- 09/04/2013
- Posted by: essay
- Category: Free essays
INTRODUCTION
Today, rising health care costs raise heat debate concerning the future development of the national health care system. In this regard, health care reform seems to be inevitable and essential for the further effective development of the US national health care system. Otherwise, the national health care system may face a profound crisis depriving a considerable part of Americans of the possibility to receive health care services. In such a situation, the legislators and the government should unite their efforts with health care professionals and insurance companies to develop effective health care reform, which can make the national health care effective and available to all Americans.
PROPOSED HEATLH CARE REFORM AND LEGISLATION
In actuality, the national health care system needs profound and qualitative reform, because the existing health care system has proved to be ineffective in terms of the provision of health care services to all Americans. Specialists point out that “with the nation’s economy in the midst of a deep recession, the president was especially focused on rising health care costs” (Sparer, 2011, p.1842). The rising health care costs deprive even larger number of Americans of access to health care services. In such a way, the government and legislators cannot ignore the fact that health care services, which are vitally important for Americans become a privilege. In such a situation, the health care reform is inevitable but this is exactly, where the major problem arises because the health care reform needs considerable changes the US are not prepared to.
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For instance, the wide involvement of the government in funding the US health care system and the emergence of state-supported health care plans raise the problem of funding all these projects, while the federal budget has limited financial resources to fund multibillion projects in terms of the health care reform suggested by Obama. In addition, the proposed health care reform confronts a strong opposition from the part of conservative Americans, who believe that the traditional health care system based on insurance is fair and effective enough. Therefore, legislators and policy makers will need to overcome conservative biases and stereotypes and shape the new concept of health care services as a social good that should be available to all Americans.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT, INCLUDING THE ELECTRONIC MEDICAL, OR HEALTH, RECORD
At the same time, the progress of information technology and telecommunication systems raise another problem of their adaptation in the health care system, including the use of electronic medical, or health, records. First, “the implementation of EMR systems is a sizable capital investment over a long period” (Bermdt & Fine, 2011, p.5). In the time of the economic recession, the US can hardly afford the transition toward the electronic medical records.
More important, “an EMR system only works if intensive education and training of physicians and other clinical staff are provided and change these professionals’ ingrained clinical practice habits” (Bermdt & Fine, 2011, p.5). Therefore, health care practitioners will have to change their habits and train to use the new electronic system of medical records. The training of health care professionals may also need considerable funds.
In addition, specialists point out that, “without a doubt, an EMR is only as good as clinicians’ ability to incorporate it into patient care” (Bermdt & Fine, 2011, p.5). Therefore, the ability of clinicians to adapt electronic medical records will define the success of their implementation, whereas technology becomes secondary. This means that even the most advanced technology may fail, if clinicians cannot implement it successfully. This is why “when EMRs fail to deliver anticipated benefits – a common problem – it is most likely because clinicians do not integrate the EMR into patient care” (Bermdt & Fine, 2011, p.5). Consequently, the introduction of the electronic medical record can fail because of the resistance of clinicians and their inability to implement the new technology properly.
ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, INCLUDING THE UNINSURED AND THOSE IN THE POVERTY LEVELS
In such a context, the access to health care services becomes the major challenge to the health care system. In this regard, it is worth mentioning the fact that existing state-supported programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid has proved to be quite successful: “2011 surveys, a mild sense of optimism about sales of many Medicare products: more than 40 percent said their sales of Med Supp have increased in the past 12 months and more than 50 percent think their sales will increase in the year ahead” (Stonehouse, 2011, p. 133). However, a considerable number of Americans remains uninsured. Therefore, Americans living in poverty cannot receive health care services and the number of Americans deprived of health care services will grow respectively to the growth of health care costs.
CONCLUSION: ADAPTATION OF STRATEGY AND DIRECTIONS BY ORGANIZATIONS
In such a situation, health care organizations should come prepared to the aforementioned challenges. They may develop different health care plans aiming at different social layers to provide at least basic health care services for the poorest part of the population. In addition, they should develop close cooperation with the government and other institutions that can support them financially or technically.
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