The Health Care Delivery System, Essay Example

Abstract

In today’s society, the manner in which healthcare is delivered to the masses is divided into different systems, each of which possesses a specific purpose and objective. In these systems, there are many challenges to consider that ultimately play a role in how healthcare is provided to citizens that require different types of care and treatment, and this conveys an opportunity to explore a variety of basic processes that are common across healthcare delivery systems, and to also consider other factors that determine the costs of healthcare and other important criteria that are important to its users. These elements contribute to the problems that continue to prevail in the modern healthcare system as a whole.

Introduction

Healthcare delivery faces considerable challenges as it continues to change over time, and as it requires an increased effort on behalf of the taxpayer population to cover a greater contribution to the cost of these services. Therefore, the burden of healthcare services has shifted dramatically to the side of the consumer, and the quality of care and delivery has changed across many systems. These considerations are of critical importance in order to demonstrate how the necessity for routine and specialized care has increased tenfold, but the quality of these services has dramatically declined. The following discussion will address these components in greater detail, emphasizing the importance of different styles of healthcare delivery and how they directly impact the consumer population in different ways.

Analysis

In general, healthcare delivery “depends on a highly trained, balanced, and motivated workforce; current and accurate information; and technologies that enable health professionals to use information in the right place, in the right way, and at the right time” (Center for American Progress, 2008). Therefore, it is necessary to consider that a wide variety of components play a role in these offerings, including but not limited to clinical services, insurance, and government influence. In the private sector, healthcare delivery operates across organizations in different ways, and therefore, the quality of care and consumer responsibility for the cost of these services widely varies. As a result, private sector systems often establish their own pricing structures and style of delivery that may not coincide with the general needs of the consumer population, thereby leading to a variety of challenges for this group of people. When the burden of healthcare is shifted to the consumer, there is an increased risk of overall decline in health across this population because consumers cannot afford to pay for the necessary services. This is a complex yet common problem for healthcare delivery systems throughout the world, and in particular, the United States.

Since healthcare delivery is so different across various groups, it is necessary to consider that these differences directly impact consumers in a variety of ways, and also demonstrate a challenging approach to providing high quality service to consumers (Shih et.al, 2008). In this context, “There is no single national entity or set of policies guiding the health care system; states divide their responsibilities among multiple agencies, while providers practicing in the same community and caring for the same patients often work independently from one another” (Shih et.al, 2008). These findings suggest that healthcare delivery continues to decline, while the cost for said services continues to increase, creating a very challenging set of problems for consumers (Shih et.al, 2008).        In addition, there is a significant divide that exists across healthcare organizations with respect to the services that are provided to consumers, and that many groups do not obtain any level of access to these systems due to income factors and other considerations (Shih et.al, 2008). Therefore, healthcare delivery is largely disjointed and perplexing to consumers in many ways.

The primary elements of healthcare delivery also demonstrate that existing policies regarding these systems have been largely unsuccessful in supporting the needs of the population, and have also been unable to provide care for many of the most vulnerable members of different age and income groups. In general, healthcare policies have established the tone for the quality of delivery and service, but the desire for private organizations to reap the benefits of these services through large profit margins cannot be ignored. However, healthcare policy initiatives have made many efforts to overcome these trends and to support the type and level of care that is required for improved outcomes across healthcare organizations (Ross and Gross, 2009). These policies have been successful to some degree, but they continue to solve many of the problems that exist in healthcare delivery systems in their current state (Ross and Gross, 2009). In many cases, consumers do not possess any real choices in regards to their healthcare, as they lack access to these services altogether, or their employers only offer a single choice of coverage. Therefore, additional exploratory research and policy development are required to provide patients with the best possible options to obtain these services and to improve their overall health.

Philosophy/Mission Statement

From a personal perspective, I believe that healthcare delivery services are sorely lacking in many communities, and this unfortunate series of events is based upon a natural desire for private sector businesses to earn substantial revenues for the lowest possible contribution to the consumer. This is standard practice for many businesses, and is an unfortunate problem that is difficult to ignore. Nonetheless, there are significant factors that also contribute to the overall negative direction of the healthcare delivery system that could be reduced by smart policy creation and decision-making. If the focus is shifted more to the needs of the consumer rather than the provider’s profit margins, there could be an important shift in the quality of care, as well as the level of access that is provided to consumers requiring these services. Therefore, consumers must be provided with greater options and access in order to truly benefit from what healthcare systems have to offer.

Conclusion

Today’s healthcare delivery systems create a number of challenges and an expanded burden for the consumer population. These elements are of critical importance in shaping the healthcare environment as it currently exists, and must serve as key indicators of change in the future. Consumers without access to basic healthcare services will continue to suffer at the expense of big business, and this process must be reversed by smart policy decision-making, expanded access to care, and improved delivery of services for all persons. These elements will play a critical role in shaping the healthcare environment and its responsibility to the general population for the foreseeable future, and will also shift some of the burden back to the provider rather than the consumer.

References

Center for American Progress (2008). The health care delivery system: a blueprint for reform. Retrieved from http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/10/health_care_delivery.html

Ross, J.S., and Gross, C.P. (2009). Using evidence to improve healthcare delivery systems. Retrieved from  http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/119/6/891

Shih, A., Davis, K., Schoenbaum, S., Gauthier, A., Nuzum, R., and McCarthy, D. (2008). Organizing the U.S. health care delivery system for high performance. Retrieved from http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/Publications/Fund-Reports/2008/Aug/Organizing-the-U-S–Health-Care-Delivery-System-for-High-Performance.aspx