Vulnerable Population in the Rehabilitation Hospital - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... It is closely identified with spinal cord injury patients with spinal lesions above the T6 (6th thoracic vertebral) spinal cord level. It is a result of reaction the involuntary nervous system to overstimulation. It can be treated with anti-hypertensive and removal of the triggering stimuli. The condition can at most times be managed successfully (Lynne C. Weaver, Canio Polosa, 12). Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation is an acute medical and rehabilitation hospital. It is designed to provide an optimal environment to regain physical and cognitive function and reclaim the ability to live again. It has specialized physicians in physical medicine and rehabilitation, specialists therapists, and nurses. Here, spinal cord injury patients are given closely monitored attention until full recovery. It provides these victims with the opportunity to maximize their medical recovery and rehabilitation potential efficiently through dignity and self-esteem as they strive to enhance the dignity and quality of life of every patient. (Casa Colina Hospital for Rehabilitative Medicine Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program, 2) There are barriers to decreasing health disparity in every vulnerable population naturally and this is not different in the case of spinal cord injury patients in Casa Colina at the risk of the AD. The most evident barriers are physician actions and attitudes. This was well documented in the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report “To Err is Human” by Kohn L.T Corrigan J.M., Donaldson M.S. It highlighted the problem of medical errors in the U.S. hospitals, focusing its attention on reducing error rates. It estimated that between 44,000 to 98,000 people pass on each year due to medical errors. From the report, too often errors go unreported due to the stigma such events would carry. Naturally, house officers will jitter towards confronting their errors and instead try to cover them up hence creating a bigger problem. In the report by Wu and colleagues, only 54% of the house officers interviewed in an anonymous questionnaire had discussed a mistake with their attending physician. Only a meager 24% had told patients and family (Kohn L. T. et al, 4). With this in mind, there are definitely instances where mistakes have been swept under the carpet in Casa Colina leading to the AD. Medical officers of all levels at Casa Colina have high expectations for themselves and are well trained hence it is not surprising to find that it is difficult for them to acknowledge their errors openly. There are other numerous factors that lead to hospital staff failing to report their mistakes and errors. Legal concerns are among reasons why physician attitudes and actions are barriers decreasing the health disparity in spinal cord cases hence risking AD. ...Download file to see next pagesRead More