Question

New Question: Health care policy
what stakeholders are impacted by this policy (e.g. health care consumers, medical staff, etc.)?

Answer 1

Health care policies refers to decisions,plans and actions undertaken to achieve specific healthcare goals within a society.According to WHO (World health organisation),an explicit health care policy defines a vision for the future, it outlines the priorities and expected roles of different groups of people and builds consensus among people.

The major stakeholders affected by the healthcare policy are patients(health care consumers), physicians, employers, insurance companies, pharmaceutical firms and government.

• Health care consumers(Patients)-They have a responsibility to maintain their health through healthy lifestyle practices.  Expensive treatments are not necessarily the best, and the patient has a duty to participate with the physician in making reasonable and cost-effective choices without demanding for expensive diagnostic measures and treatment that their insurance might cover.
• Physicians-Physicians are responsible to ensure that their patients receive appropriate healthcare at a reasonable cost by avoiding unnecessary tests and treatment. A physician has an obligation of beneficence to his patient that must also take into account the patient's autonomy.
• Employers-Employers provide health insurance coverage to their employees.Reforms in health care policy directly affects the health care benefits provided to the employees.
• .Pharmaceutical firms-Pharmaceutical companies also play a key role in the healthcare system because many patients rely on their products.These companies have a moral responsibility to the society to be honest and practice fair marketing of their products at reasonable prices.
• Insurance companies-They sell health coverage plans directly to patients or indirectly through employer or governmental intermediaries.
• Government-The governmental body analyses and revises the healthcare policy based on the needs of the people and the health facilities available to them as well as the outlined budget available for healthcare. Healthcare policy is important as it sets a general plan of action to guide desired outcomes in healthcare and is a fundamental guideline to help make decisions for the delivery of safe and cost effective quality healthcare.