The stance that I chose for my ethical issues debate was supporting telemedicine. Thus, my problem statement was “A significant challenge that many Americans face is access to high quality healthcare. This lack of access is directly linked the many negative healthcare outcomes, resulting in compromising the health of many patients and causing healthcare organizations to lose millions of dollars in potential revenue.”
For the purpose of debating this stance, the literature review I conducted offered many important learning takeaways and insights to this issue. Reviewing the literature brought to light the undeniable amount of Americans who live without access to quality healthcare. Barriers such as remote geographic locations, financial difficulties, and language are all limiting factors to the delivery of effective healthcare (Choi et al., 2020). My research also made apparent the large amounts of healthcare disparities that exist as a result of these barriers. Whether the disparity comes from socioeconomic status, racial or ethnic backgrounds, or disability, the literature indicates that there is a clear correlation between limited access to care and negative patient outcomes, especially in populations who experience mental health challenges (Coombs et al., 2021).
Another key takeaway from my literature review was the importance of accurate assessing of the social determinants of health. The five social determinants of health include access to education, access to health care, economic stability, built environment, and social and community contexts (Chelak & Chakole, 2023). An assessment of America’s current status demonstrates that statistically, the large amount of individuals who experience disparities is resulting in the violation of fundamental ethical principles such as equality and human dignity.