Environmental Health Essays (Examples)

Principles of Environmental Health Administration

Environmental Health Administration

The objective of this study is to examine methods of controlling agents that cause disease, communicable disease control, wastewater treatment, swimming pool guidelines, solid waste management insect and rodent control, radiation control and environmental management.

Environmental health is described as "the art and science of protecting against environmental factors that may adversely impact human health or the ecological balances essential to long-term human health and environment quality." (Gordon, nd, p.1) These factors are inclusive of yet not limited to "air, food, water contaminants, radiation, toxic chemicals, wastes, disease vectors, safety hazards, and habitat alterations." (Gordon, nd, p.1) It is reported that the terminology 'environmental health" is also inclusive of environmental protection. (Gordon, nd, paraphrased) Environmental health is described as "one of two basic components of the field of public health, the other being personal public health." (Gordon, nd, p.2) Environmental health services are reported as "…essential components of the continuum of health services, and are precursors to the efficacy of the other components of the health services continuum. Other health services include personal public health services (population-based disease prevention and health promotion), as well as health care (diagnosis, treatment, and/or rehabilitation of a patient under care on…… [Read More]

Asbestos Framework Environmental Health and

$145 Billion proposed for a federal trust fund, 600,000 lawsuits filed, 10 to 20 million people exposed in industrial settings, 30,000 to 50,000 new lawsuits filed a year and scores of bankruptcies. A single case may have thousands of plaintiffs and hundreds of defendants with a settlement value of $600,000,000.00" (Model asbestos case management order, 2005, ABA, p. 15).

Potential strengths and weaknesses, what could the group contribute or withhold: These businesses seem unsympathetic to the public, who are alarmed by the dangerous uses of asbestos in everyday life situations and are angry at companies for ignoring the risk. Industries may try to promote new safety measures to forestall likelihood of further lawsuits. These industries have tried (and failed) on numerous occasions to lobby Congress to pass laws to limit damages awarded to plaintiffs in asbestos-related suits in exchange for 'trust funds' that would give smaller compensations to victims and their family (Asbestos legislation, 2009, Asbestos news).

The linkages indicating main conflicts of interests, patterns of cooperation, dependency: While undeniably in conflict with groups wishing for greater limitations on the use of asbestos, these companies can work with regulators to create more stringent safety procedures for workers who do come…… [Read More]

Nursing Environmental Health Environmental Hazard

There is a link to order a test kit if someone were in need of one. There is also information for those who have already tested and need help in interpreting their results. There is also link to check the county where one lives to see what the radon levels are.

The next section has to do with radon test kits. This area explains what the test kits consist of and how to use them. There is a section for the typical home owner and then a section for professional testers and health departments. These are very helpful links for anyone who is looking for basic information.

The last major section of the website contains links to EPA publications about radon and links to radon training programs across the country. There is also an area that provides other links in regards to radon for professional people, students and those who are doing general research.

This site provides a lot of links so if one is not quite sure what they are really looking for this is a great place to start. It leads one in a number of different directions in order to find information about radon and its hazards.…… [Read More]

Donatelle Presentation on Chapter 15 Environmental Health

Donatelle

Presentation on Chapter 15: Environmental Health

Finding the Right Balance

In chapter 15 of her text, Health: The Basics, Donatelle offers a discussion on the implications of the natural environment to our health as individuals and as a species. The evaluation by Donatelle reveals that we share a directly reciprocal relationship with our environment and that the balance we strike in treating it with respect will have a direct consequence to our own longevity. As the reader, we are asked to examine the aspects of our lives which contribute positively to the environment and those which can negatively impact it. Consequently, we can make changes in our lifestyle choices to improve the tilt of this balance toward those activities which are environmentally neutral or beneficial. For instance, we may be inclined to conduct a cost benefit analysis of shopping for certain vegetables vs. maintaining a personal vegetable garden. While it may not be feasible to reduce our dependency altogether or grocery store supply chains and large farming operations, here we can find the right balance between this dependency and some level of healthful autonomy.

Slide 2: Creating Healthy and Caring Relationships

A recurring theme of the Donatelle text is…… [Read More]

Importance of Environmental Health Studies

Patient Exposure to Multiple Diagnostic Treatment Procedures

The objective of this study is to examine patient exposures to multiple diagnostic and/or treatment procedures.

Environmental health research is reported as the "study of the effects of the environment -- both natural and built -- on our health." (Environmental Health for Nations and Intuit, 2012, p.1) It is reported by the EU that links existing between "environmental factors and disease trends are now being discovered through numerous scientific project" and that those include the following links: (1) rates of cancer and specifically cancer in children is on the increase approximately 1% each year and linked to environmental pollutants; (2) decline in fertility rates; (3) neurodevelopment disorders increasing in children including autism and environmental exposures are believed to play a role; (4) allergies and asthma increasing by 5% a year across the continent and air pollutants are believed to be the reason for the increase; (5) Finally, it is reported that "new and emerging technologies and social challenges such as widespread and use of mobile phones and the consequences of climate change could bring new long-term health consequences that must be assumed and managed. ( p.5)

I. Diagnostic Procedures

It is reported in…… [Read More]

Effects of Regulation on Environmental Health

start of the contemporary environmentalist movement has often been posited with the publication of Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring in 1962. Carson's book was about the environmental effects from pollution due to the agricultural pesticide DDT (and several related chemicals). It was discovered that DDT stayed in the freshwater system for a long time and ultimately had a rather severe effect on wildlife: when consumed by birds, it made the shells of their eggs too fragile to be viable and ultimately decimated avian populations. Carson's title, Silent Spring, refers to the drastic decline in songbird populations as a result of DDT pollution -- the "sudden silencing of the song of birds" as she phrases it in the book (Carson 1962, 103). As a result of Carson's work, the federal government was forced to look at the issue of pollution. Previous regulation of pesticides had been focused solely on making sure that they were effective in killing insects and not fraudulent -- after 1962, regulation took a different turn, in considering environmental impact. It took ten years, however, for the Environmental Protection Agency (founded in 1970) to forbid the use of DDT entirely in 1972. Four years later, the Toxic Substances…… [Read More]

Environmental Health

Environmental Health Website Review

Environmental Health

In today's technologically complex society we are all exposed to potentially harmful agents at work, home, school, and in the great outdoors. Tracking the levels of exposure in the United States is the responsibility of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but other non-governmental organizations have been formed in response to this concern and are providing complementary information to the public. This essay examines the online information that is available concerning environmental agents that pose a risk to human health.

Federal Agencies

The CDC has been tracking the levels of 219 known or suspected toxic chemicals, or their metabolites, in the blood and urine of a cohort of American citizens, for the purpose of determining toxicity levels and potential associations with negative health outcomes (2011, National report on human exposure). The information thus gathered will be used to alter official policy, so that exposure levels are reduced and associated health risks reduced. An agency within the CDC, the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry, maintains a complementary website that provides information on toxic agents and associated diseases (2011). This site provides information on specific toxic…… [Read More]

Environmental Health Case Study or Lawsuit

Environmental Science

In the late 1970s and early 1980s after her son, James Anderson, was diagnosed with leukemia, Anne Anderson discovered that a number of other children in her neighborhood also had the disease. Concerned about what seemed like an unusually high number of leukemia cases, Anderson and other Woburn, Massachusetts families set out to find a possible source of their children's illness. In 1986, personal injury lawyer Jan Schlichtmann and his two partners filed a civil lawsuit of wrongful death and conscious suffering on behalf of Anderson and the other families against three companies with plants operating in the area. The lawsuit alleged that the companies illegally dumped waste containing the known carcinogens Trichloroethylene (TCE) and Perchloroethylene (PCE) and contaminating two of the wells that provided the city's water supplies. Bolstered by a Harvard School of Public Health study that found a link between the contaminated wells and increased instances of leukemia, Schlichtmann and his partners soon found themselves facing obstacles made by an unsympathetic and difficult judge. Furthermore, while Schlichtmann and his partners did an outstanding job, they were no match for the army of lawyers representing the defendants. The final judgement found only one of the three…… [Read More]

Health Disparities the Growing Inequalities

This is important, because utilizing technology to deliver various health care solutions will: increase collaboration, improve the underlying amounts of care and it can help to reduce costs. Once this takes place, it means that implementing various changes can be easier.

When a health care professional encounters an Asian patient in their practice, what are at least three characteristics he/she should consider in order to improve communication and cultural competence in delivering services to this patient and tell why those characteristics are important to consider.

Three characteristics that should be considered would include: family, communication and the concept of time. Family matters to Asian patients, as this is their foundation for strength and support. Communication is important, with these patients more focused on body languages and pauses (to signify substance vs. The actual words). Time will be different between the two cultures, as Asian patients will place less of an emphasis on doing something at the time they are suppose to (instead they are focused on general time frames). ("Cultural Values of Asian Patients," 2009)

Define, differentiate, and demonstrate the interrelationship between values, and culture. Next, provide insight as to how cultural factors in your life may affect your perception(s)…… [Read More]

Health & Safety Plan for

Such equipment should be adequate to ensure personnel are protected from chemical exposure to the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract. PPE may be upgraded or downgraded by the site industrial hygienist, HSM, or qualified Site Safety Officer based upon site conditions and air monitoring results (Levin, et al., 2002)

Work practice and administrative controls

Administrative controls or work practice controls are changes in work procedures such as written safety policies, rules, supervision, schedules, and training with the aim of reducing the interval, frequency, and sternness of exposure to hazardous chemicals or situations. Workers who handle hazardous chemicals in the workplace should be familiar with the administrative controls required fewer than 29 CFR 1910.1200, and the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard. This controls are perhaps most important, because they impact your people directly. On the one hand, they are the simplest, since all it takes is education. On the other hand, education about the hazards of smoking or the chance that having sex causes pregnancy hasn't done much to change behaviors in those realms which make this controls hard to implement as people need to understand them again and again.

As these controls consist of various policies and requirements that are established…… [Read More]

Health Care System Evolution Organizational

(Worcestershire Diabetes: a New model of care Stakeholder event, 2007)

The continuum of care for the diabetic patient is shown in the following illustration labeled Figure 1.

Diabetes: Continuum of Care

Source: Worcestershire Diabetes: a New model of care Stakeholder event (2007)

The continuum of care for diabetes begins at the moment that the individual is found to have diabetes and continues across the individual's health care providers and across the varying stages of progression of the disease and the age progression of the individual with Diabetes. This continuum of care should be addressed by health care providers, Medicare/Medicaid, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Changes in the workforce in developing the diabetes continuum of care is stated to have included the following: (1) Increase in number of dieticians; (2) Increase in number of diabetic specialist nurses; (3) Increase in podiatrists; (4) Education for primary care team; (5) Move DSN to primary care to take straight referrals; (6) Insulin for life training with continuous CPD support; (7) Increase capacity in general practice; (8) Psychologist input; (9) DSN provides education/advice for practices; (10) Increase confidence of G.Ps and Practice nurses to deliver care; (11) Out of hours…… [Read More]

Health Seeking Behaviors of Appalachian

15).

Furthermore, and despite its popularity as a tourist destination because of its natural beauty, the Appalachians are not a sterile environment by any means and the people who live there have higher risks for certain types of conditions than their counterparts elsewhere. According to Bauer and Growick (2003), "Americans who live in Appalachia experience unique and different ways of life than most Americans. Appalachian culture runs from the bottom half of the State of New York through the mountains of West Virginia and Southeast Ohio to the flatlands of Alabama. This area of the country offers different perspectives and challenges to life. Because of the geographical vastness and uniqueness of the Appalachian culture, many people with disabilities who live in Appalachia are unable to access rehabilitative services and agencies" (emphasis added) (p. 18).

Likewise, many rural residents throughout Appalachia may have septic tanks and will lack access to other city-provided services that their urban and suburban counterparts take for granted. These environmental threats may introduce some types of maladies that will require emergent care. In this regard, Barrett, Hackler, Highfill, Huang, Monti, and Peipins (2002) report that, "Pathogens such as Norwalk-like viruses, Campylobacter jejuni, and Ciardia lamblia have been…… [Read More]

Health System in Kuwait

Health System of Kuwait

The Managerial Functioning of Kuwait's Health Care System

General Description of the Kuwait Health System

Kuwait claims to have one of "the most comprehensive health care systems, and one of the most all-encompassing social service systems in the world" (KIO, 2003). This health care system has offered free - or nearly free - services to the entire population of Kuwait for about fifty years.

If a Kuwaiti citizen is sick, that person is cared for at no charge; if a person is in an auto accident, or needs an examination for an emerging skin irritation, health service is provided. Free health service is also extended to veterinary medical care for livestock and animals. If a sheep herder finds one of more of his animals is diseased, veterinarians will provide care for that disease. If a family dog is hit in the road and suffers broken legs, a Kuwaiti government veterinarian will provide medical service for that family's dog.

A brief history of the origins of the Kuwait health care system is germane to a thorough understanding of the issues. The very first medical clinic for men in Kuwait was built in 1911, and the first hospital…… [Read More]

Healthcare Reform Models Health Care Reform Models

Healthcare Reform Models

Health Care Reform Models

Preventive Psychiatry

Shim and colleagues (2012) argue for taking advantage of provisions within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 that emphasizes preventive and integrated care. They propose that the primary care setting is ideal for screening patients for signs of mental illness and associated risk factors. A mental health wellness program could also include coaches and other experts that interface with patients on an individual basis, including at the patient's home.

Long-Term Behavioral Health Care

Bao and colleagues (2012) examined four patient populations defined by disease severity and ability to pay, and then assessed how these four groups will fare under the behavioral health provisions in the ACA. Patients with private insurance and suffering from mild to moderate mental illness will probably receive the best care at a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). The authors suggest that the presence of comorbid conditions of sufficient severity may not received the best care in this setting because these patients often need specialized care not typically found in a primary care setting.

Health Homes are intended to serve Medicaid patients with mild to moderate mental health problems (Bao, Casalino, and Pincus, 2012). In…… [Read More]

Health and Safety the Main

The respondents also believed that premiums should be adjusted based on an organizations willingness to introduce and enforce health and safety standards.

5. Safety representatives-these representatives serve the purpose of serving notices or organizations when breaches in safety and health standards take place.

6. Occupational Health and Rehabilitation -- a significant percentage or respondents believe that there needs to be greater access to occupational health services for employees. The respondents also believed that there should be a "new focus on the provision of rehabilitation services for injured and sick workers."

7. Financial Incentives-finally the respondents believed that employees needed financial incentives to encourage cooperation as it pertains to health and safety standards.

The HSE used all of the information gathered to create new strategies for dealing with Health and Safety issues in the workplace. One of the primary trends that developed was that of enforcement. In an effort to have the capacity to enforce health and safety standards the HSE has developed a Enforcement Management Model (EMM).

According to the HSE this model serves as the foundation for inspectors as they make decisions about enforcement. These enforcement decisions have to be made in a manner that is compliance with the…… [Read More]

Environmental Justice & Executive Order

For example, unequal protection may result from land-use decisions that determine the location of residential amenities and disamenities. Unincorporated, poor, and communities of color often suffer a "triple" vulnerability of noxious facility siting." (Bullard, 1998)

Finally, 'Social Equity' is that which "assesses the role of sociological factors (race, ethnicity, class, culture, life styles, political power, etc.) on environmental decision making. Poor people and people of color often work in the most dangerous jobs, live in the most polluted neighborhoods, and their children are exposed to all kinds of environmental toxins on the playgrounds and in their homes." (Bullard, 1998)

V. EXAMINATION of CULTURAL RESOURCES

The National Preservation Institute states that the term 'cultural resource' is not defined in NEPA or even in any other Federal law and yet there are "several laws and executive orders that deal with particular kind of 'resources' that are 'cultural' in character." The following is a description of various sources and their definitions of regulations relating to cultural resources and the human's interaction with their environment.

NEPA and CEQ regulations: makes a requirement of agencies to consider the effects of their actions on all aspects of the 'human environment'.

The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)…… [Read More]

Environmental Justice Policies and Issues

Environmental Justice in the United States:

Policies, Beliefs & People/Places Involved

During the course of my college career, my interests and passions have changed, gradually evolving to an intensified mix of all that my Interdisciplinary Studies major encompasses. I began my college career seeking a Mass Communication degree; a course of study that focused primarily on community organization and mobilization. After feeling the harsh reality of advertising and public relations evils, I decided that Social Work was my calling. I felt a deep need to help others in situations where if they only had some assistance their lives could be changed for the better. However, after taking an Introduction to Environmental Issues course, I felt strongly that a change of studies was necessary. I began to formulate a study plan that included all of my previous interests and integrated a whole new section-policy and law. I was particularly interested in the politics of environmental issues and how government and society view the environment and handle problems or issues that arise. Thus, when my senior project topic was due, the obvious choice for me was to research environmental justice within the United States. The Environmental Justice Movement has elements of my…… [Read More]

Environmental Management Read Instructions File 1 Files

Environmental Management Read Instructions File #1 Files Attached

Environmental management

The Water Permitting Board

Natural gas represents an important resource within the United States and more efforts are made to create energy sustainability using the resource. Still, the creation of a Schuylkill Energy LLC power plant and gas drilling facility in Mock County is not hereby a recommended course of action.

The arguments in support of this recommendation are drawn from the specialized literature; are all objective and based on scientific facts. The dangers to gas drilling are far too significant for the population and the environment and they are real, even if only visible in the long-term.

Another problem associated with gas processing and drilling is represented by the lack of contingency plans and alternative solutions in case energy situations materialize. In such a setting then, it is recommended to focus on solar and wind energy generation, and to integrate more scientific findings in the processes involving natural gas.

Literature review

The impact of the energy industry upon the health of both humans as well as the surrounding environment has represented a common concern for the members of the academia. And sufficient evidence has been promoted to reveal the…… [Read More]

Environmental Racism the Color of

Poor peoples and poor nations in the world accept the false and harmful notion that the lack of development meant risky, low-paying jobs and pollution. The economically vulnerable and poor communities, poor states, poor nations and poor regions have succumbed to the notion. The movement demanded that no community, nation, whether rich or poor, whatever the color should be made dumping grounds for these deadly wastes. The movement also alerted the governments of these nations and regions to set up their own measures to protect the health and environment of their own people and areas (Bullard).

Citizen Action and Litigation

Many of the initial activities of the environmental justice movement were in the form of citizen action and litigation (Crossman 2005). Among them were the EPA's disparate-impact regulations, pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. These prohibited recipients of federal funding from engaging in racially discriminatory activities (Crossman).

Four Major Threats to Health

Four major environmental health hazards were identified as plaguing specifically the children in the United States (Bullard 2003). More specifically, the hazards were affecting people of color. These were lead poisoning, toxic housing, toxic schools, and the asthma epidemic (Bullard).

Reports said that…… [Read More]

Environmental Policies and Problems in

" (2007) Recommendations of this report include those as follows:

China should learn from the successes and failure of the U.S. And other developed countries in reducing the influence of energy use on air quality;

Continued dialogue and information exchange among U.S. And Chinese scientists and policy-makers should be promoted through professional organization, government support programs, and the National Academies in both countries to promote joint development of energy and pollution control strategies." (Committee on Energy Futures and Air Pollution in Urban China and the United State, Policy and Global Affairs, 2007)

Other findings of this report include the fact that "an important lesson learned is that air pollution damage imposes major economic costs, through premature mortality, increased sickness and lost productivity, as well as in decreased crops yields and economic impacts." (Committee on Energy Futures and Air Pollution in Urban China and the United State, Policy and Global Affairs, 2007) Studies conducted in the United States have shown that "emission reduction programs provide much greater benefit than their costs." (Committee on Energy Futures and Air Pollution in Urban China and the United State, Policy and Global Affairs, 2007) It is interesting to note that emission controls are generally not…… [Read More]

Environmental Stewardship Project Proposal What Is Environmental

Environmental Stewardship Project Proposal

What is Environmental Stewardship?

What are the problems?

Why do we need to be concerned about Air Pollution?

A proposed Innovative Strategy for Pollution Awareness

Today Environmental stewardship is on the rise and really needed in the community. This is because an increasing amount of people are out there making knowledgeable choices in their what they do every day, such as in the work places, and communities. These choices are considered to be good for the environment, for their finances, and for complete quality of life. By most, these actions are probably looked at as being inspiring because it shows and evidence of a developing societal commitment to environmental stewardship.

This report gives an outline of what I believe is the next step in a continuing evolution of policy objectives from pollution control to pollution sustainability and prevention. It likewise gives a reflection on the important reality -- that although the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and our state associates share responsibility for making sure that the nation's environmental progress to date could be much better. It is clear that environmental stewardship has always been part of our exceptional American experience -- there is a unique history…… [Read More]

Health Assessment of Environmental Processes Assessment of

Health Assessment of Environmental Processes

Assessment of environmental processes includes agents and factors that may cause injury, illness, or death. Choose one of the following age groups: toddler, preschool, and school-age child. List some of the most frequent causes of injuries, illness, or death at the age level. Discuss and describe safety concerns specific to the age, listing the most common causes of injury, illness (acute or chronic), trauma, and death for the age level. Describe how health promotion and health prevention interventions can be incorporated into parent and child teaching.

Among the various age cohorts which are most susceptible to the adverse health consequences of environmental processes, the demographical data indicates that school-age children are especially prone to the effects of external factors. Within a collection of scholarly articles entitled Children's Special Vulnerability to Environmental Health Risks, researchers William Toscano, Jr. And Erica L. Fishman begin by stating conclusively that "children have unique behaviors, diets, and physiologic characteristics that put them at greater risk for exposures to environmental contaminants" (2004), and their assessment is supported by a wealth of statistical evidence. With empirical studies consistently demonstrating an observable trend in which "most school-age children spend about 20 hours per…… [Read More]

Health Self-Assessment Identify Which Three of the

Health Self-Assessment

Identify which three of the six dimensions of health you are strongest in.

According to this self-assessment instrument, my three strongest health dimensions are Social Health, Spiritual Health, and Intellectual Health. I scored a 4 out of 5 in each of those areas. By comparison, I scored a 3 in each of the other three measures (Physical Health, Emotional Health, and Environmental Health.

Describe why you think the identified three dimensions are your strongest.

I scored well in Social Health because I am comfortable with the impressions that I make on people and because I tend to get along well with others. I also participate in various social activities and genuinely enjoy interacting with others, including those who are different from me. My family relationships are healthy and fulfilling, I am fully present and available in my personal relationships, I am considerate of others, I contribute positively to the welfare of others, and I have relationships in which I can discuss my personal feelings and concerns openly.

I scored well in Spiritual Health, because I try to maintain an overall perspective of appreciation and interconnectedness of all living things and a general respect for life. I try to…… [Read More]

Environmental Racism Unequal Distribution of

The third and most contentious explanation charges unequal distribution of pollutants and hazardous toxins to environmental racism.

In this explanation race is a major factor. Research findings suggest, "...racism may be playing a role in the decision-making process" (p. 88). Industrial decision-makers frequently choose minority areas for disposal and industrial facilities. Concentrations of pollution are simply reflections of inherent injustice in the system. In other words, poor environmental quality in minority areas is a symptom of institutional discrimination. Thus a variety of groups, organizations, and such are implicated -- probably, they don't intend any harm, but their policies result in negative outcomes for poor areas and the people living in them. In Kitchener, Ontario, for instance, a housing development was built where formerly a waste landfill was located. Officials who approved the development knew it had been a waste landfill, but the project was going to be profitable. Buyers did not know when they bought the property what was going to be underneath them. In another place, Ralgreen, Ontario, a housing development was built on top of a former waste landfill; methane gas accumulated and caused explosions, and eventually everybody had to move out. The city knew about the presence…… [Read More]

Health Benefits of Coffee Numerous

The amount of caffeine being consumed is apparently of great importance, as approximately 200 mg can increase one's chances to get better results on an attentiveness performance test while an approximate of 400 mg can do the opposite. Caffeine abuse can lead to serious problems in the case of people who need to be alert. Caffeine was tested in a series of other cognitive-related experiments but none of them produced satisfying results (Snel, Lorist, and Tieges 58).

Coffee contains numerous chemicals, each of them adding to its flavor and to the effects it produces on the body, with the most notable of them being caffeine. The aroma coffee releases is surely seductive, as there is nothing else like it. From the very first moment one opens the coffee recipient numerous microscopic particles are inhaled, stimulating the olfactory nerve, this sensation getting even more intense when the brew is actually ready to be drunk. Most people will not even wait to contemplate on these factors before actually starting to drink, given that the smell makes it almost impossible to stop (Halweil).

What's ironic about people in the Occident who drink coffee is that they tend to overlook, or ignore the fact…… [Read More]

Healthcare Industry Medical Laboratories As the Conditions Change

healthcare industry/medical laboratories. As the conditions change and new information becomes available, one can easily realize that this industry has many components that drive it.

Prices

As demand for laboratory services is rather inelastic, laboratories can establish prices as they deem appropriate. Reimbursement for services is limited, however, by contracts which the laboratory holds with various healthcare plans (Daron 2008). These healthcare plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, will negotiate reimbursement fees with the laboratory that are lower than the laboratory's usual and customary fees (Eddy 2007). The laboratory agrees to accept the reimbursement received from the health plan as payment in full. Laboratories are often forced into contracting with the large health plans in its area because referring clinicians will often not send specimens to the laboratory for processing unless the contracts exist (Daron 2006). Because the reimbursement from the health plans is often very low, the laboratory must find other ways to recoup its expenses and make a profit. Unfortunately, the net result of this situation is that patients with no insurance generally end up paying the highest costs for laboratory services. This scenario is one that plays out in all areas of healthcare (Anna 2005).

Price Elasticity of…… [Read More]

Healthcare System in the United

However, despite the development of these exemplary healthcare capacities, the UAE's system continued to suffer during this timeframe from a perception among the population that it lacked quality (Kronfel, 1999).

It cannot be discounted that the public may perceive the UAE's healthcare system as lacking in quality because the system does in fact have many developmental issues left to resolve. For example, a study by Margolis (2002) found that as healthcare rapidly expanded in the 1990s, statistically significant numbers of incidents of inappropriate medicine prescription also increased. This finding gave some validity to the concern about quality. However, the majority of the studies reviewed indicated that the UAE's healthcare system was comparable to the healthcare systems in most other developed and developing nations. For example, Margolis et al. (2003) conducted a survey analysis of elderly in the U.S. And the UAE and found that the system of elderly care in the UAE compares favorably with that found in the U.S., both in terms of care rendered and patient satisfaction. Similarly, Rizk et al. (2001) found that the delivery of care and consumer satisfaction regarding health programming around child birth was equal in the UAE to that found elsewhere. Therefore, the…… [Read More]

Environmental Systems in the Past

Although the research tools provided by the ISO 14001 framework are both qualitative and quantitative, this approach is consistent with the guidance provided by Neuman (2003) who points out that, "Both qualitative and quantitative research use several specific research techniques (e.g., survey, interview, and historical analysis), yet there is much overlap between the type of data and the style of research. Most qualitative-style researchers examine qualitative data and vice versa" (p. 16). Indeed, researchers have used qualitative and quantitative surveys to assess consumer reactions to proposed environmental initiatives at the local level (Neuman, 2003).

In fact, quantitative and qualitative research methods are characterized by a number of similarities that lend themselves to environmental systems analyses and development (as well as some differences) (Neuman, 2003). The distinct differences in the qualitative and quantitative research suggest that the use of quantitative data for environmental system development is highly appropriate, but that such data must be interpreted by taking into account a wide range of potentially qualitative factors that will not be possible using one approach to the exclusion of the other research approach (Neuman, 2003).

A summary of the foregoing research methods for environmental system development is provided in Table 1 below.…… [Read More]

Environmental Safety in Contemporary Society

In fact, the changes in technology and complexities of modern life enhance this idea. This is nowhere as apparent as it is in the idea of environmental safety and health, for actions taken in one part of the world do have a profound effect on other parts of the world. Even in modern, developed nations like the United States, we find mercury from Chinese factories, dust from Saharan Africa and smog from Mexico -- accounting for about 30% of the nation's ozone problems (Watson, 2005).

The Gaia Hypothesis, in fact, is a theory that the entire planet is large and complex living organism. This proposes that everything on earth, organic and inorganic, are completely integrated into a single and self-regulating complex system that maintains the conditions for life on earth (Gribbin, 2009). The complexity is so vast that we may not be able to completely understand it at present. For example, a flood in India may have a slight effect on the weather patterns of northern Europe. However, if we do believe in this concept, then the basic premise of environmental safety is the responsibility on the micro level of the individual, flowing to the macro level for governments. We…… [Read More]

Health Importance of Health and Exercise and

Health [...] importance of health and exercise, and where people can find assistance in California. Exercise is an important deterrent to many diseases, including obesity, a plague on the nation. Getting Americans to exercise may be difficult, but the benefits of exercise are clear. People who exercise tend to live longer, have better overall health, and feel better about themselves. In California, many programs are available that will help people develop and maintain healthy lifestyles that include exercise. Education is the key to helping people understand the benefits of exercise, and that education must begin early in life for exercise to become a daily habit. For America to become a healthy country again, people must understand the importance of exercise and good health, and that begins with education and assistance to help people create better, more healthful lives for themselves.

Exercise and good health go hand-in-hand, and yet, in our society today, fewer people are exercising regularly than ever before. The Federal Government chose physical activity as the number one Leading Health Indicator of public concern in America today. In their study, they found "In 1997, only 15% of adults performed the recommended amount of physical activity, and 40% of…… [Read More]

Environmental Movement and the Fashion

When a company such as Wal-Mart goes green, it is because they see a profit in it, and customers are demanding it, and that is the case with the fashion industry, as well.

In conclusion, the fashion industry is becoming much more eco-friendly largely because of consumer demand. People are becoming increasingly aware of just what goes into the products they consume, and they are demanding new products that use less energy to produce and use eco-friendly fibers and fabrics, as well. The public is becoming much more aware of environmental issues such as global warming and climate change, and it seems that the demand for eco-friendly products, including fashions will continue to rise. Smart fashion designers and companies will jump on this growing trend. They need to take the earth and its survival into consideration, but even more than that, they need to continue to fill consumer's shelves to be successful. Creating eco-fashions that meet consumer concerns and yet are still stylish and wearable just makes good fashion and business sense.… [Read More]

Environmental Impacts of Plastic Bags

Life Cycle or Carbon Footprint of Plastic Bags

Plastic bags are regarded as one of the most common items in daily life in the modern society. These products continue to be common in everyday life despite emerging concerns across many cities worldwide concerning their probable environmental impact. These concerns have increased in the recent past because of the problem of global climate change. Actually, the concerns have been fueled by increased interest in calculating the climate change effects of varying consumer products in recent years. Despite accounting for a small portion of consumer products, plastic or shopping bags have been identified as sources of numerous environmental problems throughout the world. Some of the major environmental problems emerging from the use of plastic bags include litter, flooding, and resource depletion. Nonetheless, the impact of plastic bags on global climate change can be understood through examining their life cycle or carbon footprint. This is followed by developing possible areas of impact reduction to lessen the environmental problems brought by plastic bags.

Use of Plastic Bags

As previously mentioned, plastic bags are considered as one of the most common items in daily life though they account for a small volume of consumer products.…… [Read More]

Depression Among Health Care Workers

Health care workers are not immune to psychosocial problems and often may face distinctive obstacles in dealing with them. Self-care among physicians, nurses, and other health care workers is not included as a part of their training but it is an issue that often comes up in the course of their daily routines or in their professional practice. The stresses of professional practice, shift work, and personal life can be quite demanding and in cases where the individual neglects or fails to notice the warning signs of depression can lead to tragic consequences. According to most available data there is an increased vulnerability for depression and suicide in health care workers, particularly physicians and nurses. Depression is a particular concern in the health care industry given that health care workers, especially physicians and nurses, are directly responsible for the well-being of their patients who are often forced to depend on them. When health care workers suffer from depression they also put the health and potentially the lives of other people at risk.

In 2007 The National Survey on Drug Use and Health published findings that indicated that there were high rates of depression in the personal care and health care…… [Read More]

Maryland Health Policy Analysis for Affordable Care Act

Health Policy Analysis for Maryland AC (Affordable Care) Act

McLaughlin, & McLaughlin (2014) rank 11 areas of health innovation based on their impact on costs and quality of healthcare delivery. The process improvement is the highest ranking item. However, the authors identify data analytics, disease management, "non-physician delivery alternatives," and "alternative to fee-for service" (McLaughlin, & McLaughlin, 2014 p 335) as other innovation items that can enhance quality and reduce costs. Additionally, the authors point out that innovation in electronic medical records, diagnosis, and pharmaceuticals can also assist with quality and cost.

Objective of this health policy paper is to evaluate the items that can play important role in the health policy process of Maryland's ACA (Affordable Care Act).

Healthcare items for Health Policy Process for in Maryland Affordable Care Act

The ACA (Affordable Care Act) is a federal government legislation focusing on healthcare coverage for small groups and individuals. The government of Maryland uses the Maryland connection to enroll qualified Maryland residents to ACA. The policy proposal chooses the process improvement as one of the top items for the health process for Maryland Affordable Care. In a healthcare environment, innovation has been traditionally reserved for the development of new…… [Read More]

Health of Indigenous Australian Using Ecological and

Health of Indigenous Australian Using Ecological and Holistic Health Paradigm

Patterns of health and illness

Physical Health

Mental Health

Spiritual Health

Social Health

Impact of Broader Environments

Natural

Built

Social

Economic

Political

Critical Reflection

Health is a basic component of human life that comprises of multiple facets. The description of health has witnessed dramatic change during past few years, as it has become a holistic phenomenon. Previously, it was considered that a healthy person is the one who does not suffer from any ailment or illness. However in recent times, the physical, psychological and communal aspects of human life have been amalgamated to give a broader perspective to human health which is identical to the concept of indigenous communities (Hjelm, 2010).

Numerous organizations are working extensively for providing adequate health care to the world population since many decades. However, it is appalling to notice that discrimination on social, economic and political grounds has coerced indigenous populations to languish in poor health conditions in regions like Australia. Despite of unprecedented advancements in the field of medicine and health, the needs of indigenous people have been largely overlooked. Furthermore, they are more vulnerable to contract diseases but lack access to health care…… [Read More]

Health Structures in Government Levels Health at

Health Structures in Government Levels

Health at different Government Levels

Health Structures at Government Levels

Health at Government Levels

A national government has a task in ensuring quality health assurance standards across its region are up-to-date. Similarly, increased rates of unexpected epidemics have put governments under the surge of dealing accordingly with factors that can affect the nation directly and indirectly. Different governmental levels of health are identified and objectified in various agency websites. In this context, I have identified with a state level website; Illinois Public Health Institute website. Information presented to the website articles prioritizes in reducing and preventive, curative diseases, complementing health policies and championing for environmental changes.

Website Article Review

The Illinois Public Health institute articulates its review and implication to health quality through partnership programs. The website has supported state-oriented health involvement in ameliorating health levels, in Illinois. The institution has show-cased partnering programs with the Illinois State Board of Health, State Health Improvement Planning Team, Illinois Alliance, Illinois Departmental office of Public Health and the American Heart Association (IPHI, 2012). The articles in the website propel the agency to achieve its objectives which are,

i) Preventing diseases through educating the public and via systematic…… [Read More]

Health Services Administration Delivery Strategies Examples of

Health Services Administration

Delivery Strategies

Examples of three value-added support strategies for a safe and caring environment

Managers of any nursing home are expected to promote the existence of safety and harmony within the nursing environment. This is possible through the adoption of various strategies targeting its valued-added care activities like bedsides procedures, teaching, vital signs, communication with patient care, and activities of daily living. Some of the strategies that can be adopted in order to bolster safety in the nursing home include:

Adopting diverse communication strategies between the patients and the nurses. The management must ensure that patients and nurses can voice their issues and possible grievances to the relevant authorities without fear of victimization. All stakeholders must be free to communicate with the nursing; this will enhance safety because individuals will be having a sense of freedom when expressing themselves. The best strategy is to promote the anonymous model of raising issues so that instances of victimization are reduced. This will enhance patient and nurse safety within the nursing home (Ginter & Duncan, 2013).

II. The nursing home should have a proper protocol for managing documents for each patient. Safety is enhanced when confusion and mixing of documents…… [Read More]

Healthcare Reform PPACA Determine How This Federal

Healthcare Reform PPACA

Determine how this Federal law will affect market-driven and non-market driven decisions.

One of the industries that has felt the effects of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act most immediately and intensely was the insurance industry in the United States. One of the chief reasons that the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act was introduced and passed into American legislation was the effect of rising health care costs attributed to arbitrary and non-competitive costs exacted from healthcare consumers from the insurance industry. There was a general lack of regulation within the industry, which had been demonstrated to have had a negative impact on healthcare outcomes and trends. The United States, while the largest economy and a dominant world superpower, has an underperforming healthcare industry compared to other developed, industrialized nations.

One of the central conflicts associated with the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act is related to philosophical differences of opinion about whether allowing the healthcare industry to be affected by the free market is ultimately to the benefit of American public health at large and specifically, individuals' health options and outcomes. One argument asserts that the free market drives down costs and incentivizes innovations that promote better and…… [Read More]

Health Care Staffing Agency

Health Staff

the Allied health care staffing agency is a staffing agency that focuses on the niche of the nursing jobs within the healthcare industry in Chicago

The Allied healthcare staffing agency works to recruit registered nurses belonging to all medical Specialties, Practical Nurses that are licensed also called LPNs, Nursing Assistants that are certified also called CNAs and Specialists from the allied health sciences. These professionals would be hired both from the area of the metro city as well as the suburbs and placed within the hospitals, the neighborhood medical centers, Adult care facilities, clinics, and rehabilitation centers.

The mission of the Allied Healthcare Staffing Agency is to provide the best opportunities of employment both to its collaborators which are the local healthcare organizations as well as serving the entire nursing community to provide amply amount of job opportunities to choose from in a time when the turnover of medical professionals is high and the healthcare industry is at the most competitive. The ultimate mission of AHSA would be to attract and retain its valued customer, a goal which when adhered to with utmost passion and commitment would yield the maximum beneficial results.

The allied health care staffing agency…… [Read More]

Health Promotion Theory Description and

Pender's is a theory of preventive medicine, for the healthy rather than the chronically ill. However, in an age where lifestyle-related disease are on the rise, it can provide an important function, particularly for nurses facing an epidemic of pre-diabetic and diabetic adolescents reared on poor diets and little physical activity. Some might protest that the genetic component to even Type II Diabetes, or obesity in general, might be unacknowledged in the model, but Pender would no doubt respond to her critics that although it is true that certain individuals have a greater predisposition to certain lifestyle diseases, everyone can act within those parameters to improve their life with preventative medicine, as counseled by her model.… [Read More]

Health UK This Research Focuses on the

health UK

This research focuses on the health impacts of the Industrial Revolution on various sectors of the British population, and hypothesizes that working class and poor laborers suffered from poorer health than their wealthier counterparts due to exposure to pollution and to lack of exposure to a varied diet.

Public health and the public health system existing in the 21st century is unrecognizable from what existed just a century before. As Wohl (1983) points out, poverty, ignorance, and poor sanitation plagued British public health throughout the Victorian era. It is important to understand what prompted the changes that led to increased knowledge, awareness, and application of ethical principles in health care. Armed with this knowledge, the bioarchaeologist and health care specialists alike can work together to transform health care outcomes in the future.

In particular, the Industrial Revolution impacted individual and public health in significant and measurable ways. Coal production rapidly transformed the landscape of Britain, and also altered the health of its residents. The Industrial Revolution also led to ancillary changes in British health including changes in what, when, where, and how British people ate.

Diets have been changed due to the introduction of non-indigenous plants and animals…… [Read More]

Healthcare System in the Netherlands

Specialist doctors will normally examine only those patients who have been referred to their clinic by a general practitioner. (U.S. Department of State, n. d.)

The Government of Netherlands is not responsible or the ongoing management of the healthcare system on a daily basis which is offered by private healthcare service providers. However the government is charged with the accessibility and ensuring appropriate standards of the healthcare. A new healthcare insurance system has been launched since January 2006 under which every citizen is required to purchase a basic health insurance package. Under the basic package, one is covered medical treatment, inclusive of services by General Practitioners, hospitals and also specialists, indoor stay, dental care and different medical appliances. People working in the private sector in the Netherlands might decide buying a collective health insurance policy which can be a good alternative since it is cheaper. The fees of the basic health insurance package are calculated annually by the companies offering health insurance which are generally 95 euros monthly. In case of some people, healthcare in the Netherlands has come to be increasingly costly because of the above charge. The govt. Of Holland reimburses these instances through offering grant care. The…… [Read More]

Health Psychology

Health psychology looks at several factors and how they are involved in preventing threats to physical health. Most commonly, psychological, cultural, environmental, and biological issues are all addressed by those who study health psychology (Marks, Murray, Evans, & Estacio, 2011). In clinical settings, health psychologists work with others in the medical profession, conduct research, teach at colleges and universities, and work on showing people how they can change their behavior in order to live a healthier life (Michie & Abraham, 2004). Promoting public health is a very important part of health psychology and can entail anti-smoking campaigns, weight loss information, and discussions on the benefits of exercise.

The field of health psychology began as part of clinical psychology, but has since branched off and become a field in its own right. Within the field, there are four different divisions -- critical health, clinical health, community health, and public health. There is also an allied field of occupational health psychology (Michie & Abraham, 2004). Organizations in the U.S., UK, and other countries have come to embrace health psychology and have helped many people in the field further their careers so that they are better able to help other people (Ogden, 2007).…… [Read More]

Health Wars Phillip Day Argues

The information contained in Health Wars is of tremendous benefit to all readers. We need to take more control over our own health, especially given the rising cost of health care insurance and the exorbitant prices of doctor and hospital bills. Preventing problems depends largely on paying attention to our genetic history: finding out what problems our mothers, fathers, and grandparents and adapting our lifestyle accordingly. Reading Day's book also encourages readers to learn more about common problems and possible solutions that involve diet and lifestyle changes. Taking responsibility for our health is one of the main themes in Health Wars. Readers should take heed of what Day believes to be a crisis in modern medicine: the inability or unwillingness to practice common sense prevention.

I would recommend Health Wars highly for several reasons. First, I believe that the health care crisis might be one of the most important problems in America today. The problem is due not only to the lack of affordable insurance but also to the issues Day addresses such as a flawed approach to health and healing. Second, I believe that nutrition is the foundation of good health. Eating well will not solve all our health…… [Read More]

Healthcare -- Legal Issues Religion

While it may not be just to hold an organization liable, absolutely, for every instance of employee negligence, there is a rationale for imposing such liability in many cases. For example, many types of industries entail potential danger to others that are inherent to the industry.

Individual workers are not likely to be capable of compensating victims of their negligence, but the employer benefits and profits financially by engaging in the particular industry. Therefore, the employer should not necessarily escape liability for compensating all harm caused by their activities, regardless of fault in particular instances.

10.A nurse is responsible for making an inquiry if there is uncertainty about the accuracy of a physician's medication order in a patient's record. Explain the process a nurse should use to evaluate whether or not to make an inquiry into the accuracy of the physician's medication order.

Like other highly trained professionals, experienced nurses develop a familiarity with routine procedures as well as with non-routine procedures with which they are very familiar by virtue of their prior experience. Since patient health, safety, and welfare are of paramount importance, nurses should err on the safe side and inquire into the accuracy of physicians' medical orders…… [Read More]

Health Politics and Policy Matt

The Obama administrate had just announced that they would be revoking federal funding for the Medicaid Women's Health Program amid a fight over several clinics that were affiliated to providers of abortion Ramshaw & Belluck, 2012()

Gov. Perry issues a letter to Thomas Suehs who is the head of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission directing him to work with the legislative leaders to identify potential sources of funds to keep the program afloat Ramshaw & Belluck, 2012()

The program itself costs around $40 million which is 90% covered by the federal government. Therefore this cut in budget would mean that the Texas state would need to find about $36 million to fund the program Ramshaw & Belluck, 2012()

Since the program provides care to about 130,000 low-income women all over the state, Gov. Perry felt that the program was extremely beneficial to the state and that is why he felt the program should continue despite the cut in federal funding. Though Perry did not specify where exactly this kind of funding for the project would come from, he said that the state has a multibillion budget which could be easily flexed to make provisions for the program. He…… [Read More]

Health Policy Current Events Health Policy Final

Health Policy Current Events

Health Policy

Final Rules for the Accountable Care Organizations have been Published

Section 3022 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 provides a provision for care providers to form organizations focused on improving and lowering the cost of patient care (Berwick, 2011). ACOs are structured such that care providers will be able to share in any cost of care savings realized, thus providing a potentially large incentive to participate. This has caused a bit of a 'gold rush fever' in the industry, with many hospitals and other healthcare organizations reportedly already functioning as ACOs in advance of the January, 2012 start of the program (Gold, 2011).

As with any incentive program oversight is critical, because the temptation to cut costs at the expense of patient health will be substantial. On October 5, 2011 the Department of Health and Human Services published the final rule for ACOs, which contained oversight and reporting requirements to help ensure patient health is actually improved rather than sacrificed (Berwick, 2011, p. 2). A total of 33 measures in 4 domains were agreed upon, including patient experience of care, utilization, and outcomes. For ACOs to be reimbursed under Medicare…… [Read More]

Environmental Science Environmental Fundamentals Defining Environmental Science

Environmental Science

Environmental fundamentals

Defining environmental science: The quest for sustainability

Environmental science or environmental studies are defined as the "study of a range of environments, from the bodies we live, to the physical structures, institutions and industries we build, to the politics, languages and cultural practices we use to communicate, and to the earth and its complex multitude of animals, flora and bio-physical elements and processes" (What is environmental science, 2012, York University). The word derives from the French world 'environs,' which means everything around us (What is environmental science, 2012, York University). A critical component of environmental studies has become how to enhance the sustainability of human life in conjunction with the environment. Humans today are not seeking simply to understand the environment but to live in harmony with it. Environmentalism seeks to acknowledge that humans are part of the environment, not merely consumers of it. "Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations" (What is sustainability, 2012, EPA).

Human technological development, until recently, has largely been to the detriment, rather than the enhancement of the…… [Read More]

Healthcare Promotion Prevention and the

Nurses, who have first hand knowledge and understanding of how to live healthy and how to take proper care of themselves, are far better equipped to teach others about these concepts. Certain populations can benefit greatly from prevention, especially those who are prone to specific types of diseases or conditions.

One of the most common behaviors that leads to many chronic and often very damaging health conditions is smoking. Smoking can cause a multitude of diseases and conditions from emphysema to heart disease to lung cancer (Chapman, 2007). The list goes on and on. But smoking is 100% preventable and nurses need to understand not only how to treat these smoking-related diseases but how to more importantly discourage and prevent people from smoking in the first place. Many nurses agree that this behavior leads to many of the worst case scenarios for people with pre-existing chronic conditions. It is therefore important for nurses to first understand the effects of smoking in order to be able to properly and successfully educate patients about them. Once an understanding occurs, nurses must have the initiative to educate the public about the ills of smoking as well as the discipline to understand that they…… [Read More]

Health Care Describe the Following

Lastly, the sixth issue is that the hospital has no relationship with an HMO. They have not been able to come to an agreement with Kaiser Permanente. This reduces revenues, reduces traffic flow and creates a problem where Kaiser is building a new hospital in the area that will directly compete with EMC.

3. Perform a financial analysis of EMC. Based on the analysis, where is the company strong and where is it weak?

EMC's financial position is weak. The company is faced with a steep decline in its cash position, which makes it difficult to invest in the future. The company is also relying on its investments for cash flow, and the current investment climate makes this a challenge. EMC has seen a strong increase in net patient revenue in 2002, reversing a flatlining trend. However, operating expenses have been a long-term increasing trend, and ballooned in 2002. Salaries and wages are increasing significantly, without any improvement in the ability of the company to attract and retain talent. Supplies are another cost that is rapidly increasing, having grown at around 25% since 2000. The company has also been relying on its investments for income but tough markets in 2001/2002…… [Read More]