Navy healthcare professionals have long
understood the need for good communication and
rapport between the patient and the medical
department staff. The atmosphere in which patient
care is given has a tremendous effect on the patients
perception of the quality of care.
The quality of
medical care rendered to Navy beneficiaries is superb;
however, too frequently the medical care is perceived
by the patient to be substandard because personnel in
patient contact points are not adequately trained in
interpersonal relations.
Good patient rapport is an
essential element of health care delivery.
Many
complaints voiced by patients would not occur if
personnel manning critical patient contact points
presented a courteous, positive, and knowledgeable
attitude that reflected a genuine concern for the patient.
To this end, the Patient Relations Program was
implemented through BUMEDINST 6300.10, Health
Care Relations Program.
The Patient Relations
Programs primary goal is to provide assistance by
intervention in and resolution of a patients complaints
or problems. The Patient Contact Program, a subset of
the Patient Relations Program, ensures an effective
means of resolving such issues before the patient
departs the facility. As an adjunct to this goal, both
programs strive to enhance the channels of
communication between the hospital and the patient
population, as well as among the hospital staff.
FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM
LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
Recognize
policies and procedures pertaining to the
Family Advocacy Program.
The purpose of the Family Advocacy Program is to
identify, treat, and monitor Navy personnel engaging
in spouse or child abuse/neglect (whether physical or
psychological) and sexual abuse.
The program, a
responsibility of the Navy Military Personnel
Command, is guided by SECNAVINST 1752.3 and,
further, by BUMEDINST 6320.70.
In each
g e o g r a p h i c a l l o c a t i o n , a F a m i l y A d v o c a c y
Representative (FAR), usually a staff member of the
Naval Hospital, manages the program. A basewide
committee, composed of medical, line, chaplain, and
Family Service Center personnel, reviews abuse cases
and determines whether each case is established,
suspected, or unfounded.
Established cases are
reported at the central registry at the Bureau of
Medicine and Surgery, where service statistics are
compiled and the future assignment of established
abusers is monitored and controlled.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE
PREVENTION AND CONTROL
PROGRAM
LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
Recognize
policies and procedures pertaining to the
Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention and
Control Program .
The Navy has established a zero tolerance
standard for drug usage. Although prevention and
punishment are still major components of the zero
tolerance policy, the major emphasis has shifted to
education and training. Routine after-care treatment of
addiction is rarely offered to individuals found abusing
drugs, and the most likely outcome of drug abuse is
appropriate disciplinary action and separation from the
service. Levels of alcohol-abuse treatment range from
shipboard education programs to inpatient admission.
Post-treatment consists of monitoring and support
groups, both of which are crucial aspects of the 1-year
after-care rehabilitation program.
All individuals with substance abuse problems
whether alcohol- or drug-relatedare totally
accountable for their actions and the consequences of
them in accordance with the Uniform Code of Military
Justice (UCMJ) and other relevant federal, state, and
local laws.
See OPNAVINST 5350.4, Drug and
A l c o h o l A b u s e P re v e n t i o n a n d C o n t ro l , and
SECNAVINST 5300.28, Military Substance Abuse
Prevention and Control, for additional information
and guidance.
Drug and alcohol abuse is costly in terms of lost
work hours and unnecessary administrative and
judicial processing and is a critical drawdown on
morale and esprit de corps. It undermines the very
fiber of professional readiness, safety, discipline,
judgment, and loyalty. It is not only the abuser who is
affected, but the abusers shipmates as well. Zero
tolerance recognizes that drug and alcohol abuse is
incompatible with the maintenance of high standards
of performance, military discipline, and readiness, and
is destructive of Navy efforts to instill pride and
professionalism in its members.
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