Review of Current Healthcare Issues

 Review of Current Healthcare Issues

High healthcare cost is a national concern. It adds to the cost and access to healthcare. This is an area of concern that is exacerbated by the increasing price of medications, hospitalization, and specialized therapies. It is a burden to the patients and healthcare system (Galvani et al., 2020). In my work setting, the high cost of healthcare is a tremendous source of stress. Patients will often postpone care due to cost, which results in deteriorated health status and increased use of emergency rooms (O’Cathain et al., 2020). The burden of cost also impacts the hospitals’ ability to function. There is a lack of accessible modern medical equipment and specialized staff due to fiscal budgets.

The social determinants of health that impact this issue are financial stability and quality of education (Gomez et al., 2021). Financial instability, including low income and lack of health insurance, results in high deductible costs that are unaffordable for many patients. Limited education also plays a role in the lack of knowledge about preventative measures and overall health management. This results in escalated health problems that are more expensive to treat.

My health system has taken many measures to combat the high cost of healthcare. A major initiative that has occurred is the adoption of sliding-scale fees and financial aid programs to assist the uninsured and underinsured to receive the care they need (Erwin et al., 2020). The hospital also collaborates with community-based organizations to offer educational resources about preventative health measures. They teach patients about the importance of regular wellness checks with their primary care physician. The goal is to decrease the rate of escalated health problems.

A notable example is a recent program that has provided free health screenings and wellness education in the urban areas of our community that are medically underserved. These initiatives have engaged more individuals in the community and helped to detect problems earlier. This should lead to a decrease in the overall cost of care in the future. Another major initiative is the investment in telehealth. This has opened more access to care for those who cannot afford regular in-person visits. These initiatives all work together to decrease the burden of high healthcare costs on patients and improve the overall health of the community.

References

Erwin, D. J., LaMaire, C., Espana, A., Eble, T. N., & Dhar, S. U. (2020). Financial barriers in a county genetics clinic: Problems and solutions. Journal of genetic counseling, 29(4), 678-688. https://doi.org/10.1002/jgc4.1279

Galvani, A. P., Parpia, A. S., Foster, E. M., Singer, B. H., & Fitzpatrick, M. C. (2020). Improving the prognosis of health care in the USA. The Lancet, 395(10223), 524-533. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)33019-3

Gómez, C. A., Kleinman, D. V., Pronk, N., Gordon, G. L. W., Ochiai, E., Blakey, C., … & Brewer, K. H. (2021). Addressing health equity and social determinants of health through Healthy People 2030. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 27(Supplement 6), S249-S257. https://doi.org/10.1097/phh.0000000000001297

O’Cathain, A., Connell, J., Long, J., & Coster, J. (2020). ‘Clinically unnecessary ‘use of emergency and urgent care: A realist review of patients’ decision making. Health Expectations, 23(1), 19-40. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.12995

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If you were to ask 10 people what they believe to be the most significant issue facing healthcare today, you might get 10 different answers. Escalating costs? Regulation? Technology disruption? Social Determinants such as environment/community, education, access/quality to healthcare?

Review of Current Healthcare Issues

These and many other topics are worthy of discussion. Not surprisingly, much has been said in the research, within the profession, and in the news about these topics. Whether they are issues of finance, quality, workload, or outcomes, there is no shortage of changes to be addressed.

In this Discussion, you examine a national healthcare issue and consider how that issue may impact your work setting. You also analyze how your organization has responded to this issue.

To Prepare:

• Review the Resources and select one current national healthcare issue/stressor to focus on.
• Reflect on the current national healthcare issue/stressor you selected and think about how this issue/stressor may be addressed in your work setting
• Post a description of the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected for analysis, and explain how the healthcare issue/stressor may impact your work setting. Which social determinant(s) most affects this health issue? Then, describe how your health system work setting has responded to the healthcare issue/stressor, including a description of what changes may have been implemented. Be specific and provide examples.