Justice In Healthcare

Justice is being fair, impartial, honest, and treating each individual equally. Additionally, justice is ensuring access, benefits, and opportunities are available equally to all individuals. Justice should be applied to every situation in one’s life. In doing so, one can ensure the best possible actions were taken in treating individuals impartially, honestly, equally, and fairly.
Uninsured Patients
Applying justice to healthcare is tricky. First, one needs to determine if healthcare is a fundamental right. Many people believe that it is not a basic human right since it is not specifically mentioned in the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence. However, the World Health Organization states that access to good quality healthcare

is not a privilege. It is a basic human right (2015). Matthew Robinson explains John Rawls’ theory of social justice as justice as fairness (2015). This theory states that something is either just or unjust based on whether the access to civil liberties, human rights, opportunities for fulfilling and healthy lives, and whether it allocates a fair share of benefits to societies least advantaged is promoted or hindered. If one is to believe this theory, justice must be applied to healthcare.
The Kaiser Family Foundation estimated more than 41 million people were uninsured in 2013 (2014 Oct 29). Harvard Medical School and Cambridge Health Alliance conducted a study finding uninsured, working-age Americans have a 40 percent higher mortality rate than privately insured Americans (Cecere, 2009 September 17). Based on the statistics much needs to be done with applying justice to our healthcare system.
Downsizing
Downsizing or layoffs affect those that were laid off and those that survived the layoff.

Psychological depression, physical, social, and economical problems, as well as, dissatisfaction in life has been reported by employees, which have been laid off (Sobieralski & Nordstrom, 2012). Sobieralski & Nordstrom (2012) also note that survivors of layoffs may experience decreased productivity, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction.
Sobieralski & Nordstrom (2012) determine employees’ perceptions of layoffs are based on distributive justice, interactional justice, and procedural justice. Distributive justice involves whether severance packages, benefits, or outplacement services were provided to employees, which were laid off. Interactional justice focuses on whether the employee feels he/she was treated with dignity and respect, as well as how the layoff was communicated to the employee. Procedural justice deals with the perception of fairness of the process used to determine which employees would be laid off (Sobieralski & Nordstrom, 2012). The author of this paper has personal experience with this and while distributive and interactional justice might have been appropriate in her case, interactional justice was not and therefore she will not consider employment with that company in the future. While downsizing may be necessary, applying justice to how downsizing is handled can benefit the employees and the

company.
Stockholders
Cost containment in healthcare is a huge issue that has received much publicity over the past couple of decades.

Healthcare managers are now accountable to profit-oriented boards. The accountability of healthcare involves corporate management, shareholders, and the investment community (Maddox, 1998 December). Ensuring the needs of stockholders to see an adequate profit share requires distributive justice. Maddox (1998 December) explains that distributive justice requires that all individuals are provided an equal opportunity to access scarce resources, which requires healthcare organizations and health plans to provide healthcare to each individual that is due. There is a careful balancing act in healthcare while trying to retain earnings and provide access to quality care for all

individuals.
Discipline
It is important to ensure that justice is included in the policies and procedures of an organization. Organizations must be diligent in following the policies and procedures and documentation provides a complete an accurate picture of the account. Legal ramifications may occur if disciple in the workplace is not done in an appropriate manner.
The first step to employee discipline is ensuring the organization has a good disciplinary policy in place and has clearly communicated it to all employees. Attorney Anne Williams (2002) advises consistent discipline. In addition, discipline must be fairly applied to employees. Ensuring equal discipline is given to each employee with similar misconduct is one way to ensure the discipline is consistent and fair (Williams, 2002). Applying justice to employee discipline will ensure fairness.
In conclusion, treating individuals impartially, honestly, equally, and fairly ensures justice is served. All situations should involve justice in the treatment of people. The use of justice is ethical and morally correct.