Principles of Practice Management essay
It is known that vaccination plays an important role in the life of any individual. Vaccines are successfully used to protect human beings from different infectious diseases. According to the statistical data, “the life spans of Americans increased by more than 30 years in large part because of vaccines, and mortality from infectious diseases in the United States decreased 14-fold”(The 2010 National Vaccine Plan, 2010, p.9). Due to the unique quality of vaccines, death and disability from a large number of diseases in now quite rear. Vaccines help to eradicate such diseases as smallpox, polio, measles, rubella, etc. Today special attention is paid to flu vaccination in the USA. Flu vaccination helps to save the lives of millions of children and adults not only in the United States, but also in many other countries of the world.
In this essay I intend to discuss the problem faced by practice managers in the process of planning the Winter 2012 Flu Vaccination Program which commences on October 15, 2012. Although the program is very effective, there are some problems that often occur in the initial part of the process.
THE AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE CAMPAIGN
The major aim of the campaign is to minimize the transmission of the influenza virus in the Ash Hall Surgery by providing protection to the staff and the patients, and thus preventing transmission to other members of the community.
Annual flu vaccination is considered to be both safe and effective as it helps to reduce the risk of influenza as well as healthcare related transmission. It is found that flu vaccination is recommended to all staff working at healthcare institutions. According to the research, “vaccination programs restricted to those who actively seek the vaccine have limited penetration and thus, effectiveness in protecting the staff and the patients” (Policy for the Administration of Influenza Vaccine to Health Department Employees, 2006, p.1). The objectives of the campaign can be achieved by the use of a high-quality vaccine. It is known that each injected seasonal flu vaccine contains three flu viruses, such as one influenza type A subtype H1N1 (seasonal) virus strain, one influenza type A subtype H3N2 virus strain, and one influenza type B virus strain (Key Facts about Seasoning Flu Vaccine, 2012, para.1)
Those people who should be vaccinated this season include people who are considered to be at high risk of developing severe complications, such as pneumonia, bronchitis, in case they get sick with the flu this season. Among them are people who have such medical conditions as asthma and diabetes, chronic lung disease and some other medical conditions; pregnant women and people who are older than 50 years (Key Facts about Seasoning Flu Vaccine, 2012, para.2)
However, those people who should not be vaccinated this winter season include people who have a severe allergy reaction to chicken eggs and other products, people who have already had a severe reaction to the flu vaccination, children who are younger than 6 months of age, and people who currently have a moderate or severe illness with a fever. In this case, they should wait the recovery to be vaccinated (Key Facts about Seasoning Flu Vaccine, 2012, para.3).
THE PROBLEMS FACED BY PRACTICE MANAGER IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARATION THE CAMPAIGN
The major problems faced by the practice manager in the process of preparation the campaign on winter 2012 flu vaccination program are closely connected with the working environment, the staff and the availability of the vaccine, room and certain materials for the lecture.
One of the problems faced by the practice manager is room allocation. It is very important to provide enough rooms for the patients and the staff members who will be vaccinated. Lack of rooms will lead to inadequate behavior of the patients and the staff members, and it can create negative atmosphere in the clinic. That is why the practice manager should be aware of the fact that a certain number of rooms is prepared for the vaccination process and that the rooms are clean.
The other significant problem faced by practice manager is staffing. It is known that the practice manager is responsible for overseeing and directing day to day operations in the clinic. In this situation, the practice manager should choose those health care professionals who will be responsible for providing vaccination.
Additionally, the practice manager may face a disciplinary problem in the workplace. In this case, he should be ready to use his communication skills in order to avoid negative consequences of the situation. Lack of discipline in the workplace can lead low quality of work and numerous complaints of the patients.
Moreover, the practice manager may face a problem with elderly patients who refuse to do flu vaccination. As a rule, the patients of this age group have their personal opinion concerning the necessity of vaccination (Seasonal influenza vaccination of the elderly, 2011, p.186). The elderly patients (65-85) are always at an increased risk of the severe complications of seasonal influenza; that is why annual vaccination is recommended to this age group of patients. The practice manager should study the health problems of the elderly people who proceed with the treatment at the Ash Hall Surgery in order to identify some possible negative consequences. It is known that in practice, influenza vaccination of the elderly patients with risk factors for vaccine complications should not be carried out. In most cases, flu vaccination can do harm to weak patients. In order to avoid this problem the practice manager should use his decision making skills which will give him an opportunity to make a proper decision (Seasonal influenza vaccination of the elderly, 2011, p.188).
Besides the above mentioned problems, the practical manager may face a problem with vaccine. It is the main duty of the practical manager to check the expiration date of the vaccine. He should avoid low quality medicine. It is clear that the effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccines is of great importance as the vaccine should provide long lasting immunity as well as “broad protection against any strains” (Fiore et al., 2009, p.45).
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRACTICE MANAGER’S DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES IN THIS CAMPAIGN
The major duties and responsibilities of the practice manager in the campaign of flu vaccination in this season are focused on the appropriate leadership skills, decision making skills, communication skills, as well as on the appropriate knowledge concerning the transmission of flu and the importance of vaccination. The practice manager is responsible for managing the staff of the Ash Hall Surgery. As the staff includes several registered nurses and licensed nurses, a receptionist and medical assistants, the practice manager should be ready to pay attention to each member. In addition, the practice manager is responsible for the policies that should be followed by the staff, and for effectiveness of communication in the process of the campaign activities. Moreover, the practice manager should be ready to evaluate the performance of the staff in the course of campaign and set certain standards (Ryan, 2012, para.2).
Additionally, the practice manager is responsible for developing a schedule for the staff who take part in the campaign and for the patients. It is very important for the practice manager to oversee the scheduling of the patients that will be vaccinated this season. The practice manager should also control the vaccination process: the presence of the medical staff who will be involved in this process, the availability of the vaccine, medical supplies (injectors, gossypium, ethanol, etc.). Moreover, the practice manager should take care of the availability of rooms for the patients who will be vaccinated.
Besides the above mentioned duties, the practice manager is responsible for medical records that will be done in the course of the campaign. The data record will include the following information about a person who will be vaccinated: name, date of birth, gender, social security number, Medicaid ID, address, city, state, zip code, phone number, patient chart number, birth certificate number, contraindication vaccine type, contraindication expiration date, CVX / CPT code for vaccination administered, vaccination short description, vaccination given date, vaccine manufacture, vaccine lot number, etc.(Process Description and Delimited File Specifications, 2012, p.3).
THE MAJOR METHODS USED BY THE PRACTICE MANAGER TO TARGET THE PATIENTS AND INVOLVE DIFFERENT STAFF
In order to target the patients and involve different staff members who work at Ash Hall Surgery, it is necessary to employ the appropriate methods that will be effective and reliable in the process of preparation of the flu vaccination campaign.
First of all, it is very important to give people a clear explanation of the possible consequences of flu. In this case, it is necessary to deliver a lecture Influenza and its Transmission. The major issues that should be discussed in this lecture include the general information on the influenza infection, signs and symptoms, types of flu, the effects of flu pandemic, etc. Besides the above mentioned facts, it is very important to represent the patients and the staff members the appropriate statistical data on flu transmission in the United States and severe consequences of this disease. For example, the following information should be included in the lecture: It is known that the usual strains of influenza can circulate in the annual influenza cycle, and they constitute a certain public health concern. However, “far more lethal influenza strains than these have emerged periodically” (Derlet, 2012, para.1). It is found that these deadly strains have already produced three global pandemics in the 20-th century, the worst one occurred in 1918. In addition, the statistics shows that this pandemic killed about 20 million persons. In the United States, more than 549,000 people died from flu (Derlet, 2012, para.1).
Secondly, it is necessary to find the appropriate literature on the transmission of influenza in human society. This literature can be used at the lecture, but also it is possible to distribute these booklets among the patients and the medical staff members who work at Ash Hall Surgery. This method is very effective as people can read booklets whenever they want, and they can give these booklets to other members of the community. It will help them to make a decision concerning the necessity of flu vaccination this season.
Thirdly, it will be very effective to use video films which describe etiology, epidemiology and pathophysiology of flu infection. The information should include the major facts on flu transmission. For example, in 1957, the H2N2 flu pandemic or Asian flu killed about 70,000 people in the United States and 1.2 million people worldwide. In 1968, the H3N2 flu pandemic or the so-called Hong Kong flu killed about 34,000 people in the United States and more than 1 million people worldwide (Potter, 2002, p.23).
CONCLUSION
In this essay I explored the problems faced by the practice manager in planning the Winter 2012 flu vaccination program and have concluded that in order to reach the aims and objectives the practice manager should use his leadership and decision making skills, personal management skills, as well as the appropriate knowledge on vaccination. In addition, the practice manager should be aware of the fact that flu vaccination is recommended in the USA for all children six months or older, all adults 50 years and older, all persons with different chronic medical conditions, all pregnant women, and healthcare workers. It is very important to remember that the global disease burden of flu is substantial. As the World Health Organization has indicated that flu vaccination should be included into the national immunization programs, the practice manager should does his best to design the flu vaccination program at the Ash Hall Surgery in a proper way. Moreover, the practice manager should explain everybody in the clinic that seasonal flu or influenza is the major threat to public health, because it causes more than 1 million deaths annually (Music, 2011, p.165). Today numerous researches support the flu vaccination of priority groups, including healthcare workers. It is clear that immunization protects healthcare workers and their patients from different nosocomial flu infections. Additionally, flu can disrupt health services and has enormous impact on healthcare institutions financially. That is why effective immunization can reduce staff members’ absences, provide economic benefits and cost savings.
