Healthcare Reform Impacts
Right to Reply: Using Patient Complaints and Testimonials to Improve Performance in the NHS
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Louise Dalingwater
A number of different methods are currently in place within the British National Health Service (NHS) which actively encourage patients to judge the provision of health by sharing their experiences of care and treatment, completing surveys, etc. Testimonials are also a way of evaluating the provision of health care and are posted regularly on NHS websites (Patient Opinion, NHS Choices, etc.) and also on special care and charity websites. Providing an outlet for patients to complain can be a useful way of ensuring not only that individual rights to quality health care are respected but also of increasing awareness of safety-related problems within health organisations, or various problems relating to health care delivery. However, such information and other data on user experiences are not currently well aggregated or used to drive improvements in health care provision. So while the right to reply and using patients’ experiences and/or complaints might be a way to improve care, this paper underlines a number of difficulties in collating and effectively using such information. It uses a case study of the Mid-Staffordshire Hospital Trust negligent care scandal of the period 2005 to 2008 to illustrate why a patient-led approach to monitoring care provision is essential but difficult to implement in practice.
The Purna Health Management System: Fostering Inclusive Health and Wellbeing for All
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Emily Schulz
The Purna Health Management System (PHMS) is an integrated, inclusive holistic system for health management, based on perennial, ancient Vedic philosophy, developed by Professor, Dr. Sri Svami Purna Maharaj, that provides a preventive health routine as a way of life. The PHMS is for everyone; uses as a framework four stages of life which occur approximately every 25 years, and addresses four key factors: health, fitness and nutrition; life balance (stress management); spiritual growth and development; and living in harmony with the natural environment. This study used an anonymous online survey examining implementation of the PHMS and participants’ self-reported physical health, mental/emotional health, ability to manage stress, and wellbeing. Spearman’s ρ Correlation Coefficients were used to test hypotheses for relationships between the frequency of implementation of the four key factors of the PHMS, recommended activities, and outcomes of physical health, mental/emotional health, overall stress level, ability to manage stress, and perceived well-being. Forty-one out of 100 potential participants completed the survey. Participants who reported frequently implementing the PHMS reported positive outcomes in physical health, mental/emotional health, ability to manage stress, and overall stress. Participants who reported implementing more recommended activities reported increased wellbeing from the key factors of life balance (stress management) and spiritual growth and development. These findings suggest that the PHMS may be supportive of inclusive health and wellbeing in those who implement it, especially when used regularly. Additional research is needed to determine ways the PHMS can be used to promote inclusive health, wellbeing, and stress management.
Promoting Positive Healthy Behaviors in Schools by Linking Health Education Standards to Social Emotional Learning Core Competencies
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session A. Kuulei Serna, Deborah K. Zuercher
The National Health Education Standards (NHES) were developed to establish, promote and support health-enhancing behaviors for students in all grade levels—from pre-Kindergarten through grade 12. The NHES standards address students’ abilities to comprehend health; analyze influences on health behaviors; access valid health information, products and services; use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health; use decision-making skills to enhance health; use goal-setting skills to enhance health; practice health-enhancing behaviors; advocate for personal, family, community health. Concurrent to the development of the NHES (1991-1995), Social Emotional Learning (SEL) was introduced as a framework that addresses the needs of young people in response to coordinate the inundation of youth development programs in schools. These SEL core competencies enhance students’ capacities to integrate skills and attitudes, which better equip them to deal effectively with everyday tasks and challenges. These competencies are Self-Awareness; Self-Management; Social Awareness; Relationship skills; and Responsible Decision-Making. This paper will crosswalk the NHES and SEL Core Competencies to advocate that schools promote both frameworks and provide opportunities for their students to learn and practice behaviors that enhance student health (physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual). This paper will also present how these frameworks are taught in teacher education course work to promote the use of NHES and SEL Core competencies among pre-service teachers in their field and clinical experiences.
Revising Inter-professional Relationships in Medical Practices: The Nigeria Perspective
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Susan Otti Agha
Inter-professional relationship in medical practice among the respective professionals in one of the most important elements of Medicare. A good inter-professional relationship resonates loudly and positively in favor of a healthy workplace environment for enhanced patients' satisfaction. Substantial studies have been carried out on the interpersonal relationship between medical professionals and patients/clients. However, not much study has been done on the inter-professional relationship among medical professionals in medical practice. Evidence has shown very high positive and healthy results in an atmosphere of effective interprofessional relationship. as a results patients/clients' satisfaction, staff commitment, compliance with therapeutic regimens, plan, appointments, proper diagnosis, saving time cost are guaranteed. in Nigeria, there is a perceived outstanding disharmony among stakeholders in the health sector. This disharmony has bred poor collaborative practice, teams spirit and teamwork in health care delivery. Ethics of the profession has consequently continued to whittle down, to the disadvantages of the patient population, often to fatal consequences. This work will, therefore, ascertain the interprofessional relationship among professionals in medical practice in Nigeria. It will identify the sources and areas of conflict between various professionals and will propose and recommend a change in order to improve and the health care system forward.
