HSA 515 REWORDFROM PLAG

Introduction

This paper will provide a review of the compliance report based on the general conducts of the medical staff at USA Community Hospital. The validity of patients’ claims for denial of services will be investigated and a mechanism to address such claims will be also provided. The primary roles that the staff can play in upholding ethics at their work place will be provided and legal consequences for non-compliance will also be stipulated.

A Plan to Investigate the Validity of Patients’ Claims for Denial of Services

1. Identification of Allegations and Issues to be Investigated- The issues to be investigated include the allegation of denial of services to the HIV/AIDS patients. Other issues to be investigated include patient review registries, and standard procedures surrounding the ethical treatment of patients with HIV / AIDS. These follow complaints that were brought forward by the public that the professional staff at USA Community Hospital were denying HIV/AIDS patients proper treatment.

2. Investigative Strategy- The investigation will involve a request to the patients who suffered the discriminative treatment to come forward for individual interviews to help in finding out more about their allegations. The medical files of these patients will be checked to verify their claims and to identify any sign of negligence on the doctors’ part. Finally the mentioned medical personnel will also be individually interviewed and thoroughly investigated. The interview panel will be chaired by the head healthcare administrators and other members will consist of the quality assurance manager, case manager, and file coordinator.

3. Sources of Evidence- The sources of evidence will consist of any violation of applicable laws, procedures, regulations, or ethical guidelines as pertained to the hospital patient treatment regulations. Other sources of evidence will involve documentation such as notes on the patients file, patients’ lab reports, e-mail exchange between the patients and doctors, and the personal files of the involved professional staff. Witnesses and physical evidence such as video records will be used.

4. Special Considerations- This process will involve use of power as provided in the US constitution. It will also involve surprise visits to the alleged doctors’ to find out how they treat their patients. Reluctant witnesses will be identified and interviewed.

5. Required Personnel and Resources- The process will involve a wide range of personnel and resources. Experts and lawyers for the victims and the accused personnel will be required in the process. Medical Psychologist and Psychiatrist will also be invited to help identify the validity of statements from the complainants as well as the accused. Enough time, rooms, and other facilities such as remunerations for the panel members will also be considered and made available.

6. Milestones and Timelines- This whole process goal is to only take two months to get to completion and to report. The first week will entail the filing of complaints by the victims, preparation of the complainants’ interviews, and full panel selection. The second week will involve complainants’ interviews while the third week will involve sourcing for the presentable evidence. The final phase will involve interviewing the accused personnel and drafting the report of the investigation in the fourth and fifth week respectively.

The Role of Staffing Levels in Upholding Ethical Conduct

Treating Patients with Dignity- The physicians and nurses are expected to treat their patients with the highest possible level of dignity. According to the American Medical Association, (1997), patients should not be tortured or placed in emotional conditions that go beyond their personal, spiritual, or religious beliefs unless it is completely necessary and done in the interest of the saving the patient’s life.

 Making the Patients Records Available to Other Physicians- Medical staff can help in upholding ethical practices by promptly making available the medical records of their past patients to the present physicians who are currently treating the patients any time when need arises, (Stanford & Connor, 2014). This involves putting the interest of the patients above anything else to ensure that the patients get the best treatment possible.

Ethical Obligations of Medical Directors- According to the American Medical Association, (1977) medical directors have an ethical obligation to the medical field and because of that they should place the interests of their patients before business and personal interests by ensuring non-discriminative and equal treatment to any and all patients. They are also expected to apply fair and just criteria when making care related decisions.

Ensuring Confidentiality of the Patients’ Information- According to American Medical Association, physicians should not disclose the private information provided to them by their patients, (Stanford & Connor, 2014). However, in cases where the disclosed information by the patients threaten other peoples’ lives, the physician is authorized to inform the police.

Patients Information- The physicians who treat the patients should deal with them in the most honest and open way. The patients should be notified of all the important information concerning their health conditions and their actual medical status to free them of any mistaken beliefs about their conditions.

Ethical Obligation of the Nurses- The nurses must treat their patients with the utmost respect. In cases of emergency, the nurses are allowed to act in the best interest of the patient in cases where the attending physician is absent to save the patients’ lives. The physicians are obligated to listen to the concerns of the nurses about the patients and fully explain the situations to the nurses.

A Plan to Relate Legal Ramifications to HIV/AIDS Patients

This plan details the legal ramifications that the medical personnel who fail to ethically treat their patients will be subjected to. However, before the staff is subjected to the legal ramifications, the allegations will have to be investigated and identified as legal malpractice. Medical mal-practice is defined as the failure of the doctor to exercise the degree of care and skill that surgeons and physicians that belong to similar medical specialties would be expected to apply under the related circumstances, (Black, 2007).

The stages in the process will involve;

Identification of Malpractice- The first stage of the process will involve identification of the malpractice such as neglecting the HIV/AIDS patients, refusing to treat the HIV/AIDS patients, showing discrimination during the treatment process, leaking the medical information and records of the patients, and confiding information from the patients. These malpractices will be identified through complaints from the patients.

Investigation of the Claims- In order to carry out a fair trial process, the claims laid against the medical personnel will be investigated by thorough interviews, analyzing the medical reports and files of the patients, and interviewing witnesses.

Trial Process- Based on the evidence of the investigation, the complainant and the accused will be placed before the court of law for final judgment. If the accused is found guilty of unethical treatment of the patients they will face the standard legal ramifications.

Legal Ramifications

Criminal Conviction- Depending on the type of the unethical behavior committed, the medical professionals will be subjected to criminal charges when found guilty. Practices that lead to the death of the patients or cause them additional physical injuries will automatically result in criminal prosecution, (AMA, 2015).

Withdrawal of Medical License and Loss of Job- Medical staff that are found to have continuously violated the medical code of ethics of the hospital will lose their working position. Their medical licenses could be confiscated to prevent them from practicing medicine in any other hospitals in the country. The withdrawal of a medical license will consequently cause the doctors to stay out of medical practice for some-time or fully lose their jobs.

Financial Compensation- Depending on the injuries caused by the unethical treatment, the perpetrator of the crime will be obliged to pay off the victim in terms of financial compensation. This will be subject to the level of damage caused and the decisions of the court. This compensation may also be raised voluntarily so as to discourage other medical professionals from unethical practices.

Community Relations Plan

This plan is aimed at reassuring the local community that USA Community Hospital does care for their patients and has full intentions of treating those living with HIV/AIDS with the utmost respect and the required level of dignity.

Activities: The program will entail lots of communal activities that will be carried out jointly by the hospital and the community. One of the programs will be diminishing the stereotypical views of HIV/AIDS patients who might have been subjected to cruelty by the hospital personnel or the community. The victims of AIDS will form a group which will visit the hospital for the diminishing program every week. Another program will involve taking food donations for the HIV/AIDS victims, this program will ensure that people living with AIDS eat a balanced diet in order to improve their already weakened immunity or condition. The hospital will also provide free and private HIV/AIDS counseling each week. The hospital in collaboration with the able and willing community members will be visiting HIV/AIDS patients and helping them out in their homes. This will be done the first and third Friday of each month.

Activities Schedule: The food and other supplies donated to the HIV/AIDS will be taken to the patients at the end of each month. The home visits will be done on the first and third Friday of each month, except for month of December where the last visit will accommodate the holidays. The diminishing of stereotypes program will be done every Tuesday for the whole year while the free counseling will be done on every Monday and Wednesday for the whole year.

Budget Plan: The program will budget and plan for four mini buses, ten professional hospital staff, several community volunteers, ten professional counselors, $500,000 budget for initial donations, donors, and counseling facilities

Conclusion

The compliance report used was based on the general conducts of the medical staff at USA Community Hospital. The validity of patients’ claims for denial of services was investigated and addressed with 6 thorough steps The primary roles that the staff can play in upholding ethics at their work place was provided by outlining 6 of the main staffing components as well as the legal ramifications for non-compliance with HIV/AIDS patients. The Community Relations Plan proposed gave a thorough insight into planned activities that would take place weekly and monthly. Hopefully through much community action the caring reputation of USA Community Hospital will be restored to the fullest extent.