When the Diagnoses Becomes Unaffordable

 

The latest advancements in the medical field have allowed for the early diagnosis of several illnesses including cancer, osteoporosis, degenerative diseases, and autoimmune disorders.

However, on the other hand, most of the latest diagnostic tools are expensive making them unaffordable for a large number of patients across the world.

This creates ethical challenges for healthcare practitioners including physicians and nurses.

Physicians and nurses need to act as advocates of access for patients who are apprehensive of receiving proper medical attention including diagnosis and treatment due to the lack of income or insurance coverage.

The primary responsibility of ensuring the availability of diagnostic tools and treatmentsto all patients at cost-effective prices lies with the government and healthcare authorities. Yet, physicians and nurses need to be ethically responsible to ensure the patients are not deprived of medical care due to unaffordable costs.

It is also common for nurses to experience stress while dealing with patients who have financial constraints that prevent them from undergoing all the tests recommended by the doctors. In most cases, patients want to know whether alternative methods of diagnosis are available when they are advised advanced diagnostic tests like CT scans or MRIthat involve higher expenses.

In such cases, it poses ethical challenges for nurses to establish communication between the patient and the doctor allowing them to discuss their concerns and seek cost-effective alternatives.

Nurses also have to direct the patient to the concerned support providers who can facilitate the process of Medicare claims and reimbursements, when possible. They can also educate the patients and their families about the importance of having a proper Medicare plan in place. This is expected to help patients avoid financial constraints imposed due to higher healthcare expenditure during emergencies.

It is not uncommon for nurses to face similar challenges while working in hospitals or healthcare facilities. Hence, there is a need to educate them about the ethical considerations they need to follow while managing these cases. 

Now you have an opportunity to learn more about ethical challenges posed by the rising costs of diagnosis and treatments. You can attend the ‘2 NURSING CONTACT HOUR LIVE WEBINAR ON REDUCING READMISSIONS AND THE ETHICAL CHALLENGES’ on 14^th October 2020 at 6 pm to learn more about this topic.

This webinar is conducted by ATECAM LLC, an approved provider of NCPD (Nursing Continuing Professional Development) by the Nurses Association Approver Unit in the Pennsylvania State.

The contact hours awarded after attending the webinar will be good for nurses outside of Pennsylvania as well.

The purpose of this webinar is to educate nurses about the common challenges faced by them while working in hospitals and healthcare facilities. It is also focused on educating nurses about the concerns related to the high rate of hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge.

You will get an opportunity to talk to our panel of expert physicians and ask questions.

Join our webinar to learn how to overcome the challenges faced by nurses and healthcare practitioners due to hospital readmissions and ethical issues.