Article or Case Law Search Leydis Diaz HCS 430 Legal Issues in Healthcare: Regulation and Compliance May 27, 2013 Norman Greene Introduction Palliative care improves the quality of life patient and families, who face a life threating illness. This treatment takes into account the individuals emotional, physical, and spiritual needs, as well as the individuals surrounding them. Palliative may be a good option for a patient with a serious illness who needs assistance: managing pain, understanding and coping with his of her condition, and navigating the health care system.
Facilitating the individual’s choice is vital to palliative care.However, the choice agenda challenges us to question what this truly means for palliative care now and in the future (Kite and Tate, 2005). This article will represent The Atlanta Journal Constitution, dated June 28, 2009, entitled System was deaf to pleas: mother died. This paper will provide sufficient background on the article and discuss the major point. Then, review the legal issues involve in the article law search. Concluding, the writer will discuss suggestion that could have been made.
This article was about a case implicates the Georgia Regional Hospital, Atlanta.In January of 2009, a patient, Na Young, this patient has a history of psychotic episodes. This patient was released form the psychiatric hospital. On a Friday evening in January at the Regional Hospital in Atlanta, Na Yong, refused to sign the release paper.
The patient go valance with the nurse and told her that she will now longer take the antipsychotic medication. The patient family pleaded the doctors and nurses to reconsider discharging her from the hospital. The patient prior to been admitted into the hospital had physically abused her mother on several occasion.Na Yong told physician and nurses that if she were discharge from the hospital she would kill her mother, which was the target of her schizophrenia-fueled rage. The hospital staff still discharged the patient.
Twelve days later, after she left the Georgia Regional, Na Yong drenched her mother his gasoline and set her on fire, as she watched her burn. Her mother died 10 hour later due to the severity of the burns. This was not the first case where an individual with mental disorder was released from a mental facility against the patient wishes.In 1990, James Calvin Brady, was discharged from the same mental facility by the same doctor. The patient went to the Perimeter Mall and open fire killing an individual and critically injuring four more individuals.
According to Alan Judd (2009), the Justice Department began an investigation on the Georgia state hospital in 2007. This was only after several article revealed dozens of deaths from neglect and abuse. The hospital sent a letter to Gov. Perdue, describing the hospital substandard medical care to include releasing patient based on inadequate assessments.Several legal issues were involved in this article. The fist was the patient safety.
This article along with many other revealed that several patients have died and been injured to inadequate patient care, as well as inappropriate patient monitoring. The second legal issue was the patient consent. This article clearly stated that the patient Na Yong refused to sign and leave the hospital; she stated that if she was released from the hospital she was going to stop taking her medication. A fundamental patient right is informed consent.If a patient is in need of medical treatment, the medical facility should provide you the information you need to make a decision.
The third legal issue was the patient rights. All he patients have the right to appropriate care and not be neglected or given substandard medical care. As a patient, you have certain rights. Some right are guarantee by federal law, such as the right to get a copy of your medical records. Many states have additional law protecting patients. Georgia regional Hospital has until September 15, 2009 to report to the federal judge on how much improvement has been made in the facility.
The state of Georgia is drafting an implementation plan that will help resolve these issues. A recommendation to the state is release additional funding to open more mental health services. In addition, the patient should be evaluated on regular basis and go through a series of extensive evaluation before being discharged. The patient once released should be monitored closely. In conclusion, the article found in The Atlanta Journal Constitution on June 8, 2009, entitled, System was deaf to pleas; mother died.This paper has provided sufficient background about the article and discussed the major points.
Then, discuss the legal issues that were involved in the article. Lastly, the writer identified any recommendation that could be made to mental facilities in the state of Georgia. References Alan, J. (2005, June 28). System was deaf to pleas; mother died. The Journal-Constitution, p.
a1. Kite, S. & Tate, T. (2005, July). Choice and Palliative Care: what do we mean? Palliative Medicine, 19(4), 267-269.
Retrieved June 29, 2009, from ProQuest Database.
