The Most Effective Ways That Can Be Used to Allocate Limited Health Resources - Term Paper Example

Allocation of Scarce Health Resources Student’s Name Institution Cover Page ……………………………………………………………………………….. 1 Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………………… 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………………… 3 1.1 Background Information ……………………………………………………………. 3 1.2 Scope of the Report …………………………………………………………………... 4 2.0 FACTORS AFFECTING ALLOCATION OF SCARCE HEALTH RESOURCES……………………………………………………………………………. 4 2.1 Equity ………………………………………………………………………………… 5 2.2 Need …………………………………………………………………………………… 5 2.3 Ability to Pay …………………………………………………………………………. 5 2.4 Contribution ………………………………………………………………………….. 6 2.5 Patient Effort and Merit …………………………………………………………….. 6 3.0 HEALTHCARE RESOURCES ALLOCATION METHODS …………………… 6 3.1 The Social Service Model Approach ……………………………………………….. 6 3.2 The Hippocratic Model ……………………………………………………………… 7 3.3 The Business Model ………………………………………………………………….. 8 4.0 CONCLUSION ………………………………………………………………………. 9 5.0 REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………………… 10 1. INTRODUCTION The problem of allocation of limited resources is a common issue in health care as much as it is in other fields. Health resources are always scarce and their allocation greatly affects the delivery of health care services to those who need them. Health care resources are limited starting from the health professionals to the facilities themselves. Since not everyone can become a health care professional, the number of such practitioners is limited, whether the care is delivered in the private or public setting. Other factors that cause the scarcity is the limitation in the number of organs that can be donated, facilities that can be constructed, the amount of blood that can be donated, and the number of instruments that can be produced at a time. Consequently, the aim of this report is to discuss some of the most effective methods of allocating limited health resources. 1.1 Background Information When there is a shortage of essential resources and their demand exceeds their supply, allocating them becomes a tricky affair. In such a dilemma, the people concerned with doing the allocation need to consider the nature of the resources before beginning the allocation process (Boylan, 2013). When the resources are considered as commodities, then the allocation needs to be based on economic considerations. The leading factor in such a case is the ability of clients to pay. The method used to allocate commodity goods should take into consideration the economic survival of the company issuing such goods. On the other hand, when resources are perceived as social goods, the process of allocating them should be based on the competing rights of the people who need them (Weitz, 2010). In the past days, the problem of allocation of limited health care resources has been addressed through application of a combination of approaches that unfortunately do not allow the concerned parties to effectively balance competing duties and rights with healthcare outcomes and expenses. According to research, the mixed approach has never yielded the desired outcomes, as the allocation has always been unfair and ineffective. For that reason, the best allocation strategies are ones that can be used across the entire health care field to provide desired and consistent results (Skolnik, 2012). There are three methods known for their effectiveness in enabling the fair allocation of the scare health care resources. The three methods are the social service model, the Hippocratic model, and the business model. The methods ensure that resources are allocated to people who need them most. This is in line with health care ethics, which require that limited medical resources be first given to individuals who need them most (Kluge, 2008). 1.2 Scope of the Report The aim of this essay is to discuss the most effective ways that can be used to allocate limited health resources. The essay discusses three allocation methods, including the social service, Hippocratic and business models. The essay first explains the factors one should consider when allocating scarce health resources, before discussing the methods that can be used to do that. Lastly, the essay provides a conclusion that summarizes the major points outlined in the paper. 2.0 FACTORS AFFECTING ALLOCATION OF SCARCE HEALTH RESOURCES There are five major factors that need to be considered when allocating limited health resources. These factors play a significant role in the allocation process, especially when fairness is to be achieved. The factors include equity, need, ability to pay, contribution, and patient effort and merit. 2.1 Equity Equity requires that the limited health resources be distributed equally within the country. Although this factor seems useful and effective, it is rarely considered during the allocation of scarce medical resources, since it does not adhere to health care ethics (Denton, 2013). It is argued that it is unethical to take significant amounts of limited health resources to regions where people least need them, while denying those who really do a chance to access them. For that reason, the need factor is normally given the first priority (Fry, Veatch, & Taylor, 2010). 2.2 Need The need concept is the leading factor to consider when undertaking the allocation of limited health resources despite the fact that different people regard it differently. However, if the allocation process was exclusively based on individual needs alone, the scarce health resources would be depleted without achieving the required results (Ballweg, 2013). For that reason, medical needs are supposed to be determined by health professionals who understand the medical requirements of each individual (Berman, Hsiao, Reich, & Roberts, 2008). 2.3 Ability to Pay The ability of the patient to pay is also a major factor to consider when distributing scarce health resources. Although health care ethics demand that the need factor be considered first, inability of a patient to pay for medical services may overrule their medical requirements in some occasions (Tingle & Cribb, 2013). Providing resources to people who cannot pay for them may lead to their depletion. This is why it is advisable to also consider one’s ability to pay to ensure the continuity of health care operations (Stuckler & Siegel, 2011). 2.4 Contribution The contribution factor refers to the value that an individual is expected to give back to society later after they are provided with the health resources they need. As regards the factor, it is advisable to give preference to a youthful person when a dilemma arises where a youth and an elderly person face similar health risks. However, this condition is only given consideration if the need factor is not so pressing (Harper, 2012). 2.5 Patient Effort and Merit Patient effort refers to the determination and willingness of a patient to follow through with the treatment procedures. Patient effort may also refer to an individual’s contribution towards ensuring the success of development and continuity of health care facilities in their region (Benjamin & Curtis, 2010). It would not make sense to direct a lot of scarce resources to regions where people do not work hard to protect them. However, in cases where the need is urgent, the patient effort factor may be overlooked (Altevogt et al., 2009). 3.0 HEALTHCARE RESOURCES ALLOCATION METHODS 3.1 The Social Service Model Approach The social service model approach considers health care as a social enterprise whose main purpose is to improve the well-being of every member of the society. The model distinguishes health care from other social undertakings as an initiative that mainly focuses on the health status of community members (Jesus, 2012). This implies that health care, in addition to promoting physician-patient relations, should encourage health professionals to find ways of advancing the welfare of every member of the society (Kottow, 2012). This approach considers health professionals as society agents, who are responsible for proper delivery of health care to the society. In fact, this explains why the society accords physicians certain respect and privileges. The society feels that it is only the physicians who can perform surgeries, prescribe drugs, undertake treatments, organize health-related programs in the society, and any other health care related initiatives (McDonald, 2010). In such a case, the physician-patient relations need to be complemented with other factors to ensure that health care delivery is improved among all members of the society (Gehlert & Browne, 2012). When health care delivery is based on the social service model, the allocation of limited health resources takes a specific direction. The approach promotes both physician-patient relations and the perception of health care as a social service profession. The approach assists in achieving and maintaining an appropriate balance in competing health needs. The approach also enables health care professionals and other stakeholders to treat patient needs in relation to their social embedding, while observing health care ethics at the same time. The allocation criterion reinforces the health delivery norm that states that an allocation is only done in the best way if it produces enormous benefits to the highest number of people (Kluge, 2008). 3.2 The Hippocratic Model The approach of Hippocratic model requires the allocation of healthcare resources be done while considering medical profession as a commitment to the Hippocratic Oath. The oath requires physicians to visit people’s homes with the sole intention of treating the sick. The oath also requires physicians to always act in the best interest of their patients when delivering health care services to them. The provisions of the oath are in line with the codes of ethics of most medical associations (Stauch, 2013). Based on the Hippocratic approach, the allocation of scarce health resources should be mainly based on the physician-patient relations. The approach promotes a fiduciary relationship between the patient and their physicians, by this means ensuring that the only duty of the latter is to take care of the needs of the former (Bower & Waxman, 2010). This implies that while providing health care to patients under limited health resources, physicians need to give the first priority to the interests of the patients; the interests of other society members should come afterwards. Consequently, any other need, including the need to balance rights, is not considered under this allocation approach (Danbury, 2010). The Hippocratic approach reinforces the nature and purpose of health care by requiring medical professionals not to consider allocation issues as elements of competition. This implies that the allocation of scarce health resources cannot be perceived as a concept of balancing the competing rights of patients. The approach gives power to physicians to ensure that the limited health resources are allocated in such a way that they meet the interests of the patients and add value to their overall good (Kavaler & Alexander, 2013). According to the Hippocratic approach, scarcity of resources should not bear an allocation challenge, but a problem of acquisition. Under this approach, the problems of a physician and the need for a fair and equitable distribution do not influence allocation; allocation is driven by the need to acquire the resources to help physicians fulfill their duty of taking care of patients. Consequently, the main factors that need to be considered under this model, is the patient’s need for the resources and their ability to pay for them (Kluge, 2008). 3.3 The Business Model The approach affects both health care delivery and the allocation of limited medical resources. The approach does not consider health care delivery as a health-oriented profession or a kind of fiduciary undertaking, but as a type of profit-making economic activity (Flessa, 2009). The business model urges that physicians should be perceived as entrepreneurs who have the necessary qualifications and legal requirements to carry out business-related occupations. The model asserts that members of the society should support health care delivery and look at it as a business initiative because they receive physicians’ services and pay for them (Tobin, 2012). The business model maintains that the allocation of limited health resources should be done on the basis of contract law since all businesses are supposed to be conducted according to the regulation. In that case, allocation under this approach is supposed to overlook ethical and other considerations that are not enforceable by the law (Burns, 2012). The model asserts that the need of the patient can only qualify to become a rights claim only if it can be stipulated under contractual domain. For that reason, the allocation of health resources, whether scarce or in abundant supply, should exclusively be done based on the patient’s ability to pay for them. The approach asserts that people with the ability to pay for health resources should be given the first priority to access and use them (Kluge, 2008). 4.0 CONCLUSION The matter of allocation of scarce health resources is a serious issue in health care and continues to disturb medical professionals and other stakeholders. The scarcity of health resources is caused by the inadequacy of factors such as professionals, facilities, organs, and other medical items that cannot be produced in amounts equal to their demand. Effective methods for allocating the scarce resources ensure that they achieve their intended goals. The most commonly used methods for effective allocation are the business model, the social service approach, and the Hippocratic method. However, these methods are applied in the allocation of scarce health resources by considering factors, such as the patient’s ability to pay, one’s medical needs or requirements, and patient contribution. 5.0 REFERENCES Altevogt, B. M., Stroud, C., Hanson, S. L., Hanfling, D., & Gostin, L. O. (2009). Guidance for establishing crisis standards of care for use in disaster situations: A later report. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Ballweg, R. (2013). Physician assistant: A guide to clinical practice. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier. Benjamin, M., & Curtis, J. (2010). Ethics in nursing: Cases, principles, and reasoning. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Berman, P., Hsiao, W., Reich, M. R., & Roberts, M. J. (2008). Getting health reform right: A guide to improving performance and equity. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Bower, M., & Waxman, J. (2010). Lecture notes/ontology. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. Boylan, M. (2013). Medical ethics. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. Burns, L. R. (2012). The business of health care innovation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Danbury, C. (2010). Law and ethics in intensive care. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Denton, B. T. (2013). Handbook of health care operations management: Methods and applications. New York, NY: Springer. Flessa, S. (2009). Costing of health care services in developing countries: A prerequisite for affordability, sustainability and efficiency. New York, NY: Lang. Fry, S. T., Veatch, R. M., & Taylor, C. R. (2010). Case studies in nursing ethics. New York, NY: Jones and Bartlett Publisher. Gehlert, S., & Browne, T. A. (2012). Handbook of health social work. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons. Harper, M. (2012). General practice at a glance. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Jesus, J. (2012). Ethical problems in emergency medicine: A discussion-based review. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell. Kavaler, F., & Alexander, R. S. (2013). Risk management in healthcare institutions: Limiting liability and enhancing care. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning. Kluge, E. W. (2008). Resource allocation in health care: Implications of models of medicine as a profession. Medscape General Medicine, 9(1), 57. Kottow, M. (2012). From justice to protection: A proposal for public health bioethics. New York, NY: Springer. McDonald, A. (2010). Social work with older people. Malden, MA: Polity. Skolnik, R. L. (2012). Global health 101. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning. Stauch, M. (2013). Text, cases and materials on medical law and ethics. New York, NY: Routledge. Stuckler, D., & Siegel, K. (2011). Sick societies: Responding to the global challenge of chronic disease. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Tingle, J., & Cribb, A. (2013). Nursing law and ethics. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. Tobin, J. (2012). The right to health in international law. Oxford: OUP Oxford. Weitz, R. (2010). The sociology of health, illness, and health care: A critical approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub. Read More