Philosophical Similarities In Healthcare

Running head: PHILOSOPHICAL SIMILARITIES IN HEALTHCARE 1

Philosophical Similarities in Healthcare

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PHILOSOPHICAL SIMILARITIES IN HEALTHCARE 2

Philosophical Similarities in Healthcare

Health is multifaceted in nature as various factors interact to determine the well-being

of individuals and communities. However, there is growing evidence that suggests that health

systems have provided inadequate responses to the needs and challenges of diverse

populations leading to poor health outcomes and a high disease burden (Dawson, Nkowane &

Whelan, 2015). As a result, the healthcare systems in the world have designed several

approaches to meet the diverse healthcare needs of the population. These approaches include

primary health care, community engagement, and midwifery tactics that share common

philosophies. One of the fundamental ideology in all these approaches is the delivery of

continuous care to clients which leads to better health outcomes. This paper discusses these

philosophical similarities between primary healthcare, community engagement and

midwifery approaches and how these contributes to healthy outcomes of women and their

babies.

Primary health care (PHC) is an approach of providing health services that entails the

provision of promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and supportive care to the

population (Walt & Vaughan, 1982). The central focus of PHC is the prevention of illness

and promotion of health. This entails the provision of education on nutrition, sanitation,

lifestyle, maternal and child health, and immunization so as to promote health and wellness.

Additionally, PHC is guided by the principles of accessibility, public participation,

health promotion, application of relevant technology, and intersectoral collaboration

(Dawson, Nkowane & Whelan, 2015). Accessibility requires the eradication of social

disparities to enhance coverage. Public participation requires the health provider to involve

clients in identifying their health needs and making decisions on the way to solve them.

Health promotion involves educating the people on how to maintain good health to reduce the

need for curative and rehabilitative services (Walt & Vaughan, 1982). There is also a need for

PHILOSOPHICAL SIMILARITIES IN HEALTHCARE 3

improving knowledge and capacity of the health system to deliver evidence-based services

through the application of modern technology. Finally, PHC requires cooperation among

different sectors of the economy. The integration of health in all the sectors promotes the

development of sound policies.

Community engagement, on the other hand, entails working together with the societal

members and established groups to address the health needs and deal with issues that have an

impact on their health and well-being. It is a powerful tool for bringing about the desired

changes and promoting decision making capabilities of healthcare systems to improve the

health of the population (CDC, 2015). Community engagement requires the establishment of

long-lasting partnerships and coalitions that play a crucial role in the mobilization of

resources, catalyse change policies, and promote the implementation of health programs that

benefit the community. Community engagement requires health systems to conduct an

outreach, consult, involve, collaborate, and have shared leadership on matters that affect

health. This improves health promotion efforts and implementation of change leading to

improvements in the delivery of health services.

The midwifery philosophy affirms the importance of health and well-being of

families, communities, and nations. It is anchored on the believe that child bearing is a

profound experience that has a significant impact on the health of the mother, child, family,

and the community at large (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2013). The

midwifery model is based on respect for human rights and the belief that midwives provide

the best care to pregnat mothers due to the nature of their training. Midwifes recognize that

child bearing is a normal physiological process. Additionally, the approach advocates for the

provision of holistic and continuous care grounded on the understanding of the different

social, cultural, economic, spiritual, psychological, and physical experiences of women

PHILOSOPHICAL SIMILARITIES IN HEALTHCARE 4

(Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2010). This requires taking partnerships with the

mothers and respecting their right of autonomy in the plan of care.

The three approaches to health and wellness share several similarities. The common

denominator among these approaches is their emphasis on continuity of care. PHC involves a

continuum of care starting with health promotion, and prevention of diseases. According to

Talbot & Verinder (2014), “ensuring continuity in assisting people to maintain their health

and manage illness through treatment and rehabilitation is the primary focus of PHC” (28).

Therefore, the primary health care team has the responsibility of promoting continuity and

ensuring that it is managed by the most appropriate health personnel to inspire confidence in

the community. This is in line with the midwifery philosophy which advocates that midwifes

who are qualified personnel should provide care to mothers. Additionally, the midwifery

approach requires providers to build women’s confidence in the healthcare system and

themselves to cope with childbirth.

PHC is also anchored on the principles of public participation through collaborative

models of policy dialogue. This ensures the optimum use of the available resources and

guarantees sustainability and self-sufficiency (Andre, & Heartfield, 2011). This is inline with

the community engagement philosophy which highlights the right of the community to be

consulted in matters affecting their health. This aims at empowering community members to

ensure success of the various community programs. It fosters an environment of trust which

leads to sustainable implementation. The midwifery philosophy also focuses on empowering

women to assume responsibility for their health and that of their families (Nursing and

Midwifery Board of Australia, 2018). It also recognizes the need for developing sustainable

partnerships with these women to ensure personalized and continuous delivery of care. The

emphasis on client-empowerment by the three approaches ensures that care is available all

the time leading to continuous care.

PHILOSOPHICAL SIMILARITIES IN HEALTHCARE 5

The incorporation of PHC and community engagement in the provision of midwifery

services leads to the delivery of high-quality and safe care for women and their babies.

According to the ICM (2000), “research indicates that midwife-led continuity of care models

are associated with benefits for mothers and new-borns, such as the reduction in the use of

epidural anaesthesia, fewer episiotomies and instrumental births, and increased spontaneous

vaginal births and increased breastfeeding” (1). Mothers also experience less cases of pre-

term births and deaths of babies before reaching 24 weeks of gestation. Additionally, the

incorporation of PHC, community engagement, and midwifery approaches leads to reduced

cases of neonatal deaths. The Royal College also discovered that delivering continuous

personalized care reduces incidences of postnatal depression by ensuring earlier diagnosis

and provision of better support to the women.

In conclusion, there are several approaches to the delivery of healthcare services in

the community. These approaches include PHC, community engagement, and midwifery

philosophies which play a significant role on the health and clinical outcomes of mothers and

their babies. The approaches pay close attention to the continuity of care. PHC advocates for

a continuum of care starting with health promotion, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation

of patients. Community engagement highlights the need for empowering community

members to ensure continuous success of the health programs. This ensures sustainability of

health programs. The midwifery philosophy concentrates on the delivery of holistic and

continuous care to women by qualified midwives. This has yielded several benefits for

women and their babies leading to better health. Therefore, health professionals should focus

on providing continuous care to pregnant women.

PHILOSOPHICAL SIMILARITIES IN HEALTHCARE 6

References

Andre, K., & Heartfield, M. (2011). Nursing and midwifery portfolios: Evidence of

continuing competence. Chatswood, NSW: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.

Andrian, A. (2009). Primary Health Care in Australia A nursing and midwifery consensus

view (pp. 12-58). Melbourne: Australian Nursing Federation. Retrieved from

http://anmf.org.au/documents/reports/PHC_Australia.pdf

CDC. (2015). Chapter 1: What Is Community Engagement? | Principles of Community

Engagement | ATSDR. Atsdr.cdc.gov. Retrieved 21 April 2018, from

https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/communityengagement/pce_what.html

Dawson, A., Nkowane, A., & Whelan, A. (2015). Approaches to improving the contribution

of the nursing and midwifery workforce to increasing universal access to primary

health care for vulnerable populations: a systematic review. Human Resources for

Health, 13(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12960-015-0096-1

ICM. (2000). Philosophy and Model of Midwifery Care (pp. 1-4). International Confederation

of Midwives (ICM). Retrieved from

https://internationalmidwives.org/assets/uploads/documents/CoreDocuments/CD2005

_001%20V2014%20ENG%20Philosophy%20and%20model%20of%20midwifery%2

0care.pdf

Talbot, L., & Verinder, G. (2014). Promoting health: The primary health care approach (5th

ed.). Chatswood, N.S.W.: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier.

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia [NMBA] (2010). National competency standards

for the midwife. Melbourne:

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. Page 15 of 19 Version: February 19th 2018

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia [NMBA] (2013). Code of ethics for

midwives in Australia. Melbourne:

PHILOSOPHICAL SIMILARITIES IN HEALTHCARE 7

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia

[NMBA] (2013). Code of professional conduct for midwives in Australia. Melbourne:

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia [NMBA] (2013) A midwife’s guide to

professional boundaries. Melbourne: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

Walt, G., & Vaughan, P. (1982). Primary Health Care: What Does it Mean? Tropical

Doctor, 12(3), 99-100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/004947558201200302

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