HIM1-3 Issue Related to Accessibility

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Health Science

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Apr 3, 2024

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HIM 1 Topic 3 Assignment For this week's assignment, find one recent (within 3 months) health news article, blog, journal article that discusses an issue related to ONE of the principles of the Canada Health Act (comprehensiveness, universality, portability, accessibility, public administration). In  your own words  (300-500 words ), summarize the issue, its impact on the health system, and How this relates to the HIM profession. Make sure to identify the website address (copy/paste URL) so that I can review it. ANSWER The Accessibility principle of the Canada Health Act has been discussed and debated since its introduction in 1984. This principle ensures that all Canadians have “reasonable access” to medically necessary hospital and physician services regardless of their financial status or geographic location. In 2023, accessibility continues to be a significant issue, particularly regarding the availability of medical services for specific procedures. Several Factors contribute to long wait times for medical treatments in Canada. One of the primary factors is the shortage of healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and specialists—secondly, the need for more hospital beds and operating. Lastly, funding constraints can also contribute to long wait times. As the population ages and healthcare needs increase, public funds may strain, leading to wait times longer. Research conducted by the Fraser Institute (2022), "Specialist physicians surveyed reports a median waiting time of 27.4 weeks between referral from a general practitioner and receipt of treatment—longer than the wait of 25.6 weeks reported in 2021. This year's wait time is the longest wait time recorded in this survey's history and is 195% longer than in 1993 when it was just 9.3 weeks"  (Moir & Barua, 2022, para 2).   The long wait times for medical treatments bring significant and detrimental impacts to the Canadian health system and Canadian health outcomes, including Cancelled or delayed procedures and appointments, Progression of diseases, Loss of income, Worsening health outcomes, Economic Impacts, and Mental health Impacts. Moreover, Patients waiting for medical treatments may experience pain, discomfort, and anxiety, affecting their ability to work, socialize, and participate in daily activities and, in worst cases, disability or death.  To address the long wait times for medical treatments and uphold the accessibility principle of the CHA, several solutions can be implemented. One potential solution is to increase the number of healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and specialists. Secondly, advancing technology and telemedicine can improve access to healthcare services in rural and remote areas. Another potential solution is to increase the capacity of hospitals and healthcare facilities. This
can be achieved through increased funding for healthcare infrastructure and the adoption of innovative approaches to healthcare delivery. According to a news release on Feb 07, 2023, "the Honourable Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and his provincial and territorial counterparts met to work together on improving Canada's health care system . At the working meeting with premiers, the federal government announced it would increase health funding to provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over ten years, including $46.2 billion in new funding"  (Federal Government, 2023, para 3) . "These investments will support those actions so that people have timely access to family health services, fewer people waiting for treatments, diagnoses, and surgeries, and more mental health and substance use services nationwide " (Duclos, 2023, quote 3).  Quick Facts related to the Prime Minister of Canada's announcement on Feb 07, 2023, "the Government of Canada will provide $505 million over five years to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, Canada Health Info way, and federal data partners to work with provinces and territories on developing new health data indicators and to support the creation of a Centre of Excellence on health workforce data and underpin efforts to use data to improve health care"  ( Government of Canada, 2023) . To succeed in healthcare information management (HIM), it is essential to have an intimate familiarity with the complexities and details of the Accessibility principle outlined in the Canadian Health Act. HIM professionals are responsible for managing and maintaining patient health information and ensuring that other healthcare team members have access to it; they need to make educated choices on patient care. The long wait times for medical treatments impact the health information management (HIM) profession and can create a backlog of records, which can, in turn, delay data entry and analysis. Furthermore, HIM professionals can work with healthcare organizations to implement strategies to reduce wait times, such as increasing the number of healthcare providers and using technology.        
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