Cooper Green Hospital and the Community Care Plan
Underutilization remains an area of concern in general healthcare services and managed care. According to Hu et al. (2021), underutilization of healthcare services is a top contributing factor to the high number of avoidable morbidity and mortality cases, especially among populations with chronic diseases. The Cooper Green Hospital established the Community Care Plan (CCP) clinics to improve access to care services, reduce patient waiting times, and reduce travel time. However, the utilization of the CCP plan was below expectations. This paper discusses the factors contributing to the underutilization of CCP clinics and suggests methods to increase the utilization of CCP services and attract more paying patients.
Why the Components of This System Are Underutilized
The components of the Cooper Green Hospital’s CCP clinics remain underutilized. There are various factors contributing to this underutilization. Some of the factors are linked to the community served, while others are related to the clinics and the factors of the clinics’ location. A review of the report on Cooper Green Hospital and the Community Care Plan identifies several customer-related factors of underutilization of the CCP clinic services. The main factors of underutilization related to the patients are majorly lack of awareness of the CCP services among the general population, the unwillingness of the patients to seek health care services until they are critically ill, while other members of the community are more likely to only utilize the readily available care services. The membership fees for the CCP clinics have also been identified to reduce the utilization of the services.
Furthermore, the CCP-related factors contributing to the underutilization of the CCP services are linked to the clinic locations and program planning. For instance, some of the staff have noted that the underutilization has been due to social issues in some of the areas where the clinics are located. For instance, the Southtown CCP has seen underutilization due to gang violence and vandalism. Moreover, the CCP limited its membership to Jefferson County. This presents a case of overestimating the demand capacity and providing care services based on that overestimate, leading to underutilization.
Increasing the Utilization of These Services and Attracting a Greater Mix of Paying Patients
There are various steps to take to improve the utilization of the CCP clinics. The first step is to provide substantial discounts on co-payments and membership fees. However, based on research, considerations must be made to have positive outcomes with reduced costs (Fusco et al., 2022). The next step would be to educate the staff on the services provided by the CCP. Staff education creates a culturally competent health workforce that is competent to offer patient-centered care in diverse communities (Stubbe, 2020). The third step would be to register the CCP clinics as health maintenance organizations (HMOs) to meet the compliance regulations and gain more recognition. The fourth step is to ensure proper management of established facilities to improve the population’s perception of the CCP services and influence their health-seeking behaviors.
Conclusion
Underutilization of health care services has a negative impact on population health outcomes. Various factors related to both the healthcare provider organizations and individual patients within the served communities have contributed to the underutilization of Cooper Green Hospital’s CCP. However, based on research evidence, the majority of the factors contributing to the underutilization of health care services are more related to individual patients rather than the health care providers. Nonetheless, improving the utilization of care services should focus on specific factors on either side that contribute to the underutilization.
References
Fusco, N., Sils, B., Graff, J. S., Kistler, K., & Ruiz, K. (2022). Cost-sharing and adherence, clinical outcomes, health care utilization, and costs: A Systematic Literature Review. Https://Doi.Org/10.18553/Jmcp.2022.21270, 28(6), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.18553/JMCP.2022.21270
Hu, H., Jian, W., Fu, H., Zhang, H., Pan, J., & Yip, W. (2021). Health service underutilization and its associated factors for chronic diseases patients in poverty-stricken areas in China: a multilevel analysis. BMC Health Services Research, 21(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1186/S12913-021-06725-5/FIGURES/2
Stubbe, D. E. (2020). Practicing Cultural Competence and Cultural Humility in the Care of Diverse Patients. FOCUS, 18(1), 49–51. https://doi.org/10.1176/APPI.FOCUS.20190041
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Question 
Read Case 14: Cooper Green Hospital and the Community Care Plan. Answer the following questions.
Why do you think the components of this system are underutilized? (Please note that this is not just a problem of poor marketing and communication.)
Cooper Green Hospital and the Community Care Plan
What would you do to increase the utilization of these services and attract a greater mix of paying patients? State at least four steps or actions you would take for this.
Support your responses with examples in a 2-4 page APA formatted Word Document. Include an introduction and conclusion. Cite any sources in APA format.
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Name your document SU_HCM4025_W1_A3_LastName_FirstInitial.doc.
Submit your document to the Submissions Area by the due date assigned.