Monday, June 30, 2008

Let's recap what we've learned in this tutorial:

* Stock means ownership. As an owner, you have a claim on the assets and earnings of a company as well as voting rights with your shares.
* Stock is equity, bonds are debt. Bondholders are guaranteed a return on their investment and have a higher claim than shareholders. This is generally why stocks are considered riskier investments and require a higher rate of return.
* You can lose all of your investment with stocks. The flip-side of this is you can make a lot of money if you invest in the right company.
* The two main types of stock are common and preferred. It is also possible for a company to create different classes of stock.
* Stock markets are places where buyers and sellers of stock meet to trade. The NYSE and the Nasdaq are the most important exchanges in the United States.
* Stock prices change according to supply and demand. There are many factors influencing prices, the most important of which is earnings.
* There is no consensus as to why stock prices move the way they do.
* To buy stocks you can either use a brokerage or a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP).
* Stock tables/quotes actually aren't that hard to read once you know what everything stands for!
* Bulls make money, bears make money, but pigs get slaughtered!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008


Banking Jobs

A banker or bank is a financial institution that acts as a payment agent for customers, and borrows and lends money. In some countries such as Germany and Japan banks are the primary owners of industrial corporations while in other countries such as the United States banks are prohibited from owning non-financial companies.

Banks act as payment agents by conducting checking or current accounts for customers, paying cheques drawn by customers on the bank, and collecting cheques deposited to customers' current accounts. Banks also enable customer payments via other payment methods such as telegraphic transfer, EFTPOS, and ATM.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Medical Ethics - Master of Hospital Administration (MHA)

Introduction to issues in medical ethics

V Raman Kutty

Professor, AMC

Medical Ethics
[vs. Professional ethics]

Principals to guide physicians in their relationships with others

Ethical dilemma is a predicament in which there is no clear course to resolve the problem of conflicting moral principles

Dynamic environment/evolving field

Principles

Autonomy

Beneficience

Nonmaleficence

Justice

Autonomy

Right to self-determination

Requires decision making capacity

Lack should be proven not assumed

Competence – legal determination

Liberty – freedom to influence course of life/treatment

Preservation of Autonomy

Advance Directives

A document in which an individual either states preferences or designates decision maker

Living Will

Takes effect when terminally ill and lacking decision making capacity

Preserving Autonomy

Surrogate Decision Makers

Represents patients interest

Best identified before critical illness

In absence of specific advanced directives should use substituted judgement

Preservation of Autonomy

The primary responsibility of the physician is to serve the patients interest

The patient self determination act of 1990

At the time of admission information re: the patients’ right to refuse care or create an advance directive must be dispensed

Informed Consent

Requirements

Decision making capacity

Volutariness

Reasonable person standard

Present all alternatives f/b recommendation

Respect refusal

All surgical and experimental procedures

Implied Consent

Invoked when true informed consent not possible

Emergency situations when harm would result without urgently needed intervention

Disclosure

Truth telling on part of physician is an integral part of patient autonomy

Paternalism

Justifiable if patient at risk of significant preventable harm, paternalistic action will prevent harm, benefits outweigh risks and the least autonomy-restrictive course of action is used

Confidentiality

Obligation of physician to maintain information in strict confidence

Exceptions if failure to release data to data to appropriate agencies may result in greater societal harm

Futility

Unilateral decision made on part of physician to withold or withdraw medical intervention based on predictable futile outcome

Physiologic futility

Medical futility – none of last 100 cases like this…

Beneficience

Obligation to preserve life, restore health, relieve suffering and maintain function

To do “good”

Nonabandonment – obligation to provide ongoing care

Conflict of interest – must not engage in activities that are not in patients best interest

Nonmaleficence

“Do no harm, prevent harm and remove harm”

Impaired Physician

Physicians have the obligation to report impaired behavior in colleagues

Principle of Double Effect

Act must be morally good

Actor intends good effect

Good effect outweighs bad effect

Bad effect not means to good effect

Justice

Allocation of medical resources must be fair and according to need

Physicians should not make decisions regarding individuals based upon societal needs

DNR

DNR orders affect CPR only

Other therapies should not be influenced by DNR order

Should be reviewed frequently

Rationale should be in medical record

Withdrawing of Support

Brain death is not required

Same as not initiating

Does not conflict with basic principles

Persistent Vegetative State

Uncnsciousness/ loss of self awareness lasting more than weeks

Death

Irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory function

Irreversible cessation of all brain function (including brainstem)

The Nuremberg Trials

Nuremberg Code (1947)

“The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential.”

“This means that the person involved should have legal capacity to give consent; should be so situated as to be able to exercise free power of choice … and should have sufficient knowledge and comprehension of the elements of the subject matter involved as to enable him to make an understanding and enlightened decision. This latter element requires that before the acceptance of an affirmative decision by the experimental subject there should be known to him the nature, duration and purpose of the experiment; the methods and means by which it is to be conducted; all inconveniences and hazards reasonably to be expected; and the effects upon his health or person which may possibly come from his participation in the experiment.”

RESEARCH ETHICS CODES

DECLARATION OF HELSINKI – 1964 (revised in 1975, 1983, 1989, 1996, 2003)

Issues addressed include:

Research with humans should be based on the results from laboratory and animal experimentation

Research protocols should be reviewed by an independent committee prior to initiation

Informed consent from research participants is necessary

Research should be conducted by medically/scientifically qualified individuals

Risks should not exceed benefits

ICMR guidelines

Recently developed by ICMR (available on website)

All medical research in India mandated to follow guidelines

Implications

Informed consent requirements should be carefully followed

IRB mandatory in large institutions- otherwise, can request other institutions’ IRB to review proposals

Collaborative research should be approved by IRBs of all institutions

Health Systems in India - an overview - Master of Hospital Administration (MHA)

Health System in India
an overview

Dr Biju Soman MD DPH

Asst. Professor, AMCHSS, SCTIMST, Trivandrum-11

Overview

Concept of Community Health

Health for All (HFA) initiative

Primary Health Care

-Principles and components


Health & Healthcare

Health

The ability to realize ones potential

A persons sense of well-being

Cultural understanding about ill health & well-being
Extent of socio-economic disparities
Reach, quality and costs of care
Current bio-medical understanding

Is an issue of public policy in any mature society

Health ?

WHO Def:

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity

and

is the ability to lead a socially and economically productive life

Determinants of Health ?

Biological

Behavioral

Environmental

Socio-economic

Health services

Demographic

Inter-sectoral components

Longevity doubled

IMR halved

Small pox and Guinea worm disease got eradicated

Reduced malaria and tuberculosis cases

But

Contributes to a fifth of worlds ailments, one third of diarrheas, tb, resp.ailments and other infections and perinatal conditions, a quarter of maternal morbidities, a fifth of nutritional deficiencies, diabetes, CVDs, a rising number of of HIV/AIDS cases

Who are all responsible ?

Individual

Family

Community

State

International community

Is a Public good so should be dealt in that way

Healthcare System for safeguarding community health

the sum total of all the organizations, institutions and resources whose primary purpose is to improve health

staff, funds, information, supplies, transport, communications, overall guidance and direction.

to provide services that are responsive and financially fair, while treating people decently.

Alma-Ata declaration

1978 international conference on primary care reaffirmed HFA as social goal of the governments can be achieved by primary health care

HEALTH FOR ALL 2000
(WHO, 1981)

The main social target of governments and of WHO should be the attainment by all the people of the world by the year 2000 of a level of health which would permit them to lead a socially and economically productive life.

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
(WHO)

Primary health care is essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology

made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and

at a cost that the community and country can afford to maintain at every stage of their development in the spirit of self-reliance and self-determination

Elements of primary health care

Education about health problems and methods of controlling them

Promotion of food supply and proper nutrition

Provision of safe water supply and basic sanitation

Maternal and child care including FP

Immunization against major infections

Prevention and control of locally endemic diseases

Appropriate treatment of common diseases and injuries

Provision of essential drugs

Principles of primary health care

Equity of distribution

Health services must be shared by all people

Provide access to all people

Community participation

Let them promote their own health

Intersectoral coordination

Education, hosing, agriculture,etc

Appropriate technology

According to need not on demand

Appropriate technology

Technology that is scientifically sound, adaptable to local needs and acceptable to those who apply it and those for whom it is used, and that can be maintained by the people themselves, in keeping with the principle of self reliance with the resources the community and country can afford.




Obstacles to the implementation of PHC Strategy

Misinterpretation of the PHC Concept

Misconception that PHC is a 2nd rate health care for the poor

Selective PHC Strategies

Resistance to Change

Lack of political will

Centralized Planning & Management Infrastructure

Selective Primary Health care

UNICEFs going back from comprehensive PHC concept in the early years itself

Health Sector Reform report by World Bank (1993)

Levels of Primary Healthcare

Subcentre

Primary Health Centre

Community Health Centre

FRUs
PPUs

Sub centres

First level of contact of community with the Health System

Manned by Multipurpose Health Workers (Female and Male)

Administration by Subcentre level committee- Panchayat Ward Member as the chair person and JPHN as the convener

Subcentres

Provision of comprehensive primary healthcare

Implementation of National Health programmes

Area- divided in to 20/40 day-blocks

Each household visited by at least one worker every month and all households covered by each worker in two months

Subcentres

Relation with ICDS- AWW

Sectoral level meeting

Programmes at the AW level

Field visit with the AWW

Consolidation and reporting of Monthly Monitoring Reports

Other voluntary Workers

MSS

Health Volunteers of Kutumbasree

Other Self Help Groups

Primary Health Centres

One in every Grama Panchayat

Caters to 20,000 to 40,000 population

Comprehensive primary healthcare and minimum curative services

Implementation of National Health Programmes

Coordination with the LSGIs

No IP facilities

Community Health Centres

One in every Block Panchayat

Minimum curative services with IP facilities for maternity services- 6 beds

Services of a lady medical officer ( earlier)

Coordinates the activities of PHCs in the area

Community Health Centres

Upgraded Block Primary Health Centres

RCH/NRHM Programmes

Specialty Services

Round the clock maternity services

Emergency Obstetric and Essential Newborn Care

Operation Theatre

Some success models

Kerala vs. rest of India

Venganoor Grama Panchayat

Population 33,372

Area 10.12 sq.km

Pop Density 3298

Wards 19

CHC Vizhinjam

4 doctors

14 HW

30 beds

19 Anganwadis

273 NHG Kudumbasree units

14 schools


Achievements & challenges

1951-2001

Life exp : 50 yrs to 64

IMR : 147 to 67

CDR : 26.1 to 8.7

Far below NHP 1983 goals

22 lakhs children die every year

130,000 mothers die per year

Growing inequities

Facts on healthcare services

Overall spending on health sector is 6% of GDP

But Govt. Spends only 0.9%

Only 17 % of the health expenditure (45 % in SL)

Only 58% goes to primary sector, that also for salaries

Rest is spent out of pocket by people

Individual practice to institutionalized practice

Defensive medicine, pharma industry

10% of annual household consumption

Indebtedness (>3.3% of families)

Externally funded programs

the dilemmas of aid: Combodia:1992-2002, L Gollogly)

Four major criteria for ideal Healthcare

Universal access

To adequate level without excessive burden

Fair distribution

Of financial costs for access and burden in rationing care & capacity

Training providers

Competence, empathy and accountability

Attention to vulnerable groups

Children, women, disabled, aged etc

Healthcare

Forecasting is notoriously uncertain

Burden of Diseases DALY

Murry and Lopez (projections for 2020)

Diarrhea and communicable diseases

TB, HIV , Injuries

Non-Communicable diseases

Incomplete base data

Policy dilemma

to counter upper class demands

We should go beyond societal averages (Relative deprivation; Gwatkin et al)

Extraordinary infrastructure

Over 5 lakhs trained doctors

Over 7 lakhs ANMS MPW

Rural Primary Health care

1.43 lakh subcentres

23109 PHCs

3222 CHCs

24000 doctors

3500 specialists

Rs.62.5 crores

Facility gaps, supply gaps and staff gaps demand 20 % more funds and good management

Inequities

Urban rural

Life exp from childhood onwards

Gender gap

Rich & poor

IMR 2.5 times in poorest 20 %

TFR & Child mortality 2 times

Poorest quintile has 75 % of the malnourished children

Six times less likely to access hospitalization, antenatal care

Major public health issues

Communicable diseases

60 % of morbidity; R&D not a priority

(TB: 14 m; 1.5 % of population, 3-5 lakhs deaths

Malaria: 2 m, Tribal malaria, limited ext. help

HIV/AIDS: ?3.86 m, ART($10,000 per year)?

Maternal Health Child nutrition

Non communicable ailments

Cancers: 1.5-2 m

Diabetes: 8-11 %

CVD, Renal diseases, Accidents, mental diseases

Infrastructure (public sector)

Rural

District Hospital

Taluk (subdistrict) Hospitals

Community Health Centres (1 Lakhs ppln)

Primary Health Centres (30,000 ppln)

Subcentres (5000 ppln)

Anganwadis/VHGs (1000 ppln)

Under funding, improper management

Readings & references

Healthcare organization and structure (Healthcare system and Management 1): SL Goel; Deep & Deep Publications Pvt Ltd, 2004

Chapter 20 & 21, Parks Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine; Eighteenth Edition; K Park, M/s Banarsidas Bhanot publishers, 2005

Health Sector Reforms in India; A district Medical Officers Manual, GOI, and UC, India Research Press, 2004

Working Together for Health, WHR 2006, WHO

http://www.who.int/healthsystems/en

Thank you




Notes for the Master of Hospital Administration (MHA) program conducted by Kerala University & CDC, Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram.