Are issues of ethical concern regulated and assessed adequately in the U.S. healthcare system?

Solution Preview

Consideration of ethical issues is an essential component of providing care within the health care system. Continuous changes in the health care system, in areas such as technology, and changes in values contribute to these ethical dilemmas. Health care, including nursing care, is usually provided within the context of a multidisciplinary health care team. The health care tea is an interdisciplinary group of individuals who are either directly or indirectly involved in a client's care. Depending on the setting, the composition of the team will vary. The team includes the client or substitute decision-maker, and the client's family and/or significant other(s).

The external influences shape the systems of health services delivery, and in any country the basic characters of the healthcare system are influenced by the external social and physical environments. The forces include the social values and cultures - and these are influences on healthcare delivery; the characteristics of the population - the demographics, what the healthcare needs are, social morbidity problems such as AIDS, injury, murder, et cetera; physical environment. There are also ethological issues in the physical environment and technological development.

Issues of ethical concern are NOT regulated and assessed adequately in the U.S. healthcare-
? There is no central agency, which governs the system.

? There is no statement of what the health policy is. For example, in many countries there is a national health program. In US there is no access to healthcare but it is selectively based on insurance, as opposed to other countries, many of whom - not all - have universal access to available care primarily because they have a one-payer or a national health system.

? In US, the delivery of healthcare is under imperfect market conditions. Essentially the delivery of healthcare is mostly ...