HRM FPX 5401 Assessment 1

The Foundation of Law and Ethics in Healthcare

This lecture seeks to establish the law rules and ethics that are the foundation of human resource practice in Vila Health. The lecture provides an overview of the real impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) on our company. By locating the legal, ethical, and regulatory healthcare environment, this presentation seeks to give HR professionals basic competencies to resolve difficult moral dilemmas, as the SHRM Body of Competency Knowledge commands. This model recognizes the basic function HR professionals play in offering essential ethical decisions in complex situations (SHRM, 2018). The new human resource staff would, in this instance, be made aware of the ethical and legal standards that direct human resource practices in their hiring companies.

Delivery of healthcare is shaped by a number of determinants, including systems of payment, industry structure, and regulatory environments. The regulatory environment sets standards, moderates prices, and safeguards patient rights, while the industry structure is made up of a range of stakeholders, including technology suppliers, pharmaceutical companies, insurance firms, private practitioners, and hospitals. This structure may lead to poorer quality care, higher prices, and reduced competition.

Payer structures like private pay and public financing schemes like Medicare and Medicaid influence the supply of care, coverage, and charge level. Mechanisms for payers may develop disparity of quality care dependent on income or workforce status. With an aim to address these issues, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was passed into law in 2010 to expand access to health coverage, reduce medical costs, and enhance the delivery of quality health care. ACA is a regulatory framework that strives to address systemic issues by increasing coverage and striving to contain costs. These elements join together to form the setting of healthcare delivery.

HRM FPX 5401 Assessment 1:Objectives of the PPACA

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a comprehensive healthcare reform plan. The bill, which was proposed in March 2010, sought to attain three main goals (ASPA, 2022):

• Affordable Health Insurance: Low-income families that earn up to 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) can pay for health coverage, which is accessible to individuals with incomes up to four times the FPL.
• Medicaid Expansion: Although Medicaid expansion is available to states, not all states provide access to this program to adults with incomes in a certain range, which has been established at 138% of the FPL.
• Cost Reduction: ACA supports medical interventions that help reduce the overall health expenditure (ASPA, 2022).

Ethical Considerations in Healthcare Policies

Healthcare systems are faced with a number of ethical dilemmas. Ethical theories, based on Pozgar (2020), help in organizing people’s thoughts regarding life and action and provide a moral framework of evaluation and principled decision-making. The points to follow will explore highly controversial ethical theories when implemented in the ACA:

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act can be considered from various ethical theories, each of which offers diverse information about its ethical integrity. Some of the most critical viewpoints are

• Utilitarianism: The theory maintains that the best action is one that brings the most happiness or satisfaction on the whole. The ACA provisions, such as reducing the uninsured population of America and promoting greater accessibility of healthcare, subscribe to the principle of utilitarianism.
• Deontological Ethics: Particularly Kantian ethics emphasizes justice, equality, and conformity to human rights.
• Rawlsian Justice: John Rawls proposed this theory with the intention to organize social and economic inequalities for the benefit of the worst-off people of society. ACA can be judged on the basis of whether it has promoted poor communities’ health and economic well-being through expansion of Medicaid and subsidies for affordable health coverage.
• Virtue Ethics: This theory is committed to the development of good character and moral virtues such as compassion, empathy, and justice.
• Social Contract Theory: This theory, put forth by philosophers Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, holds that the validity of laws and policies should be based on the assumed consent of individuals in society.
• Principlism: It is most commonly used in biomedical ethics and has four main principles: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. All the theories outline different facets of the effect that the ACA has on society and assist in determining whether it is morally and ethically right in improving health equity and population well-being.

Future of Public Healthcare in the U.S.

The future of public healthcare in the U.S. will be determined by regulatory changes, technological innovation, and the evolving needs of society. The primary driving forces of its future are

• Regulatory Adaptations: Regulatory adaptations will attempt to improve cost-effectiveness, patient outcomes, and responsibility.
• Technological Advances: Advances such as telemedicine, artificial intelligence, and electronic health records will be an integral part of rewriting the delivery of healthcare.
• Preventive Care Priority: Emphasis on prevention, like screening and immunization on a continuing basis, will reduce the prevalence of disease and health care spending.
• Redressing Health Disparities: Redressing the social determinants of health, such as income, education, and housing, will take priority.
• Financial Viability: New payment terms and community participation will be needed to make the system available, effective, and economically viable.

The Importance of Communication in Healthcare HR

Healthcare is a dynamic, multidimensional profession that demands effective communication. The profession has a multifaceted image with regulatory needs, employee issues, and the need to deliver quality patient outcomes. This topic raises the significance of communication to be afforded a more crucial role by health care HR practitioners, and they must devote their entire attention to it since they handle and coordinate several people and entities in an entity. By inserting these elements, HR practitioners may best articulate their objectives in an entity. The healthcare HR communication approach is diversified towards employees, administration, patients, and external groups. Communication is an essential tool in conflict handling, worker relations, and training and development activities.

The Impact of Effective Communication

Effective communication significantly assists in the success of an organization as well as patient satisfaction, especially in an industry that is highly vulnerable to negative consequences in the event of errors. Confusion in healthcare, specifically among individuals with varied professional and educational backgrounds, is paramount to the prevention of mistakes during patient care as it is for regulatory compliance. Good communication expectations and feedback are significant for employees’ performance and development, as they enable good communication. The tone and style of communication also matter; being adaptable in tone and style to accommodate the likes and dislikes and the situation of the audience is crucial for effective HR management. Offering evidence of best practices of effective communication elsewhere or referencing similar studies can influence stakeholders to see the advantages of new policies.

Evidence-Based Communication

Evidence-based communication is required to enable informed decision-making and rationalization of healthcare actions, especially when decisions may have a long-term impact. Professional communication demands organizational norms to be adhered to. In patient-centered organizations, HR communications need to emphasize values of empathy, teamwork, and continuous improvement. Repetitive messages create harmony among teams and allow employees to move in accordance with organizational objectives. Written communication also needs to be professional and error-free by HR staff.

Requirements entail the use of authoritative sources, correct citations, and a systematic way of presenting information. HR staff within the healthcare industry tend to present complicated information, including modifications to health laws or new technology. Staying current with academic writing standards ensures the information presented is accurate, informative, and in line. This is especially significant when presenting information to healthcare professionals who need evidence-based information on which to base decisions. HR professionals can be trained to improve their communication skills, which will enable them to communicate with patients and colleagues effectively.

Challenges in Healthcare Communication

In spite of the significance of communication, HR staff in healthcare encounter a range of challenges. These include diversity management within the workforce, enhancing crisis communication, and regulatory compliance requirements. Effective communication is the key to building a positive organizational culture where employees are valued and understood. Good communication also reduces risks, ensures compliance, and safeguards the organization’s reputation. HR professionals working in the healthcare industry need to express a clear sense of purpose, use proper language and tone, offer evidence, and follow organizational, professional, or scholarly writing conventions. Organizational culture, employee morale, and patient care quality affect communication success.

The Role of the ACA in Healthcare Communication

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or ACA, has significantly changed the delivery of healthcare in America. By expanding health insurance coverage, enhancing the quality of care, and slowing healthcare costs, the ACA addresses some of the most significant issues in the healthcare system. Evaluating the ACA based on various theories of ethics highlights more about the ethical significance and values of the ACA. In the future, public healthcare in the United States will be shaped by numerous factors, including political, economic, and technological progress. As HR professionals in the healthcare sector, it is essential to clearly articulate these complex issues and contribute to continued efforts to enhance healthcare delivery and outcomes.

Conclusion

As a whole, successful communication is among the skills of HR practitioners working in the healthcare industry. Not only does it contribute to an excellent organizational culture, but also patient satisfaction and staff motivation. Provided they are devoted to evidence-based practice, professionalism, and clarity, HR practitioners can manage the intricacy of health care communication and be at the forefront of enhancing the overall quality of care. References