...Access to Quality Health Care Reshanda Matthews Herzing University Access to Quality Health Care Quality access to healthcare is important to both the patient and the economy. Some of the areas where people are more concerned with quality monitoring include, monitoring readmission rates, blood stream infections, UTIS and patient falls (Kominski, 2014). Hospitals are keener on quality measures because of various reasons. Hospitals get more patients depending on the quality of service they provide. To ensure they get the customers, they seek to provide the best quality of medical care. Hospitals use this information on quality measures to self-evaluate themselves and set goals (Menlik, 2012). Also, insurance companies are becoming keener on expenses that result from negligence and ignorance at hospitals. A case in point is insurances like Medicaid, which are no longer comfortable paying expenses incurred from Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections. Patients are also becoming proactive with the care they receive. Many hospitals have been subject to lawsuits because of accidents that occur at the hospital such as patient falls. Performance based evaluation of employees requires an evaluation of the standard of care they provide. A nurse is responsible for their patient throughout their shift. In the event of a patient fall, it will negatively impact on their performance. Laws have also been improved to require assessment of the quality of hospitals. Finally...
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...Changing Landscape of Healthcare HCS 490 The healthcare landscape is always changing as organizations develop new techniques and processes in response to the challenges they face on a daily basis. For example, with the new law that President Obama signed, the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obama Care, made a huge change to health care reforms. This new law gave citizens healthcare regardless of pre-existing conditions or income. The Obama Care does create shifts and challenges in the healthcare landscape. Obama Care does have its benefits. People with pre-existing conditions can now have insurance without being turned down because of condition, this includes children as well. Young adults can now stay on their parents insurance up to the age of 26 and applications cannot be denied like in the past because of errors made on the application. Obama Care also covers services without co-pays, like mammograms and colonoscopies or other preventive test. Individuals and families will pay insurance based on their income, if you don’t have insurance by March of 2015 you will be fined. Even though people will get coverage with pre-existing conditions, this allows insurance companies to raise their rates. The insurance can’t cancel you because you are sick, but citizens do have the right to appeal a health insurance company if the citizen does not agree with a health care plan (Obama 2014). One of the biggest challenges of the new reform will be Integrated Health Care Delivery...
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...CHANGING HEATHCARE TRENDS Health Promotion: Changing Healthcare Trends Marla K. Clement Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V 11/8/2011 Health Promotion: Changing Healthcare Trends A trend recognized in today’s healthcare setting is that of a shift from professional dictation to patient directed healthcare. An emphasis on the treatment of disease, which was highly successful in the past, is not the answer for today's healthcare needs. Today, patient education is the primary focus with the emphasis on prevention of disease by screening for risk factors and encouraging patients to practice behaviors that foster good health. In the past patients would seek medical care only after symptoms had developed that interfered with their lifestyle. Todays’ trend reflects patients taking a proactive approach to preventing a disease after they have been exposed to the education through mass media such as commercials, the internet, or brochures obtained from clinics or physicians’ offices. With the advances in technology medical professionals are able to reach far more people than in the past. This technology has given professional nurses the ability to encourage more patients to improve their health while fostering positive behavioral changes, referred to as health promotion. Health promotion is defined as the process of empowering patients to improve their health while fostering behavioral, cognitive and emotional activities as to advocate health and well-being of the population...
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...Changing Healthcare Environment and its Impact on Management The article that I chose speaks to the role of e-health and the ever changing environment of healthcare. The article, written by Jeffrey Harrison and Angela Lee, defines e-health as an all-encompassing term for the combined use of electronic information and communication technology in the health sector (Harrison & Lee, 2006). They charge that the role of the Internet in health care information access and delivery is rapidly increasing. They state that 86% of adults with Internet access have used it for health-related information and health inquiries represent 37% of their total Internet usage. The authors conclude that the speed at which new technologies and treatments are being developed means that many clinical providers will and are dependent on the Internet to gain some of the most current information on clinical practice recommendations. As a result, the use of the Internet has the probability to improve health care decision making, enhance health management, and produce better patient outcomes (Harrison & Lee, 2006). There are many factors that are contributing to the ever changing field of health care. The biggest factor today is the Affordable Care Act. This act was signed into law on March 23, 2010. This act changed the face of health care as we know it. It put the power in the hands of the consumers and forces other parties to be transparent in their dealings with a healthcare consumer. Additionally...
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...Changing Paper Documentation to Electronic in Healthcare Name Institution Date Introduction Changing from paper documentation to electronic documentation is just like switching from analog to digital television. Rigidity in institutions may prevail but at the end all the institutions conform to one documentation method the electronic documentation. An electronic document is any media content other than computer system files or programs used in either soft copy form or paper as a print out (Yu, 2006). With technological advancement, the use of written documents has reduced because it has become easier to distribute and display documents in screens (AWARE, 2005). The method has an impact on reducing paperwork and space for storage of these materials. Documentation of activities involving purchases, sales, distribution, drug administration, patient health record, finance and other relevant activities of any organization is a primary issue in maintaining efficiency in operations (AHIMA, 2010). The use of paper documentation is somehow a far behind the method and rather tedious and inefficient. A more reliable and efficient way of keeping health records is thus a necessary change that may help reduce the demerits associated with the paper documentation method. Technologically advancement has brought with it more efficient and easy way to record and maintain a company or organization’s documents (AWARE, 2005). Changing from paper to electronic file documentation is thus a primary...
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...Medicine (IOM) recognized the changes in the healthcare setting and the need to comply with these changes in the healthcare systems. Transforming the health care system to provide safe, quality, patient-centered, accessible, and affordable care will require a comprehensive rethinking of the roles of many health care professionals, nurses chief among them. (Institute of Medicine, 2010.) This report outlined the need for additional nursing education, nursing staff role as a leader, and the nursing practice in primary care. The report IOM report was privately founded and took two years to collect data and release outcomes. Vast advances in technology and the increased use of social media coupled with the demand for the transformation of nursing education have redefined the world of nursing (Cresaia & Friberg, 2010). The IOM report recognized the need for higher educated nursing staff. In healthcare today the majority of the cases are chronic issues. In the 21st century healthcare and patient needs have changed. The environment has become more complex, nurses need a higher level of education to comply with the changing of our patients health. As we deal with chronic issues throughout the healthcare spectrum much demand on community, public health and the prevention of these chronic issues, is of concern. Nurses use evidence-based practice, research, teamwork, and leadership to master the needs of the patients that we serve. Healthcare today is also a cultural concern. The...
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...Health care manager Susan Hannel May 14, 2012 Maureen J. Wishart, RN , MBA A Healthcare manager may be considered anyone from a person who is responsible for a certain department, to a person who is responsible for an entire facility. This paper will focus on the manager who is responsible for a facility. This manager is responsible for aspects of running an efficient facility. A health care manager should raise to the highest standards of performance. The responsibilities of a manager over a facility verses over a department will explore. A clinical manager is to create and implement policies of a specific department (www.top-Healthcare-Schools). The clinical manager evaluates the employees within the department. They are responsible for the budget of a specific department. They report to the healthcare manager of the facility. The healthcare manager or sometimes called an administrator of a facility is responsible for every department within the facility. This manager must be available on a 24 hour basis and able to handle any crisis that may present itself. Organizational and personal responsibilities require that can create an environment of flexibility, teamwork, and participation...
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...the world's second-largest country by land and the largest country by population. Knowing this, healthcare must be one of the most important issues in China. As China becomes more populated, there is becoming a greater need for health care professionals, quality health care facilities, technological improvements, and most importantly a proper amount of funding to support a successful health care system. However, recently, China has been struggling in regards to health care. There has been a widening gap in health status between urban and rural residents, correlated with increasing gaps in income and health care utilization. There have also been drastic changes in health care financing, including a dramatic reduction of insurance cover for the rural population. In 1949, the Chinese government took complete control of the healthcare system. Under the Chinese government, the country’s officials, rather than local governments largely determined access to health care. Referring to an article, “Equity in Health and Health Care: The Chinese Experience”, written in the Social Science and Medicine Journal, Yuanli Liu, William Hsiao, and Karen Eggleston exaggerate that the rural areas were in the biggest need for a healthcare reform during the late 1940s era. The authors explain (1999) “The Rural Cooperative Medical System (RCMS) was established as a three-tier system for rural healthcare access. The RCMS functioned on a pre-payment plan that consisted of individual income contribution...
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...The nursing profession is the largest section of the country’s healthcare labor force employing over three million workers. Multiple obstacles stop nurses from responding effectively to the quickly changing healthcare system. Nurses must overcome these barriers; only then will they be able to lead change and begin a new era in healthcare. On October 5, 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released its advice on nursing in the United State in the scholarly article “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.” IOM is a non-governmental, non- profit organization created in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Science. IOM provides leaders counsel on the topics of biomedical science, medicine, and health. Different states provide different stances regarding what a nurse can actually do. Multiple states allow nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives to prescribe medication without a physician’s direction and partnership. There is widespread agreement in the United States that healthcare must become more patient-centric. Primary care and prevention must have a greater function compared to specialty care. Reports shows that states with a greater proportion of primary care providers receive better outcomes and drops in mortality rates. Nurses with differing degrees of education participate in vital jobs in primary care. Education and evaluation are crucial components of primary care. RNs, advanced...
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...The future of nursing is changing day by day. Therefore, the healthcare system needs to adapt to the change. This is critical for patient care and work environment. Patient’s and employee’s safety should be number one in a health care facility. This where Institute of nursing (IOM) comes in. “[They are] an independent, nonprofit organization that works outside of government to provide unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers and the public” (About 2013). They release annual reports to clarify and answer any difficult question regarding the healthcare system. In 2010, IOM and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) released remarkable report, called The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, which provided a plan to transform the nursing profession for the better. “[Their plan was for nurses to achieve higher levels of education] and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression, Nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training, and [nurses to expand their opportunities and serve as leaders]” (Hanus 2014). This essay will expand on each criteria to achieve the goals of the IOM report. Impact one Nursing Education New diseases and treatments are discovered every day in the healthcare system. It is very important that nurse is well educated and trained to do their job very well. Any mistake from their part risks the health of a patient. Therefore nurses need to continue receiving higher...
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...490 November 25, 2013 Makala Pollard Communications Paper One communication device many healthcare’s use worldwide is the web-based healthcare forums (Url Wire, 1997). This web-based program allows doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and venders to communicate with one another all over the world. Web-based healthcare forums allow others who have the same interest to communicate with one another to gather up any question, experiences, and emotional support. The web portal has help health professionals improve patients care and the efficiency of delivering healthcare. These forums have been known to provide medical professionals with fast and secure exchange of health information for patients, pharmacies, laboratories, insurances, and other providers. A Benefit of Healthcare Forums Some patients may find web-based healthcare a plus cause they do not have to see their physician for little things like medication refills, viewing labs, diagnosis, and medication lists (EHR Bloggers, 2010). The number one benefit many will agree is quite amazing is emailing their physician and knowing the messaging system is secure. Patients have been known to pay extra to have more access to their primary physician (EHR Bloggers, 2010). This saves physicians and patients from having to see one another for unnecessary visits. Web-based healthcare systems can allow physicians to reveal test results to the patient through an e-mail or logging into their facilities site. This will save...
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...Medicine of the National Academies, 2010, p. 85). The impact that the IOM report has had on nursing and it’s future, as we know it has been colossal already. The report that was obtained in 2010 shows us the importance of nursing in patient centered care and the delivery of more primary care than specialty care as well as the focus of shifting care into the community instead of the acute care setting. If we as professionals can alter this shift in healthcare we will provide advanced quality care, decrease errors and provide better safety. The call for the advanced degree practitioner (APN) and physician assistant (PA) is vast; the IOM report is calling for advanced degree practitioners (APN) and physician assistants (PA) to be able to practice to the extent in which they were trained so that they may be able to take some of the burden off the shrinking medical profession and an already fragmented healthcare system. The hope is by giving the APN and PA a less restrictive role in health care it will help to streamline the fragmented healthcare system as well as significantly bringing down costs. These streamlined plans have already proved effective in the Geisinger Health System of Pennsylvania, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and Kaiser Permanente. Comprehensive care was given at a greater value to the patient and the institutions by escalating and intellectualizing the role of its nursing work force. The significance in learning that APN’s and PA’s would eventually take the place...
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...MGT/521: MANAGEMENT September 13, 2010 Jerry Davis Executive Healthcare Management This is an exciting time for healthcare management. Healthcare is changing more rapidly than almost any other field. The field is changing in terms of how and where care is delivered, who is providing those services, and how that care is financed. The world as we know is changing incredibly fast. Because of the rising costs many hospitals have downsized utilizing more acute care centers. What really have happened to healthcare management are the institutions required talented people to manage the changes taking place. In their roles, healthcare executives have an opportunity to make significant contributions to improving the health of the communities their organizations serve. With growing diversity in the healthcare system, executives are needed in many settings, including but not limited to clinics, consulting firms, health insurance organizations, healthcare associations, hospitals, nursing homes, physician practices, mental health organizations, public health departments, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, universities and research institutions. As we move into the 21st century an estimated 100,000 people will occupy health management positions at numerous organizational levels, from department head to chief executive officer. Requirements for senior-level positions in healthcare organizations are demanding, but these jobs offer opportunities to improve...
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...HMA1: Trends in Healthcare Western Governors University Healthcare Management Case Study HMA1 Linda Gunn August 21, 2010 HMA1: Trends in Healthcare The American healthcare system is in the midst of change. No other time in history has the call for healthcare reform been so strong. It is the emergence of expensive new technologies with an aging population and a new call for equitable quality access of health services for all citizens that have pushed for the impending change. Successful managers will need to understand the impetus for this change. The challenges will provide many opportunities for a manager that is properly prepared to lead and guide their organization. Model trends in the United States. Historically, the United State’s healthcare system has been provider dominated. Physicians ordered and directed care without concern for cost or resources. While complex and ever-changing, the focus was on treatment of infectious diseases such as polio, influenza, small pox. (Shortell & Kaluzny, 2006) Our current model of healthcare places much of the responsibility and burden of the cost of medical care on the individual. American healthcare spending approaches 17% of our gross domestic product (GDP), the highest of any member of the World Health Organization. Our performance consistently underperforms in comparison to our peer nations in such measures as life expectancy, infant mortality and overall level of health. (World Health Organization [WHO], 2000) ...
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...report on The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health acknowledges the changing healthcare sector in the US and describes future vision of healthcare and the role of nurses to fulfill that vision. The United States always strives to provide affordable and quality healthcare to the entire population of the country. In order to achieve this goal an overall restructuring of the healthcare system was necessitated. Nurses are considered to be the central part of the healthcare system to provide high quality and safe patient care. Nursing in the US is the single largest segment of the healthcare workforce with almost 3 million nurses working in different areas across the county. The changing conditions in the healthcare system and new legislations to make the system more patients centered will place many demands on the healthcare professionals. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was enacted into law in 2010, is expected to add another 32 million people, who were hitherto uninsured, to the country’s healthcare sector. The new law provides enhanced health care through extensive health insurance reforms making insurance providers accountable, reducing health care costs, and providing quality health care for all Americans. The report uses the terms Nurse, Nursing, and Nurse Practitioner (NP) to refer to the nursing profession. Since nursing is the most important and central core of the healthcare system, there is no doubt that the newly added 32 million people into the insurance...
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