Chapter 10: Impact of Health Policy on Care Delivery

NUR 436; Comm in Population Health; MCUSON; Dr. Hall

_____ and _____ have a large impact on nursing and health

government; policy

_____ is a settled course of action to be followed by a government or institution to obtain a desired end.

policy

_____ _____ is described as all governmental activities, direct or indirect, that influence the lives of all citizens.

public policy

_____ _____, in contrast, is a set course of action to obtain a desired health outcome for an individual, family, group, community, or society.

health policy

_____ is the art of influencing others to accept a specific course of action. Therefore, political activities are used to arrive at a course of action (the policy).

politics

_____ is a system of privileges and processes by which people solve problems based on a set of established rules; it is intended to minimize the use of force. Figure 10.1 on page 213.  Illustration of How a Bill becomes Law.

law

what is this branch

•President, cabinet, various administrative and regulatory departments, and agencies

•U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

•Suggests, administers, and regulates policy

executive

what is this branch

•Senate and House of Representatives

legislative

what is this branch

•System of federal, state, and local courts guided by opinions of the Supreme Court

•Stewart Machine Co. v. Davis

•First case to challenge federally created health programs

•Supreme Court determined that such federal governmental action was within the powers of Congress to promote the general welfare.

judicial

what power allows states to act to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their citizens. Such police power must be used fairly, and the state must show that it has a compelling interest in taking actions, especially actions that might infringe on individual rights.

police power

_____ immunity is the one instance in which the law mandates that a health professional breach client confidentiality to protect someone who may be in a helpless or vulnerable population.

civil

what services are these

•Federal, state, and local governments provide direct health services to certain individuals and groups.

direct

what is this

•Governments pay for some health care services and for some training of some health personnel and for biomedical and health care research.

•Current percent of the health care services bill paid by the government is 36%

financing

what is this

•All branches and levels of government collect, analyze, and disseminate data about health care and the health status of the citizens.

•Example: Annual Report Health: United States

information

what is this

•Chief governmental function

•Governments at all levels and within all branches make policy decisions about health care.

policy setting

what is this

•The U.S. Constitution gives the federal government the authority to provide for the protection of the public’s health.

•This function is carried out in numerous venues, such as by regulating air and water quality and protecting the borders from the influx of diseases by controlling food, drugs, and animal transportation, to name a few.

public protection

***The USDHHS is the agency that is most heavily involved in the health and welfare of U.S. citizens.

***When speaking to legislators or government officials, identify yourself as a nurse and share personal knowledge of the issue.