Final answer:
Assisting patients in health-care information management is an aspect of patient-centered care, which contributes to improved health education, literacy, autonomy, and better health outcomes. The use of Theatre in Health Education and standardized patient programs enhances medical professionals' empathy and respect in patient care. Addressing the privacy of electronic health records, ethical principles, and community engagement are key in promoting health equity and quality health care.
Step-by-step explanation:
Assisting Patients and Health Literacy
Assisting patients and their families in reading, understanding, and/or acting on health-care information is closely related to patient-centered care. Patient-centered care emphasizes the importance of health education and literacy to empower individuals with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their health. Improved health education and health literacy can lead to better health outcomes, family and social support, and access to health care, which are essential to reduce health disparities. Moreover, incorporating culturally specific research and data collection tools is imperative for increasing diversity and inclusion within health research, particularly for groups like African Americans.
Theatre in Health Education is an innovative practice that promotes healthy behaviors and enhances the bedside manner of medical professionals by employing standardized patient programs. These programs use professional actors to simulate patient scenarios, allowing medical students and doctors to practice and receive feedback on their treatment approach, strengthening respect and empathy in patient interactions.
Sharing digital records among health providers is a prospected way to improve the quality of health care while reducing costs in the U.S. However, protecting the privacy of electronic health records is a significant concern. Questions concerning the balance between the cost of treatments, patient quality of life, and risks to individual privacy are critical in forming sound health policies.
Key ethical principles in health care include the principle of autonomy, which allows patients to have self-determination in their health care decisions, and the principle of beneficence, which motivates actions that benefit others.
Raising awareness about health inequities and actively volunteering in community-based research and organizations can significantly contribute to improving quality-of-care and life for those coping with serious illnesses. Engaging with communities directly helps understand and address medical mistrust and disparities that exist, particularly in underrepresented populations. Focusing on health education and disease prevention strategies is crucial for promoting equitable health outcomes.
Roberson (2021) highlights the need for continuous and sustainable efforts to address health education and literacy to combat health inequities and foster informed decision-making. Sharing personal experiences with health disparities, as seen in the case of a mother's battle with breast cancer, can be a powerful motivator for advocating and working towards equitable health solutions.