Category: Healthcare

Introduction

In nursing contexts, successful implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) improves patients care outcomes by assisting to close the gap between research and clinical nursing practice (Beyea & Slattery, 2006). This paper describes the methods to be used in implementing bundled practices to minimize the prevalence of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Setting and Subjects

The solution will be implemented in the intensive care unit, which caters to critically ill patients and those requiring specialized attention due to the nature of their illness. A meeting will be held to inform nurses working in the unit about the solution and also to request their participation through informed consent.

Timeline

This project is expected to take six months to complete. The first month will be used to obtain baseline data on the project, develop a data documentation tool, train staff members, and design strategies for implementation with the relevant stakeholders. In the second month, the project will be piloted in the unit to identify challenges and make adjustments (Gallagher-Ford, Fineout-Overholt, Melnyk, & Stillwell, 2011). Full rollout to the ICU unit and other areas will begin in the third month and continue for three months, after which data will be collected to evaluate the efficacy of the project.

Timeline

Solution Process and Resources

Money is needed to cover costs of staff allowances, training materials, transportation and logistics, and refreshments. Human resources required include EBP advocates, nurses, and health consultants to train nurses on the bundled practices. The clinical changes include changing the duty roster and installing bedside alarms to ensure round-the-clock monitoring of patients, initiating a process improvement aimed at ensuring oral hygiene care and adoption of proper handwashing techniques, elevating the head of the patients bed, and training ICU nurses on effective use of subglottic sanctioning (Sedwick, Lance-Smith, Reeder, & Nardi, 2012). These clinical process changes can minimize the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia (Munro & Ruggiero, 2014).

Resource List

Solution Methods and Instruments

Nurses will use the feedback form to provide comments and opinions on how they are implementing the solution and the challenges faced. An alternative method is to use daily report cards to monitor how the implementation is progressing. Although the feedback system may lack credibility due to its subjective nature, it is less costly to use and increases the motivation of nurses participating in the process (Sedwick et al., 2012).

Data Collection and Management

Data will be collected by the team leader using a structured questionnaire, after which it will be entered into a computer software program for analysis. The leader will have the responsibility of managing the data by using security protocols to avoid unauthorized access. Descriptive statistics will be used to analyze data with the view to demonstrating how the solution has influenced patient outcomes in terms of reducing pneumonia-associated mortality (Sedwick et al., 2012).

Strategies to Deal with Barriers

Journal clubs and EBP rounds will be used to address any barriers to successful implementation. Journal clubs will assist in reviewing and discussing available scholarly resources on the issue to address any barriers, while EBP rounds will use EBP advocates to search for, critique, and appraise the evidence with the view to solving any challenges that may be experienced (Melnyk, 2002; Melnyk & Fine-Overholt, 2015).

Budget

The costs involved in implementing the bundled practices include (1) consultation fees for pneumonia experts ($250), (2) administrative fees for poster development and printing training materials ($600), (3) human resource fees for speakers salary and nurse allowances ($2,500), material costs for installing bedside alarms and other process changes ($10,000), training on the use subglottic sanctioning ($3000), transportation and logistics ($2,500), and research fees for accessing databases and libraries ($1,200). The total cost is approximately $20,050.

Budget Summary

Plans to Maintain, Extend, Revise, and Discontinue Proposed Solution

An evaluation will be undertaken in the sixth month to assess the efficacy of the bundled practices in minimizing the prevalence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care settings. The results of the evaluation process will provide important insights on how the project is meeting its intended objectives and what needs to be done to increase its efficacy.

Conclusion

This paper has described the methods that will be used in implementing bundled practices to minimize the prevalence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care settings. It is hoped that the solution will be effective in reducing the high rates of mortality and morbidity associated with this health condition.

References

Beyea, S.C., & Slattery, M.J. (2006). Evidence-based practice in nursing: A guide to successful implementation. Peabody, MA: HCPro, Inc.

Gallagher-Ford, L., Fineout-Overholt, E., Melnyk, B.M., & Stillwell, S.B. (2011). Evidence-based practice, step by step: Implementing an evidence-based practice change. American Journal of Nursing, 111, 54-60. Web.

Melnyk, B.M. (2002). Strategies for overcoming barriers in implementing evidence-based practice. Pediatric Nursing, 28, 159-161. Web.

Melnyk, B.M., & Fine-Overholt, E. (2015). Evidence-based practice in nursing & Healthcare: A guide to best practice (3rd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Munro, N., & Ruggiero, M. (2014). Ventilator-associated pneumonia buddle: Reconstruction for best care. AACN Advanced Critical Care, 25, 163-175. Web.

Sedwick, M.B., Lance-Smith, M., Reeder, S.J., & Nardi, J. (2012). Using evidence-based practices to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia. Critical Care Nurse, 34, 41-50. Web.

The list of main problems cannot be viewed as a list of separate problems. Instead, each issue in the American healthcare system is connected to other issues, which creates a complex chain of interconnected problems. However, in order to resolve them, the approach should not focus on either of those issues. Instead, changing the perspective on the way health care is delivered can resolve the complex system of issues with less effort. Hence, Aetna offers a system that is different from the one that is currently implied in the United States and most of the other world countries.

The article provides numerous examples of how an ineffective healthcare system creates issues that cause excessive financial burdens and is not focused on the resolution of the patients issue. For instance, there is an asthmatic patient who has made 405 visits to the emergency room during the year (Henderson et al., 2018). As a result, the care costs associated with her treatment escalated to $2.7 million, while the patient was exhausted as she was 75 years old (Henderson et al., 2018). Such tendency would continue with an approach where a hospital or emergency room visit is the only option. However, after Aetna has sent a nurse to the patients house, it was identified that her thermostat was set on 60 degrees, and the woman was using angora sweaters and blankets to stay warm (Henderson et al., 2018). The most important part is that all this time, she was allergic to angora. Hence, by providing such simple care and investigation into the case, millions of dollars and hundreds of working hours could be saved and distributed to more urgent cases.

The example that is provided above illustrates how Aetna attempts to resolve the complex issues in the United States healthcare system. Aetna aims at creating an on-demand healthcare service, where nurses and healthcare providers would answer patients request in-person or through digital platform. The model is inspired by the technological advancements and models of digital business that have become leaders of their respective industries during the last two decades such as Uber and Facebook.

Recommended Solutions to the problems

Aetna intends to create an ecosystem, where consumers of healthcare are viewed as members and they are connected to the healthcare providers. To simplify the cases for nurses and healthcare professional, the digital platform would utilize data analysis tools to work closely with members and coordinate their healthcare (Henderson et al., 2018). Each member would be directly connected to the platforms representative, that would provide an individualized approach to each case and would offer professional assistance and connect the member with a healthcare provider promptly.

Outcome Expectation

Digital and technological solutions that will be used in the platform will be used to simplify and demystify healthcare services to its consumers. As a result, patients would be able to optimize their healthcare expenses, and the time they spend on it. This would decrease the expenses associated with care costs, improve healthcare efficiency by minimizing the workload for nurses, and improve patient outcomes by eliminating causes of unnecessary visits to hospitals and emergency rooms. Hence, the outcome expectation is a stable digital platform that provides an alternative to the existing healthcare system and ensures that healthcare costs are minimized for both consumers and providers.

Reference

Henderson, R. M., Eisenstat, R. and Preble, M. (2018). Aetna and the Transformation of Health Care. Harvard Business School Case 318-048.

It is highly significant for healthcare organizations to align the actions with the vision and mission for the institution, which sets the course for treatments and hospital stays for the patients. In other words, these aspects shape the organizations behavior and set the picture for the future planning and strategy for the healthcare institution. Furthermore, it assists employers in establishing core values and purpose for employees, which can further contribute to exceptional outcomes for patients.

To begin with, vision for the organizations future is an integral part for any healthcare representative, considering that it helps define the aspirations and goals for operating. Naturally, the aims should be appropriately set so that the medical institution does not fail to achieve them or reaches a lousy outcome compared to what was expected (Tomasik, 2022). To be more exact, it is vital to set goals that are not too ambitious and, at the same time, irrelevant or easy to achieve (Tomasik, 2022). Consequently, the properly established vision for the organization can yield numerous fruitful benefits not only to the organization itself, but employees and patients eventually. As a matter of fact, it may inspire employees to provide the clients with high-quality services, define a diagnosis, prescribe advantageous and healthy medication so that they can get better in the future. Overall, a vision helps employees connect their accomplishments in fulfilling responsibilities to a bigger picture, how the organizations work influences the world.

As for the mission, it helps the healthcare organizations see their direction to achieve the goals set for the vision of the institution. To elaborate, it shapes and adjusts the identity of the organizations according to the aspirations for the operations (Tomasik, 2022; Ansary, 2019). The mission is crucial for defining the reason for the existence of the healthcare institution, meaning that employees and employers should realize that their primary purpose is to help people recover and live healthy life (Tomasik, 2022). Still, the reason may be different, considering that every organization identifies its purpose for operating itself. Similarly, the mission of the organization includes defining the core values for the employees and employers that are connected to their work and vision (Tomasik, 2022). However, the most significant part of the establishing mission is to identify strategy, which may include collaboration with the companies from the healthcare sector, correlating employees responsibilities, and purchasing medication or equipment.

Having analyzed what vision and mission helps organizations establish for their work and outcomes, it is justified to consider both the aspects integral to efficient work for the healthcare sector. That is why when the institutions goals and strategies are set right, it makes it easier for employers to negotiate with stakeholders, establish relationships with healthcare companies that may benefit the organization, and further treatment of patients (Ansary, 2019). Moreover, the united work of employees, employers, partners, and even patients is what helps define a vision and a mission for the organization (Ansary, 2019). As a result, if the values correlate with employees beliefs, they become even more motivated to achieve excellent outcomes in their medical practice (Ansary, 2019). Commitment to the organizations purpose and goals leads to employees transforming the strategy on the papers into action in real life, which is capable of helping people battle severe diseases, overcome mental issues, and recover from accidents.

References

Ansary, A. S. (2019). Importance of a mission statement in healthcare. Career Cliff. Web.

Tomasik, J. L. (2022). The importance of aligning vision, mission, and strategy in Fast-Changing healthcare environments. Wharton Health Care Management Alumni Association. Web.

Introduction

A countrys healthcare system is critical to the well-being of its population, which explains why governments across the world spend billions of dollars improving the sector. However, it is important to acknowledge that several issues are affecting the functionality of healthcare, including social, economic, and political elements. Examples include high-technology advances as firms in the industry compete against each other, financial issues, and the efforts by the government to introduce a single-payer system in the country. This paper will focus on the technological developments and the healthcare culture encouraging them, financial solvency, and the opposition to the single-payer system.

Medical Care Culture for High-Technology Approaches

Healthcare planners could be more efficient and effective if they adopted the concept of the natural history of disease and designed services that address the weakest links. However, the current pathway is that of high-technology solutions to preventable problems. An argument can be made that the medical care culture that supports this approach is characterized by competition and desire for profit by the healthcare providers. According to Young and Kroth (2018), the first half of the 20^th century saw massive improvements in healthcare as the focus was on the prevention and cure of infectious diseases. The second half was accompanied by technological developments that brought about massive profit potential. The new devices resulted in a scenario where entities extravagantly competed with each other in the development of lucrative services through capital investments in such equipment. Therefore, it can be argued that the focus of healthcare planning may have switched from healthcare improvements to profitability and innovation in patient care.

As new technologies and devices emerged, many entities purchased and used them to provide care for their patients. The technological paradigm shifts have included the rise of an information era that led to the emergence of newly-designed services whose key features included effectiveness, personalization, and patient-centered focus (Patricio et al., 2020). The firms with better equipment and services could attract customers and charge better prices. Therefore, the development of new drugs, creative surgical approaches, and life-extending and life-enhancing medical solutions have been fueled by profit-centered competition in the American healthcare industry. According to Patricio et al. (2020), technology has been intended to enable people-centered approaches, which are considered more efficient in the diagnosis, rehabilitation, and treatment of patients. However, most of the innovations have been made to offer healthcare facilities an edge in the industry, including the opportunity to make vast profits.

Another characteristic of medical care that encourages high-technology approaches is self-service. As explained by Young and Kroth (2018), many players in the industry pursue selfish interests geared toward profit maximization and risk reduction. Young and Kroth (2018) argue that physicians, hospitals, and nurses can be viewed as self-serving, as seen in their political efforts in influencing healthcare reforms in the country. Besides the self-service nature of the industry, it can be argued that Americans have developed a technology-oriented culture where people believe that more dramatic technologies are more effective in improving their lives. In the healthcare industry, the same culture can be manifested through the consumers preferences for providers claiming to have the best technologies and equipment. Since the firms have developed a culture of profit-driven competition, it follows that the survival of many entities relies on their ability to innovate and handle competitive pressure.

The Need for Financial Solvency

Hospitals and other healthcare organizations, both voluntary and for-profit, are under severe market pressure to remain financially solvent. Their success and survival depend on this bottom line, which has changed the nature of the American healthcare system. Under normal circumstances, the primary focus of these institutions should be to improve the health and well-being of consumers. However, the need for financial solvency has meant that all their operations are geared towards profitability and cost control. An argument can be made that the situation has been the result of unsuccessful government legislation or the inability of the government to assure healthcare organizations financial safety. For example, the 1997 Balanced Budget Act was designed to reduce the payments for Medicare patients below the treatment cost (Young & Kroth, 2018). This legislation caused massive havoc as a result of rising costs and checks kept on hold by managed care organizations. Many hospitals resorted to cost-cutting measures to avoid financial ruin, including laying off staff (Young & Kroth, 2018). Therefore, the external environment has played a critical role in shifting the focus of healthcare entities from care delivery to financial stability.

Whether non-profit or for-profit, hospitals need to be well-funded for them to deliver care to patients, the source of these funds remains a contentious issue in the United States as debates of who should pay for healthcare do not seem to find the right answer. Implementation of healthcare regulations, including funding the organizations, becomes a challenge for the government, which means that the organizations have been left to find alternatives to their financial well-being. The result of such an approach is a scenario where care services are offered only if they are financially viable. The problem mostly manifests itself in private hospitals where cases of patients being turned aware due to financial reasons are on the rise. Diedrich (2020) paints a clearer picture of this situation using a study that established that ambulances with patients deemed to be poor are turned away by private hospitals. Even public and voluntary facilities will face challenges admitting patients who cannot afford the services and lack insurance since the treatment costs must be met.

The new bottom line is that the American healthcare system is inequitable, as only the patients with higher incomes can afford the services. Even the insurers operate on a similar basis, which means that high-risk individuals are also left out of the health insurance systems. The problem is made worse by the fact that hospitals have to make huge capital investments, especially in new technologies, to remain competitive. The investments cannot be feasible or successful without financial health. The resulting scenario is a profit-focused healthcare system where services are not equitably distributed. The thriving private facilities, which often offer the most profitable services, mean that the healthcare system has adopted a commercial nature. All players have to consider the fact that their survival depends on their financial solvency.

Resistance to Single-Payer System

Most developed countries have adopted a single-payer system that helps to eliminate the complex insurance burdens and frees funds that can be used to support care for the under-served. In the United States, such is not the case, as there exists strong resistance to a single-payer system. The debates for a single government program have often been done along political lines, with both democrats and republicans having different opinions on the matter. However, it is important to acknowledge that the resistance hardly comes from the public as there is massive public support (Oberlander, 2019). The question of why the resistance remains can be answered by considering the influence of the private sector on the healthcare industry and the profit-driven culture of the players. A simple argument can be made that what has been considered costs are revenues gained by a stakeholder in the healthcare system. If the opposition is meant to allow private insurance companies to thrive, then it becomes apparent that the opposition to a single-payer system is intended to allow insurance companies to maximize their profits.

A single-payer, either the government or a private entity, may be beneficial to the patients. However, it would eliminate the use of private providers, which means that all the insurance firms would be out of business. Additionally, it can be argued that many people believe that under-served people can be better served through improving such frameworks as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). According to Young and Kroth (2018), the fierce resistance from the private sector is the main reason why the United States does not have a comprehensive national healthcare system. The private sector often comprises stakeholders with vested interests and organized medicine organizations that would prefer a freer market. Even the ACA, which should be a national framework, has left many people uninsured. Therefore, the ACA fails to function as a national healthcare system.

Conclusion

The American healthcare system can be described as chaotic due to the lack of a central framework to govern the delivery of care. The influence of the private sector is manifested through the fierce resistance to such developments as a single-payer system, which should offer massive benefits for patients. The culture that has developed can be described as a profit-centered competition among firms as each attempt to make heavy capital investments to gain an edge. The current approaches to care involve high-technology solutions where new technologies and equipment are used to gain a competitive edge. However, the trend has also been influenced by the consumer base who believe that the more dramatic the technology, the better the treatment outcomes.

References

Diedrich, J. (2020). Some hospitals turn away ambulances when the patients are more likely to be poor, a study finds.Journal Sentinel. Web.

Oberlander, J. (2019). Lessons from the long and winding road to medicare for all.American Journal of Public Health, 109(11), 1497-1500. Web.

Patricio, L., Sangiorgi, D., Mahr, D., ai, M., Kalantari, S., & Sundar, S. (2020). Leveraging service design for healthcare transformation: Toward people-centered, integrated, and technology-enabled healthcare systems. Journal of Service Management, 31(5), 889-909. Web.

Young, K., & Kroth, P. (2018). Sultz & Youngs Health Care USA: Understanding its organization and delivery. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Social change is a social responsibility when it aims to improve the current state of society for the betterment of all. Todays university students are increasingly interested in social responsibility and how they can make a difference in the world. There are several ways for students to get involved, and one of the most effective is to become involved with a local or national organization that advocates for social change in healthcare. A well-rounded healthcare proposal plan should include nutritional education, teaching people how to read food labels, and helping them to embrace a balanced diet. Many chronic illnesses, such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, result from poor eating habits. If people are taught the importance of a healthy diet early on, it will aid in reducing the number of people developing these illnesses later in life. Increasing funding for public health concerning physical activities is another key component that assists in keeping healthy. I would prepare a proposed plan to deal with the health social change by educating society on nutrition, balanced diet, and food label reading, as well as requesting more funds to boost public health.

Social change is important as a social responsibility because it can help to improve the quality of life for people in terms of healthcare. As a social responsibility, I would propose a plan to provide nutritional education and resources for all citizens. This would include teaching about the benefits of a healthy diet and how to read food labels. It will be important to include nutritional education in the social change proposal aimed at improving the health and well-being of a community. Malnutrition is a common problem in many parts of the world, and it has led to a wide range of health problems. Providing people with access to nutritional information and education will help them make better choices about their food, which will improve their health and well-being (Jung et al., 2019). Additionally, providing nutritional education will ensure reduced rates of malnutrition in communities, which can have a positive impact on overall public health.

Moreover, a healthy diet is critical for the overall health of a community and its population and thus will have to be included in the proposal. By promoting healthy eating habits, the community can prevent chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, stroke, and type II diabetes. Additionally, a healthy diet will also improve mental health and cognitive function, increase work productivity, and reduce healthcare costs (Jung et al., 2019). Investing in a healthy diet is one of the most important steps a community can take to improve the health and well-being of its citizens. Good nutrition is additionally important for pregnant women and young children in order to support growth and development. Not only do they have significant benefits to individuals and their families but there are likewise significant benefits to society as a whole.

Similarly, one of the most important steps in any social responsibility proposal is to educate people on the issue at hand. In this case, it will be vital to include how to read food labels so that they can make informed decisions about the food they are eating. Reading food labels is key to understanding what is in the food. By being able to understand the ingredients, people can make better choices about the foods they eat and whether or not they are good for their bodies (Jung et al., 2019). Not being able to read food labels can have serious consequences on ones health. For one, it can be difficult to know how many calories are in a product if a person cannot read the label. This can lead to weight gain if someone is not aware of how many calories they are consuming.

In addition, not being able to read food labels makes it difficult to determine whether a product contains allergens or not. This is especially important for people who have food allergies, as they need to be aware of which ingredients might cause them an allergic reaction (Jung et al., 2019). Lastly, not being able to read food labels makes it difficult to identify added sugars and unhealthy fats in a product. Added sugars and unhealthy fats can also cause inflammation in the body. This inflammation can lead to a variety of health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, arthritis, asthma, and even cancer (Schwingshackl et al., 2020). Finally, added sugars and unhealthy fats can damage body cells and increase the risk of age-related diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimers disease.

Additionally, I would propose increasing funding for public health initiatives that encourage physical activity. These initiatives could include things like community bike rides, park programs, and walking groups. There are a few reasons why I would propose increasing funding for public health initiatives supporting physical activity. Firstly, physical activity is critical for overall health and well-being and can help reduce the risk of diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes (Xie et al., 2019). Secondly, physical activity is an important part of preventing obesity and reducing the prevalence of chronic diseases in the population.

Another reason to increase funding for public health initiatives supporting physical activity is that it is an effective way to address the issue of sedentary lifestyles. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most Americans do not get enough exercise, and this lack of physical activity is a leading contributor to chronic diseases (Xie et al., 2019). Physical inactivity is responsible for an estimated 5 million deaths worldwide each year and costs the global economy an estimated $522.7 million in the year 2008 (Ding et al., 2017). Governments at all levels have a responsibility to take action to address this problem. By increasing funding for public health initiatives that support physical activity, governments can make a significant impact in reducing the burden of disease caused by physical inactivity.

In conclusion, it is crucial to ensure nutritional education and a healthy diet because a nutritious diet provides the body with essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients needed for optimal health. A healthy diet protects against chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. It is, therefore, essential that all individuals have access to nutritional education so that they can make informed choices about what foods to eat in order to maintain good health. It is essential to read food labels because they inform individuals about the food components; they list the ingredients and nutritional information for each product. This can aid someone in making informed decisions about what to eat and how much to eat. Increasing funding for public health initiatives that encourage physical activity can also be beneficial. For example, regular physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. Therefore, my proposal plan will include nutritional education and resources, the importance of maintaining a balanced diet and requesting for public health fund increment to ensure better healthcare.

References

Ding, D., Kolbe-Alexander, T., Nguyen, B., Katzmarzyk, P. T., Pratt, M., & Lawson, K. D. (2017). The economic burden of physical inactivity: A systematic review and critical appraisal. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 51(19), 1392-1409.

Jung, T., Huang, J., Eagan, L., & Oldenburg, D. (2019). Influence of school-based nutrition education program on healthy eating literacy and healthy food choice among primary school children. International Journal of Health Promotion and Education, 57(2), 67-81.

Schwingshackl, L., Morze, J., & Hoffmann, G. (2020). Mediterranean diet and health status: Active ingredients and pharmacological mechanisms. British Journal of Pharmacology, 177(6), 1241-1257.

Xie, Z., Nikolayeva, O., Luo, J., & Li, D. (2019). Building risk prediction models for type 2 diabetes using machine learning techniques. Preventing Chronic Disease, 16, E130.

Every healthcare system and academic health clinic in the United States is attempting to thrive in a constantly changing world. Governance, financing, care models, innovation, technology, and advances in management and therapy are all evolving at breakneck speed (Wang et al., 2018). While the obstacles varied depending on the industry, executives worldwide strive to integrate quick goals with a longer-term perception while not knowing what the future holds. This paper is written to talk about the importance of aligning the vision of a healthcare organization.

Consumers nowadays are discriminating and have great expectations of the type of treatment they will receive from the medical centers they attend. Aside from that, they may choose a particular bedside style or the use of new technologies. These and other concerns may be expressed instantaneously in purpose, vision, and procedures for financial reporting, allowing patients to determine which institutions are most suited to their specific requirements. Aside from advising patients, purpose, goal, and company values may assist many different sorts of staff in determining if they will fit into the working culture of any particular facility. Before applying or interviewing, people should grasp what the company stands for.

It is the companys job to follow a sociologically set quality of practice while being ethical. Such issues are significant at religious institutions, where terms such as raising regard for life can have a significant impact on who obtains which sorts of therapies and how those treatments are administered. Such guidelines have the potential to limit the delivery of health services. To that purpose, companies must be transparent and upfront about their goal and how they may impact patients.

Comments from health professionals and patients may also be used to identify the institutions present state in relation to its purpose, vision, and principles. To start, people should do an evaluation to evaluate patient and employee impressions (Wang et al., 2018). They can confirm strengths or point out any flaws that would impede the purpose or ideals from being entirely accurate. As people compose conflicting comments, they should use particular wording that potential patients or workers may comprehend. Confusing medical language should be avoided, especially when defining individual departments goals, visions, or ideals.

Workers would be delighted to match their work with the purpose, vision, and principles if they comprehend how these function and see them in practice. To maintain these elements top-of-mind, include them incorporation events, worker publications, and when assisting employees in setting personal objectives. The structure and culture of a healthcare institution can influence its capacity to provide high-quality, empathetic treatment (World Health Organization, 2018). This has a significant effect on health outcomes, employee happiness, and public reputation. All of this may be aided by strategic objectives, vision, and values declarations. Any effort made to create statements that correctly reflect the purpose of their company will be appreciated.

To summarize, every health system and academic medical center in the United States is seeking to prosper in a world that is constantly changing. People nowadays are picky and have high expectations of the sort of care they will receive from the medical facilities to which they go. It is the companys responsibility to adhere to a socioculturally defined standard of behavior while being ethical. Opinions from health professionals and patients may also be utilized to determine the current condition of the organization in regard to its mission, vision, and values. Professionals would be thrilled to align their work with the mission, vision, and ideals if they understood how these functioned and saw them in action.

References

World Health Organization. (2018). A vision for primary health care in the 21st century: towards universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals. World Health Organization.

Wang, Y., Kung, L., & Byrd, T. A. (2018). Big data analytics: Understanding its capabilities and potential benefits for healthcare organizations. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 126, 3-13.

Telehealth is a healthcare service offered by practitioners and facilities via electronic means of information sharing. There can be cases where a healthcare facility is located far from a patient, but an electronic transfer of patient information allows practitioners to offer care over long-distance for follow-up contact, advice, education, reminders, care, monitoring, and remote admissions (Rutledge & Gustin, 2021). Despite lacking physical contact with a patient or care provider, telehealth enhances and promotes easy access to health services among people. It serves as a faster way of handling health issues to help prevent worse cases from occurring. However, telehealth is mainly for passing information from a patient to a healthcare practitioner or vice versa.

Integrating Telehealth in Specific Organization

Among care service providers assigned to monitor and track the record of patients, they can integrate the use of telehealth in making follow-ups and engaging patients to check on their condition. The virtual visit can be done via phone call or video chat, depending on the preference of the patient. Apart from a virtual visit, a healthcare facility can engage with patients remotely to provide check-ups while the patients recover from home. In case the checkup through a telehealth program discovers a complication or urgent situation that demands physical attention, a practitioner can be assigned to visit the patient immediately or called to visit a facility (Rutledge et al., 2021). Another area in that telehealth can be integrated is in robotic technology for carrying out surgery activities. A robot can be directed by a doctor located in a different location to perform a complete surgery on a patient hence saving time, life, and money.

Managers Roles in Telehealth

Selection

Healthcare managers have the task of selecting tools and machines for use in providing care to patients. Apart from selecting equipment and tools, managers can select care practitioners to take charge of a situation with the patient electronically. The information stored in the facility database is used in advising the managers about the junior staff qualifications for assigning them duties (Rutledge & Gustin, 2021). Because personal relationships may conflict with the selection process of caregivers and other practitioners in handling various tasks within a facility, using electronic means to select qualified staff to undertake a situation are done by managers with the help of telehealth technology.

Implementation

Managers perform a resource assessment for an evaluation of the readiness of telehealth services within a facility. The credentialing of telehealth depends on the requirements and their fulfillment within the place of implementation. Managers must take the information of a framework that can support health systems in a facility. Managers implement telehealth in outpatient sections due to the need to get feedback from patients. The implementation process takes place by gathering specifications and requirements (Rutledge et al., 2021). A manager offers leadership and gives direction on the tasks to be performed. A manager also gives feedback about professionals who take part in telehealth operations.

Integration

During the integration process, managers help to identify the specific needs for telehealth implementation and enable a seamless flow of activities. Validation of the present and future state of workflow within a health facility is done by the manager. The validation enables accuracy in the configuration of virtual connections to communicate with patients and other required participants within a condition such as virtual surgeons (Rutledge & Gustin, 2021). Telehealth programs are aligned and created to offer help to patients and staff but customization is needed to fit various facilities. For example, telehealth programs within a maternity hospital cannot be similar to those available in an intensive care unit (ICU).

Evaluation

The role of managers is to provide leadership and feedback on the program implemented in a facility. A manager tests the time between a consultation request is made and the time a response is given from a healthcare facility. The program must have a user-friendly interface that can motivate patients to use due to obtain quick responses and advice.

Impact of Telehealth on Organization Users

Telehealth is a solution to experienced delays and failure to reach out to care providers by boosting convenience and introducing easy ways of handling activities. For example, virtual meetings and consultations with patients help in reducing hospitalization risks in senior communities. When people have easy access to health information and advice, they remain vigilant of the slight changes in their lives and seek professional help (Rutledge et al., 2021). The virtual system helps in handling complicated patent situations easily without making them feel ignored or remain in severe pain.

Benefits of Telehealth that Support Quality Outcome

Since telehealth is offered virtually, it benefits people by controlling and managing infectious diseases. Avoiding crowds within hospitals helps to reduce disease transmissions from one patient to another hence leading to a healthy society. To the elderly and typically ill patients that need acute care and attention, family connections are made stronger and they become so close to the patients to offer help and support (Rutledge & Gustin, 2021). The regular schedules of doctor consultations or checkups enable family members to ensure their availability to receive doctor comments. Lastly, the telehealth program allows for better assessment because privacy is maintained. A doctor talking on the phone with a patient can help to manage confidentiality and privacy unlike when a patient can be heard talking to a doctor in a consultation room.

References

Rutledge, C. M., & Gustin, T. (2021). Preparing nurses for roles in telehealth: Now is the time. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 26(1).

Rutledge, C. M., ORourke, J., Mason, A. M., Chike-Harris, K., Behnke, L., Melhado, L., & Gustin, T. (2021). Telehealth competencies for nursing education and practice: the four Ps of telehealth. Nurse educator, 46(5), 300.

The lack of access to health services and the inability to acquire the needed drugs is one of the main problems in the healthcare sector of the USA. The existence of the given issue preconditions the deterioration of the health of the nation and poor outcomes among vulnerable populations. For this reason, it is possible to justify the proposed policy and admit the need for changes in the existing legal field to guarantee the increased affordability of prescription drugs for clients who have special requirements (H.R.7348  Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act of 2018, n.d.). The systematic change in the regulations is one of the most effective ways to guarantee improvements in healthcare as it means the governmental support of proposed incentives, which is the key to future achievements and the ability to drive positive change.

The evidence proposed to support the health policy also seems reliable and credible. The broad category of Americans (20% of all population) faces the high risk of acquiring multiple complications because of their inability to afford the demanded care and medications (Zarei et al., 2020). Additionally, statistics show that 58 million also suffer from the given problem because of the problems with prescription drugs (Lockwood, 2019). For this reason, the introduction of the proposed health policy becomes vital for achieving the goal of promoting the health of the nation and transforming the healthcare sector to make health services more affordable to people. Regarding the provided evidence and the arguments, the proposed health policy can be viewed as an appropriate step needed to balance the healthcare service and avoid discrepancies between the provision and distribution of services. At the same time, the increased affordability of prescription drugs might demand additional change in diagnosing and examining patients to avoid problems with mistreatment.

References

H.R.7348  Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act of 2018. (n.d.). Web.

Lockwood, C. (2019). Ensuring medications are more affordable without stifling innovation (Part 2): In the second part of this series, potential solutions to fix the rising drug cost problem are examined. Contemporary OB/GYN, 64(7), 36.

Zarei, L., Karimzadeh, I., Moradi, N., Peymani, P., Asadi, S., & Babar, Z. (2020). Affordability assessment from a static to dynamic concept: A scenario-based assessment of cardiovascular medicines. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(5), 1710. Web.

Many healthcare issues become prominent points in electoral campaigns, yet they remain unresolved for decades due to their complexity, which leads to disagreements in discussions of solutions. Alongside incomparably high government expenditures on healthcare, citizens give millions for out-of-pocket payments, which leads to this sector taking up to 18% of the countrys GDP (Nunn et al.). There is a drastic need to reimagine the approach to healthcare services accessibility in terms of costs through capping the prices on essential services, as the current market-driven approach has failed to promote healthy competition. It appears feasible due to the hospitals current ability to dictate prices on services whose absence equals premature death (Nunn et al.). This essay will review the issue of high costs of healthcare services in the United States and propose a suitable solution.

There are many differing opinions on the topic, leading to numerous heated debates on the necessity of such an approach. The primary reason for this issue is the tendency of patients to visit hospitals more than individual practitioners and private clinics (Nunn et al.). Therefore, the focus of many propositions is on this type of healthcare facility. As of now, there are examples of people receiving bills for thousands of dollars for absurd services, such as getting treated with an ice pack (Kliff). Several solutions attempt to resolve this issue yet explore different ways to influence prices.

For example, it is possible to decrease care costs by ensuring a better competitive environment through demanding transparency of hospital expenditures. On a federal and state level, governments can demand transparency by providing an advantage to facilities that meet a certain mark. Even local governments can enforce transparency by expanding the obligations of facilities that serve as the primary care providers and leveraging their tax rates (Krutz and Waskiewicz 527). The role of the judicial branch of the United States government will lie in ensuring that privacy and transparency will not become intertwined, while the executive branch must enforce transparency among all involved facilities. The legislative branch must enact laws connecting transparency with hospitals competitive advantage.

The second possible approach is a major overhaul of Medicaid to cover more options. There is evidence that such a move does help with preventing costs from rising too rapidly, such as during the presidency of Obama (Krutz and Waskiewicz 367). The clear focus of policies is to be determined, yet there are weak spots that can be covered even now. On a local level, employers can promote Medicaid over other options as it will grow less viable due to its expansion. The legislative system should prevent lobbyists from achieving an unfair advantage over the appearance of the new law that would promote Medicaid coverage. The judicial system must be able to find a balance between the involved sides to represent their wishes adequately. At the same time, the executive branch must ensure that this new insurance policy is upheld in every state.

However, the solution must focus on prices directly, as the rest of the measures seem complementary to the proposed approach. It is not feasible to remain on that path that leads only to a gradual increase in the costs to ones life and well-being. Nowadays, hospitals control approximately half of all finances that come into the healthcare system, which gives them immense control over the prices (Nunn et al.). It is paramount for the U.S. government to counteract this influence via all possible channels, which implies that the previous options that use only a portion of possible ways to reduce costs are incomplete. Critics may mention that the demand controls the prices and that these funds lead to hospitals acquiring better equipment (Cutler). Partially, it is true, yet there are policies and hospitals financial decisions that harm the U.S. market directly. There is a possibility to lower these overinflated values through interventions on a federal level, including making reimportation legal (Cutler). Moreover, state and local governments may assist with that goal by capping hospital prices and punishing resource misallocations, such as overprovisions of unnecessary services.

In conclusion, the healthcare system must be accessible to people without becoming a money sink on its own, as it does in its current state due to the excessive demand for critical services. There are solutions that take an indirect route toward the issue of high costs, yet they fail to reach a necessary level of influence over prices. Without strictly controlling hospitals and their ability to dictate high service costs, people will continue to see life-saving medications at prices of hundreds of percent above their production values.

Works Cited

Cutler, David. The Worlds Costliest Health Care.Harvard Magazine, 2020.

Kliff, Sarah. She Didnt Get Treated at the ER. But She Got a $5,751 Bill Anyway.Vox, 2018.

Krutz, Glen, and Sylvie Waskiewicz. American Government. 2nd ed., OpenStax, 2019.

Nunn, Ryan, et al. A Dozen Facts About the Economics of the US Health-care System.Brookings, 2020.

Statistics has received little attention in medicine, even though it is essential knowledge for healthcare practitioners. It is necessary to have a strong grasp of statistical vocabulary, including concepts like mean, median, mode, and average, to stand in a better position to provide evidence-based medical care (Navida state college, 2020). When examining healthcare research or consulting journals and novels on best practices and therapies for patient care, nurses must also comprehend statistical principles like validity, reliability, and significance (Navida state college, 2020). The discussion in this paper is to determine the importance of statics concepts in healthcare.

Health statistics are used to understand community risk factors better, track and monitor illness progression, analyze the impact of policy changes, and evaluate the quality and safety of health treatment. Healthcare practitioners often use statistics to inform patients about the risks and adverse consequences of particular therapies and procedures (National library of medicine, n.d). Careers in nursing and healthcare research also require a strong background in statistics. Designing studies that gauge certain factors and patient outcomes is within the purview of nurse researchers. Understanding when research findings are statistically significant and applicable to particular groups of people, the ability to read and interpret nursing and medical research findings is important (National library of medicine, n.d). Healthcare professionals must also know how to use the correct statistical methods to report their findings. Additionally, having a solid understanding of statistics can aid nurse researchers in identifying and analyzing patterns in healthcare data that can be used to enhance patient care and save costs.

An area in my specialty that applies statistical concepts is offering evidence-based medicine to patients. A classic example is the prevention and treatment of cancer. Through statistical evidence, conclusions, recommendations, prevention, or treatment can be made based on facts. I intend to employ the most recent and current research and evidence material on cancer prevention and treatment to provide patients with preventative measures and tailored therapy. I want to provide fact-based teachings about the risks and side effects of specific treatments and procedures of cancer treatment to patients.

References

National library of medicine. (n.d.). About health statistics. Web.

Navida state college. (2020). Why nurses need statistics. Web.