Assignment #1

Abdulaziz Baghanim 100559120

Statement of the issue: Public health policies are made to promote privacy, dignity, rights, and
health of individuals using the healthcare system (Impact of Policies on Health and Social Care
Setting 2020). Unfortunately, that is not the case with HIV patients and other stakeholders
involved which are healthcare providers and policymakers. Public health policy which is made
by policymaker’s states that HIV symptomatic patients cannot be tested for HIV without signing
a consent form. Keeping in mind that not all patients who seek medical attention at the
emergency can read or sign due to their medical condition. Some patients reach the emergency
room unconscious or confused and other hard to rouse so applying such a policy would not be
convenient for patients. HIV patients are being treated differently for decades, and stigma is
following them everywhere, and that makes them be treated differently which is not fair for HIV
patients. Although HIV patients with long term access to drugs have life expectations nearly
equal to people who do not have HIV, hospital policies are making HIV patients feel excluded
from other disease patients. HIV is a sexually transmitted infection, which requires lifelong
medications and therapies that have proven efficiency and life longevity, but hospital policies
require different testing consents than other diseases, why is that?. Public Health policies are
designed to help patients and ensure their rights, make their visit efficient and easy, with having
such policy in hospitals, especially for HIV patients they lose their right and equality of being
treated like other patients with other types of STI diseases. The main objective of this
stakeholder’s analysis is to identify the key stakeholders as a mechanism to promote and improve
testing HIV symptomatic patient's visit, prevent continued stigma by stopping enforcing the use
of consent form as a requirement for HIV testing. This stakeholder analysis is focusing on an
ongoing public health policy issue that is effecting Canadians HIV patients, with respecting all
independence values and patient’s rights which are fundamentals and highly valued in Canadian
culture. As a local hospital, answering the questions “Should we change the policy requiring a
signed written consent form to test for HIV?”, will impact three major stakeholders. First
patients, which are the internal stakeholders who are interested in physical health which is
provided by medical staff. Medical staff is the second stakeholder in this analysis, and decisions
as such can help them to perform tests and diagnose patients faster with no need to return to the
hospital for a consent form, and deal with HIV in a similar protocol as other STI diseases.
Thirdly, is the public health policymakers which are the top of the pyramid for making or
eliminating new policies. Changing the policy can improve patients visit, ensuring the patient to
have an easy and rightful visit to the hospital as similar for medical staff where they will be able
to perform HIV test when it necessary and have a clear rule to follow. On the other hand, public
health policymakers might have an opposite opinion were signing a consent form is meant to be
a form to keep patients informed and aware of all benefits and risks and steps might be followed
if the patients were tested positive. The tensions were identified is that medical staff might run
tests more than needed resulting in over-testing and costing public health more money. On the
other hand, synergies can be being that HIV patients finally be relieved from a policy that was
rooted in a time when stigmatization and discrimination against people who were HIV-positive
were pervasive.
Part 2 includes: between 1-2 pages.
Medical Staff Patients Public Health Policymakers
Involvement  Involved in the  HIV patients  Policy initiating.
process of are facing
performing the test. the problem  Responsible for the performance
and involved of the health system and patients.
 The link between to make a
hospitals and difference by  The most stakeholder that can
patients. changing the impact and solve the issue.
policy.
 The HIV test
performer.

Strategies  Raise awareness Keeping  Need to change this policy to help

through all medical asking and HIV patients with the help of
staff in Ontario by demanding Hospitals and healthcare
making meetings in public health providers in Ontario.
the hospitals and Ontario to
inform them to use change the  Making meetings and discuss the
verbal consent policy by issue with HIV patient’s
instead of written reaching their representatives such as an
consent to initiate office, increase organization or legal authorities.
blood tests for HIV awareness
patients. through
Canadian Aids
society, and
Social Media
to educate HIV
patients with
the issue and
help to solve it.
Expectation  Expected to follow  Policies will  To change the policy as soon as
s future policies be fixed possible.

 Perform tests within  Have an HIV

policy requirements. test with no
need of a
 Currently follow the written
test verbal consent. consent form.
Role(s)  Health provider  Costumer  Provides policies that help,
(Doctors) promote health, dignity, and
rights of individuals using the
 Health Prevention healthcare system.

 Establishing rules to serve public

health and safety.
  Develop regulations and policies
for public health.
Interest  Work  Physical  Safety and Security.
Health
Power/  Low-medium  Medium-  High
Influence High
Legitimate  Telephone and -Social media Ontario Medical Association
source of Mail Surveys https://www.oma.org/
info -Surveys
Public Health Ontario
- Personal https://www.publichealthontario.ca/
Interviews
Ontario Ministry of Health
https://www.ontario.ca/page/ministry-
health

Influence Matrix
Public Health Policymakers

Managers
Ministry of health
Influence

Medical Staff Patients

Doctors HIV patients

Aids Society

Interest

References:
I. (2020, February 20). Impact of Policies on Health and Social Care Setting. Retrieved July 04,
2020, from https://nursinganswers.net/essays/impact-policies-health-social-care-5778.php