show Dependencies and Interrelation

Law and policy are among the most effective tools to improve health. Legal or regulatory interventions, such as advanced directives and the affordable care act, have resulted in many of the most significant public health victories in the United States. Policies and legislations are conceived following a clinical gap in practice as outlines by clinical outcomes such as patient satisfaction on a specific healthcare service (See Table 1). For policies and legislation to be implemented, financial input is necessary to establish a standardized clinical environment and resources. Equally, policies and legislation are implemented according to institutional regulations, as enshrined in their values.(Policy Connections Comprehensive Essay Example)

Analyze How Each Aspect Is Connected To the Others

Table 2

Policies and legislation provide a framework for healthcare operations by any healthcare provider. They are intended to guarantee the welfare and safety of consumers of healthcare services (Sultz & Young, 2014). Primarily, political institutions and healthcare regulating bodies establish policies and legislation. For instance, the health (HHS) department provides the policies and legislation that guides healthcare providers to standardize clinical practice for all daily operations in a healthcare setting (See Table 2). Regulations provide stepwise frameworks in which decisions regarding clinical situations and specific healthcare activities are to be done consistently (NRCCHIA, 2011). Regulations are often dependent on an institution’s mission, vision, and values.(Policy Connections Comprehensive Essay Example)

For these policies and legislations to be conceived, established, and implemented, there has to be financial input from the government and regulating bodies and healthcare providers themselves. Financial input is used to establish standardized clinical structures and facilities, acquire, train and retain competent medical staff, and run daily clinical operations (Sultz & Young, 2014). The primary function of finance in healthcare organizations is to prepare for, procure, and utilize resources to optimize the organization’s efficiency. Specific tasks such as planning and budgeting precede clinical and nursing tasks, healthcare output (See Table 2). Adequate healthcare financing for present activities and strategic planning is crucial for quality healthcare provision and patient satisfaction.(Policy Connections Comprehensive Essay Example)

Policies, legislation, and regulations guide routine practice in healthcare settings. On the other hand, financial input plays a crucial role in supporting routine practice by purchasing and maintaining clinical resources (Sultz & Young, 2014). All aspects of hospital operations are regulated by legislation, including the health and safety of health and social care workers, patients, and other non-clinical employees. Another example of this interdependence is the policy banning alcohol and tobacco during practice, depending on the actual practice. In this case, a physician’s responsibility to show up at work sober to provide quality care.(Policy Connections Comprehensive Essay Example)

Interconnected Relationships

The federal and local governments enact legislation that governs the operations of healthcare services. A crucial example from my practice is the effect of the government’s emergency medical treatment and labor act (ENTALA), which guarantees public access to emergency services notwithstanding a patient’s medical coverage limit or ability to pay the medical bills after that (CMC, 2021). Such policies protect the integrity of healthcare services and the quality of service delivery. (Policy Connections Comprehensive Essay Example)

In my case, a family friend was hospitalized in the same hospital I practiced for reconstructive surgery on her foot and ankles following an accident. Despite the inadequate healthcare insurance for that case, the hospital carried out the operation successfully. In this case, the hospital relied on the government’s ENTALA legislation and the financial provision for patients treated under ENTALA to carry out routine emergency practice despite limited financial input. In the end, the patient received the best available medical intervention and are satisfied.(Policy Connections Comprehensive Essay Example)

References

Centre for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMC). (2021). Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA). Retrieved 24 April 2021, from https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EMTALA

National Research Council (US) Committee on Health Impact Assessment (NRCCHIA). (2011). Why We Need Health-Informed Policies and Decision-Making. In Improving Health in the United States: The Role of Health Impact Assessment. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK83538/

Sultz, H., & Young, K. (2014). Health care in the USA. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. http://samples.jbpub.com/9781284029888/FrontMatter.pdf