...Big Data, Re-admissions reduction program, and Tele Health services which have brought significant reforms in the U.S health care system. Big Data in Hospital industry: Large amount of data is produced in the healthcare industry and most of the data is stored in hard copy form. The current trend is towards the digitization of these enormous troves of data. Report says that the data from the U.S. healthcare system alone has reached,150 exabytes in the year 2011. Kaiser Permanente, the California-based health care network which has more than 9 million members is believed to have between 26 and 44 petabytes of potentially rich data from electronic health records, including images and annotations. By definition, big data in healthcare refers to electronic health data sets are so large and complex that they neither possible to manage with traditional software and/or hardware nor can they be easily managed with traditional or common data management tools and methods. Now, most of the patient data is compiled electronically because it is easier for doctors to retrieve patient details. The clinical data includes physician written notes, medical imaging, patient data in electronic patient records (EPRs), machine generated/sensor data, laboratory, pharmacy, insurance and other administrative data. The new technological developments in the U.S health care system is pushing...
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...hospital system to develop a vertically integrated clinic health system result in allegations of antitrust, excessive healthcare costs, disruption of physician referral patterns, and use of harsh collection practices, all of which cause a negative reaction in the community. Also, Dr. Murphy’s efforts to become a comprehensive vertically integrated system have continued: establishment of a medical school partnership, expansion of its facilities, and increase in number of salaried physicians by purchasing private practices. Dr. Murphy asserts that the business plan of Carilion Clinic will moderate the effects of the “broken” U.S. healthcare system by integrating services that range from primary care to comprehensive cancer treatments and remission monitoring. In 19th century, the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice sought to block the merger of two medium-sized community hospitals, foreshadowing other, somewhat questionable trade practices in the Shenandoah Valley. Carilion Clinic is a major employer in Roanoke, Virginia, but members of the community base expressed serious concerns about its methods and policies. The harsh collection practices of organization caused some patients to have liens placed on their homes, economic pressures on group practices to sell or relocate due to internal referral patterns, and allegations that the high costs of care may...
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.........................11 5.2 Stakeholder Considerations ...................................................................................13 5.3 Loan and Funding Protocol ....................................................................................14 5.4 Taxpayer Protections .............................................................................................14 5.5 Shareholder and Management Sacrifices ...............................................................15 5.6 Corporate Aircraft ..................................................................................................15 5.7 GMAC Considerations...........................................................................................15 5.8 Pension and Healthcare Considerations .................................................................16 6. PRINCIPAL RESTRUCTURING PLAN ELEMENTS ...............................................17 6.1 Marketing and Retail Operations...
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...be prevented. By implementing a data entry system that would allow access by medical professionals and pharmacies to collaborate and reduce the chance of medication errors dramatically. The data systems are pricy but when compared to the cost of medication errors and loss of lives it saves most medical establishments money. Annotated Bibliography The need for data entry systems to reduce medical errors Rinda, J. (2012). integration helps clinicians reduce medication errors. Health Management Technology , 33 (10), 12-13. With the risks of medication errors endangering lives, the technology has been gearing towards linking smart infusion pumps with health information platforms. Electronic health records have already been developed and are currently being used in some areas. This can lead to reductions in health care costs and increase in workflow. The medication errors could result in 400,000 preventable injuries each year. 1.5 million errors occur in the U.S. each year, resulting in $77 billion in cost annually. The iv integration system which is a form of the medication entry system, resulted in no iv related medication errors within the first 90 days used at Lancaster General Hospital. With the right implementation any healthcare would be able...
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...Health Insur Professor: Keri Bahar Week 7 – Webliography Contribution Reforming Medicare in the age of Deficit Reduction Date: 04/16/2014 Webliography Contribution Entry / Reference 1: Urban Institute (2013). Can Medicare Be Preserved While Reducing the Deficit? Timely Analysis of Immediate Health Policy Issues. Retrieved from: http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/issue_briefs/2013/rwjf404766/subassets/rwjf404766_1 This reference help the current healthcare insurance and managed healthcare issues to reach the right set of policy to make changes that could correct long-standing gaps in financial protections that Medicare beneficiaries face, promote greater efficiency within payment systems, and generate the additional revenues necessary to pay for the impending surge in the number of beneficiaries. Entry / Reference 2: Steckenride, Janie, Parrott, Tonya (1998). New Directions in Old-Age Policies. The Health Care Policies and Older Americans. Retrieved from: http://books.google.ae/books?id=rwR4rpIrvW0C&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19&dq=Reforming+Medicare+in+the+age+of+Deficit+Reduction&source=bl&ots=ZtGKc36-o3&sig=00b8wDb48nxaR4uqWAHTms1slBU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SKgJU77mK8eb0QW-44C4AQ&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAjgU#v=onepage&q=Reforming%20Med&f=false This reference help the current healthcare insurance and managed healthcare issues to explores the changed political environment in the United States and what it means for the policies and programs...
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...Financing Health Care in the U.S. Tim Johnson HCCUniversity NURS 3006 Section 02, The Context of Healthcare Delivery Nov 24, 2013 Financing Health Care in the U.S. Financing healthcare in the U. S. continues to be a major concern, and going forward it could become a monsoon. There are many methods available to finance healthcare in this country, and some people have access to several methods. However, a large percentage does not have access to any methods, and as a result they are uninsured. Among the methods used to finance healthcare are private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid. We will discuss Medicare, and some of the issues the federal government is facing with rising health care cost. Money and how to pay for things are always at the forefront of the problems. Unlike other healthcare funding issues Medicaid is funded totally by the federal government. Private insurance is funded by employers, employees and private citizens. Medicaid is funded 2/3 by the federal government and 1/3 by the state government. Medicare is currently funded by tax payers and the federal income tax. The population is getting older, and many baby boomers are nearing 65 years of age and will be eligible for Medicare. If the current trend continues many experts believe the system will be bankrupt within 10 years. As a result, the government will have to increase the federal income tax, or find a way to reduce cost. One of the main issues is that curtailing cost normally means curtailing...
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...The overall goal in today’s healthcare is to obtain better care and lower the cost of receiving healthcare. As the healthcare system is comprised of employers, physicians, healthcare professionals, consumer and patient advocacy groups, patients quality organizations, health plans, hospitals and unions, they all must join together to establish an effective and efficient system. The PCMH’s do just this as they improve health outcomes, heighten the patient and provider experience of care. Also they reduce expensive, unnecessary hospital and emergency department utilization. On the opposing side, the healthcare systems that focus more on volume rather than value are constantly facing inefficiencies, having inconsistent health outcomes, and unstable financials. For these reasons there has been growing support for the PCMH across the vast majority of the United States. One of the most influencial benefits of the PCMH is the patient and family engagement. The PCMH’s initiatives are conveying the expectation for authentic patient and family engagements. This type of engagement happens at a few different levels within its system. As a patient one of the most important engagements is at the clinical encounter. This is where the patient and family engage in the care, the planning, and most importantly the decision-making. One of the hardest and most difficult process’ in your health is making decisions. PCMH’s give the patient and family a sense of trust and comfort. Engagements also occur...
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...Market Model Patterns of Change Jennifer Harris Dr. Faux Economics 550 August 24, 2013 The healthcare insurance industry is an industry that is growing fast and is extremely competitive. New laws are causing the healthcare insurance industry to change rapidly. This industry operates as an oligopoly with a few big firms controlling the majority of the market. The price for coverage is not dictated by only one provider. In the oligopoly model no single theory explains the behavior that is evident. The degree of competitiveness is affected by the economy, law, technology, and the number of firms in the market. Medical loss ratios are often used to help managers understand industry characteristics. Competitors to this industry have changed over the years as well now the closest competitors are government provided insurance, persons who pay out of pocket, and the private sector that operates on donations. I think a good pricing policy for insurance companies to adopt would be one that is based on income. The new health insurance law (Obamacare) is requiring that all Americans carry insurance by January 1, 2014. This law will change the health insurance industry rapidly. The big New York Stock Exchange-listed insurance firms have known for many years that their core business models are not sustainable. The insurance companies have tried to ignore the risk that they were assuming because of pressure from Wall Street. The big companies have done this by simply administering...
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...MICROECONOMICS APPLIED RESEARCH MICROECONOMICS AND LONG-TERM HEALTHCARE Cochise Community College Campus Microeconomics Cochise Community College Microeconomics and Long-term Healthcare It was not long ago that our country was going through some very difficult economic times. Job losses were on the rise, there were many issues leading to an increase in foreclosures, and many financial institutions needed to be bailed out. Many people, however, held the misconception that the health care industry was immune to the economic problems that faced our society. Many thought that those working in the health care industry had no need to worry about losing their job and that they were disconnected from the larger problems of society. Those involved with health care have to deal with issues that are faced by the rest of society. Because of this, it important that the health care industry address these problems in a timely manner due to the lives that are often dependent on their decisions. In 2009, individuals aged 65 years of age and older constituted approximately 12.9 percent of the U.S. population (A Profile of Older Americans, 2010). Projections for 2030 show there will be an increase to 20 percent of the population that will be 65 or over. The aging of the population will affect the demand for healthcare because older individuals encounter more frequent and prolonged spells of illness. Those individuals that are...
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...improving throughout the world. Information systems have been able to reduce annual costs and increase the quality of their work within many different industries such as the agriculture, electronics, automotive industries, etc. The United States health industry has also been exploring how information systems can imitate the same results. There are many ways that a fully operational health information system can help alleviate the high cost of healthcare in the U.S. Each year, the U.S. spends approximately $1.7 trillion in healthcare costs, but yet our system still delivers poor health quality (Hillstead, R. 2005). Investing in health information systems however, the results have been an increase in efficiency, and a savings of about $77 billion or more annually (Hillstead, R. 2005). This increase in efficiency is the backbone to reducing healthcare costs in the U.S. Information systems increase efficiency by introducing a reduction in the time spent on daily clinical and administrative duties nurses and doctors have to perform, increasing patient safety, and increasing the overall health of the patients. Information systems such as those that facilitate billing, allow electronic medical records to be readily available in order to help in clinical decisions, the managing of materials, office automation, etc. are just a few systems that enhance productivity, improve patient quality, and improve healthcare delivery. Since these information systems contribute to organizational efficiency...
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...Abstract The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed and passed by congress and then signed into law by the President on March 23, 2010. Overall, the law will lower healthcare costs and provide an increased access to healthcare to all Americans. The Congressional Budget Office’s article in comparison with the Deloitte 2012 Survey of the U.S. Health Care Consumers: The performance of the health care system and health care reform article both illustrate the changes occurring in healthcare and the results of health behavior towards the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The evidence is shown through the Congressional Budget Office article detailing the financial objectives taking place for consumers and employers. It also displays the number of people obtaining employment-based health insurance. The Deloitte 2012 Survey highlights data from consumers’ perceptions of the health care system and their thoughts on health care reform. Many health policy experts and economists have challenged the health care industry’s view of consumerism; they reason that costs would be lower, service better, and improved quality. Based on the results of the survey, consumers stated that there is a widening gap between their unmet needs and the system’s performance. The surveys also indicate adults being queried in varied health status, income, and insurance cohorts to gauge the degree to which consumers are prepared to engage the health care system as “patients” or “consumers”. Introduction This article pertains...
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...Healthcare Spending Ngozi Ofolomah HCS 440 Bruce Peterson September 17, 2012 Healthcare Spending Healthcare spending is a key factor to any country’s economic expansion. It provides many job opportunities for high skilled workers residing in rural areas. Additionally, further advancements in drugs and medical technology lead to the new innovations, products and new areas of marketing. Health spending is essential because it fulfills personal and social needs for medical service that are set in place to better health, increase productivity, and save lives (Squires, 2012). In comparison with the many other sectors of the economy, a significant portion of the health care is publicly funded. When viewing other countries, we notice that they have adopted a universal healthcare system. This means that the systems are financed through taxes. In the United States, there are systems in place such as Medicare and Medicaid (Squires, 2012). Medicare is an insurance program for persons who are either elderly or disable. Medicaid is insurance coverage for families who have low-income. It is public funds that assist people with health care in these two insurance programs. There are also tax policies that promote and provide support to employer-based health insurance and delivery systems such as, Veterans Health Administration. Due to the fact that the public sector has a lot of pull in regards to healthcare, it has become had to make sure that we are gaining...
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...hospital staff. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated roughly 1.7 million hospital-associated infections, from all types of microorganisms, including bacteria, combined, cause or contribute to 99,000 deaths each year. In Europe, where hospital surveys have been conducted, the category of Gram-negative infections are estimated to account for two-thirds of the 25,000 deaths each year. Nosocomial infections can cause severe pneumonia and infections of the urinary tract, bloodstream and other parts of the body. Many types are difficult to attack with antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance is spreading to Gram-negative bacteria that can infect people outside the hospital. HAI is sometimes expanded as healthcare-associated infection to emphasize that infections can be correlated with health care in various settings (not just hospitals). Nosocomial infections are commonly transmitted when hospital officials become complacent and personnel do not practice correct hygiene regularly. Also, increased use of outpatient treatment in recent decades means that a greater percentage of people who are hospitalized today are likely to be seriously ill with more weakened immune systems than in the past. Moreover, some medical procedures bypass the body's natural protective barriers. Since medical staff move from patient to patient, the staff themselves serve as a means for spreading pathogens. Essentially, the staff act as vectors. Transmission The drug-resistant...
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...Title of Article Davis, K. L. (2014, Sep 15). Hospital Mergers Can Lower Costs and Improve Medical Care; stand-alone hospitals have too few patients to thrive in the new era of population health management. Wall Street Journal Retrieved from http://0search.proquest.com.leopac.ulv.edu/docview/1562020216?accountid=25355 Summary U.S Healthcare expenditures are too high - nearly $9000 per capita. With healthcare cost rising rapidly, a change to how we approach healthcare systems has to be reviewed. Dr. Davis, the writer of this article makes the point that as times have passed; due to the higher cost of care, a huge opportunity for hospital mergers to happen is needed in order to continue to improve and drive higher quality in care and more efficiency. Currently the fee for service model of healthcare is transforming into the population management model of healthcare. Most hospitals don't mitigate risk effectively, most not keenly aware of the population they serve as it changes, are not able to serve the populations. In some cases some hospitals do not offer a wide range of services to a large population and thus manage risk poorly and drive up post acute cost and are not able to manage patients who are high utilizers of care services. As these hospitals work and are currently dependent on using the current fee for service model, which incentivizes physicians to over utilize resources to treat illnesses, it does not support or help maintain patients in good health...
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...presented in the case is the U.S Health Industry feels that the current paper based medical records are inefficient and costly. They believe that implementing an electronic medical record system that contains all information including medical history ,test results , treatments etc.Their goal is to have these in place by 2015. 2. What people, organization, and technology factors are responsible for the difficulties in building electronic medical record systems? Explain your answer. Many factors are presenting difficulties in building these electronic records. Some people factors include patients feel as though there will be no confidentiality in the online system, Organization factors include smaller medical practices not being able to afford the cost of the online database as well as the time commitment involved. Technological factors include not yet discovering a way to be able to share information from nurses to doctors as well as other care providers. 3. What is the business, political, and social impact of not digitizing medical records (for individual physicians, hospitals, insurers, patients, and the US Government)? Not digitizing medical records for physicians it makes their job harder because the now have to go through tons of paperwork to see if the patient had experienced these symptoms before and what was previously done to treat them. Hospitals are being faced with penalties for not updating their systems that can include the reduction of their Medicare and Medicade...
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