Final answer:
The principle of the social model of health to enable access to healthcare relates to ethical principles including autonomy, justice, and beneficence. It reflects on the balance challenges in the U.S. healthcare system between quality, access, and cost. Equity, access, and cost-effectiveness are core to a functional healthcare system.
Step-by-step explanation:
Access to Healthcare and Social Justice
The principle of the social model of health that acts to enable access to healthcare pertains to the larger philosophical and ethical framework that includes principles like autonomy, beneficence, and justice. The principle of autonomy protects patients' right to make their own healthcare decisions, ensuring that they exercise agency in clinical settings. Beneficence requires actions that are for the good of others, implying that healthcare providers should work towards the well-being of patients. Furthermore, the principle of justice mandates equitable and fair treatment in healthcare distribution and practice, which is a significant aspect of ensuring access.
When looking at healthcare systems, such as the largely private U.S. system, quality, access, and cost are elements that must be balanced. The U.S. healthcare system provides a high quality of care and innovation but grapples with issues of high costs and unequal access. This contrast stands out when comparing it with other nations that may have lower healthcare costs and more equal access but face delays in healthcare service provision and limitations in offering cutting-edge medical treatments.
Regardless of the differences between healthcare systems, the fundamental challenge remains to establish a system that can consistently deliver high-quality, accessible, and cost-effective care to all individuals, resonating with the ethical principles of the social model of health.