Health & Healthcare: Understanding the Role of Culture, Values, Socioeconomic & More - Essay Sample

Health is one fundamental component that is affected by numerous factors. Ideally, it is determined by the culture, values, socioeconomic, spirituality, and ethical considerations. Ideally, these factors affect the client’s health as well as healthcare delivery within the hospital. Firstly, the role of culture on the client’s health and healthcare delivery is enormous. Culture affects the perception, health, illnesses, death, and beliefs that are related to diseases. It also affects the approaches of treatment, health promotion, and how they should get treatment. This factor greatly influences both health professionals and patients (Fatima et al. 2018).

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For example, treating and nursing a Jewish patient may have a big impact on his or her health as well as the ability of the practitioner to deliver the care effectively. While the Kosher diet form an integral component of the Jewish culture, the kosher food offered in the hospitals are standard and thus unable to meet special and patient-specific diet requirement or restrictions. In any case, the patient needs dietary restrictions such as the salt-free, gluten-free, or diabetic-free food components. The overall process may become less complicated. This leads to the development of the cultural biasness within different healthcare system may result in distinct health-related preferences and perception (Fatima et al. 2018). It is critical to note that being aware of such skills can help health professionals to develop appropriate skills and competence towards improving care delivery. It also enables them to ask about various beliefs of care specifically and to integrate the new awareness into diagnosis and treatment plan.

Ethical considerations have also been critical in impacting the client’s health and health delivery. Studies have shown that ethics within healthcare is vital because both workers and patients must recognize the healthcare dilemmas that prevail in the system (Fatima et al. 2018). Ethical considerations enable the nurses to make good judgments and decisions based on the values attached to them, while at the same time keeping within the laws that protect them. To practice within integrity in this field, it is evident that health professionals must follow regulations and guidance within the profession. It implies that the patients will always be the primary concern. As such, the nurses must recognize the need or the patient to include their thoughts and right. Any conflict of interest that exists between the nurses’ actions and patient’s rights may greatly affect the effective delivery of healthcare. Additionally, the patient’s need for autonomy may need many times, conflict with the available guidelines or suggestions that healthcare professionals believe is the best. The patients have the right to refuse medications, treatment, operation, or even some medical intervention regardless of what benefit may come.

The influence of spirituality on the patient’s health and healthcare delivery is tremendous. Some studies have shown that spiritual individuals tend to present a positive outlook as well as a better quality of life (De la Porte, 2016). For example, studies have found that patients with advanced cancers were found to seek comfort from their spiritual and religious beliefs. Such belief enhanced treatment intervention and reduced pain. Additionally, spiritual commitment plays a critical role in surgery and recovery (De la Porte, 2016). Thus, the majority of those who depended on religion anticipated better health outcomes as it lowered the amount of stress and psychological disturbance that come with diseases and treatment plans.

References

De la Porte, A. (2016). Spirituality and healthcare: Towards holistic people-centered healthcare in South Africa. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 72(4), 1-9. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/hts/article/view/142360/132097

Fatima, T., Malik, S. A., & Shabbir, A. (2018). Hospital healthcare service quality, patient satisfaction and loyalty. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-02-2017-0031