Policy Provisions That Raise Ethical Dilemma in Coordination of Care

Many healthcare policies cause healthcare dilemmas during care coordination. One such policy is the ACA, and this policy presents healthcare professionals with ethical dilemmas. There have been many debates concerning this act. The main purpose of ACA was to ensure that all Americans are insured and can access healthcare services.  However, this act has raised income tax and punished individuals who have not purchased insurance (Courtemanche et al., 2017). The success of this act thus has a significant ethical disparity since it raises income tax and punishes individuals who have not paid for insurance. Individuals have a right to decide, and the principle of autonomy should be obeyed.

The second act is HIPAA. This act requires healthcare providers to request authorization before sharing protected health information related to mental health. However, patients in nursing homes may be mentally incapacitated and require a third party to authorize their protected health information. The primary role of HIPAA was to safeguard patient privacy and confidentiality, which is critical in healthcare (Cohen & Mello, 2018). The involvement of third parties may lead to a breach in the safety and privacy of patient information, which is the foundation of HIPAA.

Effect of Nurses’ Code of Ethics on Care Coordination.

The American Nurses Association has a Code of Ethics that guides nurses in providing quality healthcare services to their patients (Fowler, 2015). The provisions of this Code of Ethics are related to care coordination. The second provision requires nurses to respect human dignity (Fowler, 2015). This will help nurses to respect individuals when offering care to them. During care coordination, nurses must respect the dignity of the elderly in nursing homes. The fifth provision discusses the duty of nurses to self and others (Fowler, 2015). Nurses should offer healthcare services in a way that they would love to be offered to them. They must thus be central in care coordination and advance the quality of healthcare services by accomplishing their duties to themselves and others. Care coordination should be done to achieve healthcare provision as a duty to self and others. The eighth provision protects patients from manipulation or being denied healthcare services (Fowler, 2015). Nurses should avail healthcare services to all patients without fear or favour. This provision ensures that nurses are not biased when offering care to patients. This provision ensures that, during coordination, all individuals receive quality care regardless of their race or inclinations.

Social Determinants

Healthy People 2020 ensures the delivery of healthcare services in a conducive healthcare environment that meets the set standards. Social determinants are significant factors that can promote the achievement of the objectives of Healthy People 2020. Social determinants include economic stability, health and healthcare,  education, neighbourhood and built environment, and social and community context (Healthy People.gov, 2021). In nursing homes, nurses must collaborate with other healthcare professionals to address the unique needs of their residents. These social determinants will also affect care coordination since care must be individualized.

Conclusion

Healthcare policies and ethics are critical in the provision of quality healthcare services. They enhance care coordination and care continuum in nursing homes. Nurses should be guided by healthcare policies to ensure they provide quality healthcare services. The policies include HIPAA, ACA, Medicare, and Medicaid. ANA Code of Ethics guides nurses during care coordination. The SDH in Healthy People should also be considered in care coordination. Thank you for being part of this presentation.

References

Chinitz, D. (2019). The more health policies change, the more they change in the same way. Israel Journal of Health Policy Research, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13584-019-0308-6