The Health Workforce

The Health Workforce

The shortage of healthcare workers is a significant problem that affects access to care, especially in remote areas. One way to address this issue is by making changes to scope-of-work regulations, which can expand the role of non-physician practitioners in providing care (Auerswald, 2020). However, these changes are often met with resistance from professional organizations and concerns about patient safety. The organizations aim to protect the interests of their members. As a healthcare professional, I believe that certain scope-of-work proposals could help alleviate health worker shortages while maintaining high standards of care, for example, allowing nurses and physician assistants to prescribe medications. Furthermore, nurses and physician assistants should be allowed to order investigative tests, which could increase access to care for patients. Additionally, expanding the role of pharmacists in providing medication therapy management and immunizations could also help alleviate shortages in primary care.

Moreover, telemedicine and electronic communication have the potential to revolutionize the field of healthcare delivery. However, they also have a lot of risks attached (Nittari et al., 2020). One of the most significant risks is the possibility of a wrong or late diagnosis. This could occur in scenarios where a physical examination is required. A detailed examination may not be possible with virtual consultations, leading to inaccurate or even wrong diagnoses. Another risk is the possibility of invasion of patient privacy and confidentiality. This could occur if electronic communication channels are not properly protected. Cybersecurity threats are a growing concern in healthcare. Electronic communication could provide an opportunity for hackers to access sensitive patient information. Patients may also have difficulty accessing telemedicine services due to a lack of technology or internet access. Some patients could lack technological skills, particularly in low-income or rural areas. This could further exacerbate healthcare disparities, as those who need care the most may not have access to these services.

References

Auerswald, P. E. (2020). Healthcare to the Home: Enabling Distributed Health Service Delivery by Removing Barriers to Entrepreneurial Exploration. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3697457

Nittari, G., Khuman, R., Baldoni, S., Pallotta, G., Battineni, G., Sirignano, A., & Ricci, G. (2020). Telemedicine practice: review of the current ethical and legal challenges. Telemedicine and e-Health, 26(12), 1427-1437. https://doi.org/10.1089/

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Module 4 Discussion Topic 2

The Health Workforce

Review Chapter 9 in Knickman and Elbel (2019).

In Chapter 9, we noted that the health workforce was central to the healthcare system and that changes in its deployment and utilization would have significant effects on healthcare quality and costs.

The Health Workforce

In the discussion forum, analyze the following questions:

If changes to scope-of-practice regulations could help abate health worker shortages, why are changes not made? Which scope-of-practice proposals would you support?
What are the risks in relying more on telemedicine and electronic communication to help meet the need for health care services?