Lobbying on Healthcare Issues
Lobbying is one of the main ways interest groups try to influence legislation and other policies emanating from congress and the senate. Healthcare often accounts for the largest congregation of lobbyists in Washington, D.C. it is estimated that there about 4000 lobbyists during the final days of the passing of the Affordable Care bill into Act (Kushel &Bindman, 2014). I have had an opportunity to lobby and provide support for lobbyists of Medicare proposals at the state level. My experience has been that there are a lot of interests represented by the large numbers of lobbyists from different sectors such as the insurance companies, healthcare providers, and representatives from the doctors’ and nurses’ unions (Callaghan & Jacobs, 2016). Additionally, it is essential to identify groups of lobbyists that share similar interests so as not to work at cross-purposes. Owing to a large number of entities involved getting grass root support is vital in getting the policies and the people you represent through.
Alcohol Use Disorders
Long-term chronic use of alcohol usually has the effect of inhibiting your brain receptors, thereby reducing your brain function. The decision to quit drinking is not easy, and it represents a long road. For WG, a chronic alcohol user, managing the withdrawal from alcohol requires medical intervention to ensure that the patient is monitored for life-threatening side effects. Alcohol detox will be a good strategy for getting the patient through the first few days of alcohol withdrawal (Kattimani & Bharadwaj, 2013). The early few days to a week are essential as alcohol withdrawal symptoms are most likely.
Once the patient’s LFTs have normalized, then it becomes safer to administer pharmacological interventions to maintain sobriety and enhance brain activity. The patient has used Disulfiram in treating alcohol withdrawal syndrome (Muncie et al., 2013). Due to the lack of positive feedback on the patient’s alcohol withdrawal, the patient shall be administered chlordiazepoxide, a benzodiazepine, which will help calm the central nervous system as well as increase brain activity (Kattimani &Bharadwaj, 2013). This drug is also crucial during the detoxification period as it is known to treat and manage severe withdrawal symptoms such as seizures.
References
Callaghan, T. & Jacobs, L. R. (2016). Interest Group Conflict over Medicaid Expansion: The Surprising Impact of Public Advocates. American Journal of Public Health, 106(2), 308-313.
Kattimani, S. & Bharadwaj, B. (2013). Clinical management of alcohol withdrawal: A systematic review. Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 22(2), 100-103.
Kushel, M. & Bindman, A. B. (2014). Health Care Lobbying: Time to Make Patients the Special Interest. American Journal of Medicine, 116, 495-497.
Muncie, H. L., Jr, Yasinian, Y., & Oge’, L. (2013). Outpatient management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. American family physician, 88(9), 589–595.