Contemporary Issues in Global Health - Case Study Example

Contemporary Issues in Global Health – G H 402/502 E-health technologies The advancement in information technology has increased the accessibility of health information by the various patients and healthcare givers among other stakeholders (Anastasius 58). The use mobile phones internet-enabled devices have improved the approaches of healthcare provision. There are many institutions, organizations and individuals offering free healthcare information online while others charge some fees. However, the bottom-line is there is the significant reduction in cost of providing health care information and its accessibility to various users across the globe (Anastasius 58). This document examines various ethical, economic, political and moral issues presented by e-health technologies across the globe. Issues in electronic healthcare There are various ethical concerns about e-health technologies. For instance, there is concern about accessibility and affordability of the information among different users. The e-healthcare information should be accessible to all users cost effectively (Anastasius 58). However, there is concern about the accessibility of such information considering that many people lack access to the internet which is very critical for accessing electronic resources. The cost of obtaining such information may have reduced in terms of money, but how about the quality of the services offered to the users? There are various concerns about the privacy and confidentiality of the user information. The healthcare profession requires the patients’ information to be treated with much confidentiality and should be shared with third parties only with the patient’s consent. With a use of information communication technology (ICT) in a provision of healthcare services, there is an increasing concern about the protection of user information (Anastasius 59). Furthermore, there is an issue of laws that are applicable in case in the event of breach of patient’s rights in the use of e-health services. In addition, the use of e-health services raises an issue of credibility of the information offered electronically (Anastasius 59). While professional and legal measures ensure the protection of patients’ information against unauthorized disclosure, the use of electronic health exposes patients to greater risk of loss of privacy of information. Health care providers should be morally responsible for ensuring the information they give to online users is credible and accurate while ensuring safety of users information (Anastasius 60). Healthcare has the political connotation in every nation because, in some instances, it is the role of states to ensure their citizens have access to affordable and quality healthcare. However, the use of e-health has no geographic boundaries since global users of information can gain access to any information posted online (Anastasius 61). Individual states may have no control the information sent to the online users. Furthermore, individual states may not take any credit for improvement in medical services through the help of e-health. 2. Development, Testing and Administering of Vaccines Vaccines make the significant contribution to the success of global public health. Vaccines are essential for eradicating various diseases such as smallpox, tuberculosis, measles, polio, etc. (Ashcroft et al. 819). However, vaccines administration has various controversies surrounding the way it is administered and accessibility and consent to the patient before the vaccine is administered. It is the prerogative of the government to mandate the administration of vaccines to its target citizens (Ashcroft et al. 819). Vaccines become an important issue of global concern with discussions involving development and testing of vaccines. Vaccines issues There are various conflicting priorities and motives among the stakeholders concerning procedures of development and application of vaccines (Ashcroft et al. 819). There are other issues regarding who should be included in the vaccine trials and at what point the safety of the participants is guaranteed. The accessibility of vaccines depends on the ethnic and socioeconomic background. This implies most of the people from poor background or minority races or groups are sometimes cut out of the vaccine programs and are consequently prone to various diseases that could be preventable (Ashcroft et al. 820). There is claim that the poor people are used during vaccine trial in which the uncertainty of the outcome is unknown with precision. This may expose them to unknown risk their counterparts from the wealth background may not face. Impact of the Global Health Courses The two courses have significantly influenced my views concerning global health. They give me an insight on how to ensure safety of the patients’ information safety and how to ensure accessibility of health quality information by all patients including those living in marginalized areas (Ashcroft et al. 820) The issue about vaccine development, testing and administration and has also raised my awareness about ensuring the safety of those participating in trials (Ashcroft et al. 822). Also, during an administration there is much inequality and discrimination based on economic and ethnic background. At all levels, health care practitioners should ensure safety of the participants during trials and equality for all during administration of vaccines. As one of the professional in the global health program, the courses have shaped my future by encouraging the use of approaches that improves quality and safety of information provided online. Also, it offers knowledge about the safety, accessibility and equality of users of vaccines. One of my primary career goals is to ensure safety of patients and accessibility of global health information as well as equality for all target population (Ashcroft et al. 826). This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein In her book “This Changes Everything” Naomi examines the potential danger the human being and other living things are likely to face as a result of global warming (Naomi 2). She observes that urgent measures should be put in place in to control the sudden increase in global temperatures. As she notes the issue of climate change should no longer be treated as a political issue just because it is attainable, but the stakeholders should handle it with seriousness it deserves. Naomi states that abuse of an environment and reckless living triggers various dangers that threaten the survival of human beings such as floods, fire outbreaks, droughts, etc. (8). She states that persons should focus on activities that can promote fairness and safety of the society. This involves avoiding contaminating the environment and avoidance of reckless harm that can cause early deaths. She also points out “most projections of climate change presume that the future changes – greenhouse gas emissions, temperature increases and effects such as sea level rise-will happen incrementally” (Naomi 15). The implication of this observation is that a certain amount of greenhouse gas emission will result in an increase in a given amount of global temperatures and an even incremental in sea level. However, in some instances a slight change in global temperatures may result in disruption of the entire system thus pushing it out of control. The consequences of such a situation are that the adverse effects of global warming will continue to be experienced even if there are no further emissions taking place (Naomi 16). The human activities responsible for detrimental effects on the economic hardships include natural calamities, wars, terrorist attacks, economic meltdown, etc. People respond to those economic shocks in a number of ways such as cutting the public expenditures, privatization of public institutions, reducing regulations, etc. (Naomi 19). Similarly, human beings have to respond to the global warming in order to mitigate the negative consequences it causes to the human survival. Naomi challenges the government to promote safer environment by spending the taxpayer’s money responsibly to minimize the level of greenhouse gas emissions (54). Human beings should engage in activities focused on reducing greenhouse gasses emissions in order to ensure safer environment. The market forces cannot promote more harmless economic activities because capitalists are focusing on creating wealth and will not engage in activities designed to promote the safe environment without any economic gain (Naomi 62). Unsafe environment is responsible for various health issues. Therefore, Naomi encourages human beings to improve the healthy environment by engaging in sustainable development (73). Impact on the Understanding of Global Health The author addresses the issue of global health that is the consequences of uncontrolled greenhouse gas emissions and waste disposal (Naomi 67). The emission of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere results to increase in temperature and a consequent increase in levels of sea temperatures. The erratic changes in global temperatures and sea levels cause various health problems and tropical illnesses in the long run if no mitigating measures are put in place (Naomi 89). The capitalist are partly to blame for these occurrences because they focus to create wealth indiscriminately (Naomi 113). The international organizations are helping by creating public awareness of the repercussions of uncontrolled emissions of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere and the need for promoting health awareness across the globe (Naomi 146). She encourages the use of preventive measures to mitigate adverse consequences of the global diseases. Every person has the responsibility to promote safer environment by engaging in activities that are less harmful to the environment and creating awareness about various health issues (Naomi 148). The health professional have a duty to ensure protection of personal health information, fair accessibility of information, equal and affordable preventive measures to ensure the safety of all people across the globe (Naomi 152). They should also ensure the safety of the environment and participate in creating awareness about the repercussions of indiscriminative greenhouse gas emissions to the human health. Recommendations The proposals for the e-health services are to ensure the safety of the users and equal accessibility by all stakeholders. This may include developing mobile applications for the use by those who lack access to computer programs. The public should also be well informed about the availability of e-health and how they can access such information. The governments should protect citizens against vaccine trials and ensure all citizens are treated uniformly irrespective of their ethnic or socioeconomic background. Works Cited Anastasius, Moumtzoglou, “E-Health Technologies and Improving Patient Safety: Exploring Organizational Factors” (IGI Global, 2012): 58-63. Ashcroft, Richard, E., Angus, Dawson; Draper, Heather and McMillan, John, “Principles of Health Care Ethics,” (John Wiley & Sons, 2007 819-8826. Naomi, Klein, “This Changes Everything: Capitalism Vs. The Climate.” (Washington DC: Simon and Schuster, 2014): 1-449. Read More