...In preparation for meetings or projects, there are various program planning models that can be used to assist decision makers depending on the goals of the program. These models have greatly helped leaders as the outcomes have benefited from careful planning. As decision-makers have gained great amounts of knowledge and experience, I have experience that collaboration within a group can be best effective when these factors are used. This allows different perspectives to be realized and produce a more professional product. Continuous quality improvement does not just happen, it has to be planned and managed using tools such as PDCA and DMAIC. If you want to be better than your competitors and to flourish as a business then you must ensure that business processes are continually improved (Liesener). In order to do this action plans need to be developed. For many employees, experienced or less experienced, the variety of problem-solving approaches for action plans can get confusing. But there are not so many differences between these approaches, as you could expect. All differences are depending only on the type of problem, which has to be solved. Various problem-solving approaches like PDCA and DMAIC can be sorted in the following categories (Liesener): 1. Is it a small, medium or large sized problem you want to solve and is the solution of the problem unknown? 2. Does your problem solving strategy follow a continuous improvement process or do you want solve a single...
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...John Smith C257 Task 1 Data aggregation as it pertains to healthcare is the collection of health data from individual health records that are then grouped into a collective database that can be further analyzed and used for research. This data does not identify individual patients, but instead focuses on groups of patients which are then used for research purposes such as finding linking factors that could be the cause of certain illnesses. Also by having multiple sources for this data allows more statistical validity when determining these factors. Data aggregation is not only beneficial in this aspect, but can also be used to improve consumer transparency by allowing patients access to provider quality evaluations through multiple different sources. Although data aggregation can be beneficial for future and present healthcare issues, it is not without its faults. For instance in order to have a truly unified database, it would take multiple companies and industries working together to make this happen. Also at this point the suspicion about data aggregation and how it will ultimately be used is still an issue. In an article by Regan and Randall-Lewis (2008) there is a question posed “Is data being used to either reform the healthcare system or “out think” your rivals?” which asks whether this data will be used to find health trends that will lead to the betterment of society’s healthcare or the financial gain of a company. Lastly the security risks involved with having...
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...Germany Vs United States Health Care Systems Tarrah Schefke Mary Dunbar HSC 111 Paula Dixson Germany Vs United States Health Care Systems Mention European health care to an American, and it probably conjures up a negative stereotype — high taxes, long waiting lines, rationed care. It's not that way in Germany. Very little tax money goes into the system. The lion's share comes, as in America, from premiums paid by workers and employers to insurance companies. German health benefits are very generous. And there's usually little or no wait to get elective surgery or diagnostic tests, such as MRIs. It's one of the world's best health care systems, visible in little ways that most Germans take for granted. Dental Care in Germany vs. United States Dental care in Germany is very similar to the dental care that we have in the United States. In Germany, costs for dental care is ranked amongst the highest in Europe, while public healthcare costs consume a large portion of their national budget (Going to the Dentist in Germany, 2012). The downside to this is that an increasing number of dental treatments are excluded from reimbursement by public health care plans. Also, in Germany there is a two-tier insurance program, which offers different levels of dental insurance coverage. The costs of your yearly dental health routine are covered by all standard dental health plans. This includes two annual check-ups, teeth cleanings, and basic fillings (Going to the Dentist in Germany...
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...Dehra Van Kuiken, Myra Martz Huth ital signs (VS) are indicators of physiological functioning and include temperature, respiratory rate, fieart rate (pulse), and blood pressure (BP). Health care professionals measure VS to assess, monitor, evaluate, and document an individual's physiological status or change in condition (Royal College of Nursing, 2011). Depending on the individual's condition, VS are monitored and recorded routinely by policy, tradition, or expert opinion, whether needed or not (Evans, Hodgkinson, & Berry, 2001; Zeitz & McCutcheon, 2006). Five years ago, pédiatrie nurse leaders and evidencebased practice (EBP) experts from children's hospitals across the country voiced concerns about the frequency of VS at a National Summit for Pédiatrie and Adolescent EvidenceBased Practice (Melnyk et al., 2007). This summit resulted in our team formulating a clinical question, searching for the evidence, critically appraising the evidence, and formulating conclusions on normal parameters. Before the question on the frequency of ys could be addressed, two fundamental questions needed exploration, and thus, became the focus of our work. The questions are: • Among pédiatrie patient ages 1 through 5 years, what are "normal" VS parameters? • Among pédiatrie patient ages 1 through 5 years, what is a signifieant elinical change in VS? The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the best evidence for normative parameters for VS in healthy children 1 to 5 years of age and what...
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...a. Aggressive Implementation 16 b. High Costs 16 c. Labor Investment 17 d. Opportunity Cost 17 e. Impact on Researchers, Policymaker and Educators 18 V. Final Opinion 19 VI. Bibliography 22 VII. Appendix I 28 VIII. Appendix II 31 I. Advantages of EHRs In an effort to reign in rising health care costs and increased health care disparity and inequality in the U.S., former president George W. Bush doubled the funding for Health Care Information Technology to 100 million in 2005 (The White House). It was part of a larger plan to utilize latest information technology to standardize patient and health records, which despite spending 1.6 trillion dollars, attributed to 98,000 medically related errors in 2004. The plan was part of his campaign promise and was reiterated in his January 20, 2004 State of the Union address when, President Bush remarked, “by computerizing health records, we can avoid dangerous medical mistakes, reduce costs, and improve care.” Considering that the federal government is “one of the largest buyers of healthcare - in Medicare, Medicaid, the Community Health Centers program, the Federal Health Benefits program, Veterans medical care, and programs in...
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...Acquisition Plan for New York City Medical Center 11 Project Functions and Requirements 13 Assumptions and Agreements 14 Contracts 16 Scope 16 DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION OF THE SYSTEM 17 SUPPORT SERVICE 17 TECHNICAL 17 COST 17 DELIVERABLE 19 Comparative Analysis 20 In-Source Alternative 20 Resources 20 Budget 20 Timeframe 20 Outsourcing vs. In-sourcing Alternatives Comparison 20 Summary Recommendation 20 References 21 Project Outline The main objective of this project is to implement a system that is a process-oriented clinical management; this system will allow doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other staff to provide patients in the different service area of the hospital with the best care that this hospital have to offer. This are some of feature that the system will included: handling workstation, nursing care, distribution and application of medications as well as other administrative data inherent the patient. About the Hospital New York City Medical Center, located in the heart of New York City, is the city's largest noon -profit hospital, with 1,500 beds. The Hospital has nearly 1 million inpatient and outpatient visits a year, including 7,687 deliveries and 95,384 visits to it emergency room department. New York City Medical Center‘s 3,260 affiliated physicians and 13,376 staff provide...
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...and with fewer errors. In most cases, this allows health care providers to finish patient charting more quickly, and to do so while with the patient, increasing accuracy and completeness of the record. This can result in an increase in scheduled visits per hour with no lessoning of patient care quality. Also, by reducing the burden of administrative work, it allows a healthcare provider to concentrate more on the patient and less on paperwork. By definition, an EHR system is a record in digital format that is capable of being shared across different health care settings. In some cases this sharing can occur by way of network-connected, enterprise-wide information systems and other information networks or exchanges. EHRs may include a range of data, including demographics, medical history, medication and allergies, immunization status, laboratory test results, radiology images, vital signs, personal statistics like age and weight, and billing information. There is much variety of health record software available for medical records. Sharing patient charts and medical information with other health care providers is also made substantially easier with an EMR system. While EMR interoperation is a long term goal and one not realized yet, it is possible to select patient information, including lab results and other diagnostic information, and share that with other providers, substantially increasing the quality of patient care. Today hospitals are adopting, implementing, upgrading...
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...populations. Once an EHR system is installed and staff are trained in its proper use, retrieving and updating patient clinical records is performed substantially faster and with fewer errors. In most cases, this allows health care providers to finish patient charting more quickly, and to do so while with the patient, increasing accuracy and completeness of the record. This can result in an increase in scheduled visits per hour with no lessoning of patient care quality. Also, by reducing the burden of administrative work, it allows a healthcare provider to concentrate more on the patient and less on paperwork. By definition, an EHR system is a record in digital format that is capable of being shared across different health care settings. In some cases this sharing can occur by way of network-connected, enterprise-wide information systems and other information networks or exchanges. EHRs may include a range of data, including demographics, medical history, medication and allergies, immunization status, laboratory test results, radiology images, vital signs, personal statistics like age and weight, and billing information. There is much variety of health record software available for medical records. Sharing patient charts and medical information with other health care providers is also made substantially easier with an EMR system. While EMR interoperation is a long term goal and one not realized yet, it is possible to select patient information, including...
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...United States vs. Foreign Nations: Funding & Reimbursing Healthcare Services United States vs. Foreign Nations: Funding & Reimbursing Healthcare Services In this document I will discuss the health care system of three foreign nations versus the United States. Specifically, focusing on how physicians and hospitals are reimbursed and funded in the United States as opposed to foreign nations. The three other foreign nations that will be involved in this discussion will be: Germany, Canada, and United Kingdom. Reimbursement/funding of health care services varies from nation to nation. Each of these countries inhabits a different point on the international healthcare continuum. In this critical analysis you will read about the different ways foreign countries and the United States reimburse hospitals and providers for health care services. The United States of America In America, we, as consumers, have the right to choose among various suppliers of healthcare services. We make a decision based upon the competing market and quality of goods and services. Then we pay for the cost of our services mainly through insurance or by paying for the full cost of the purchase ourselves. According to Bodenheimer and Grumbach, health care financing in the United States started off from out-of-pocket payments and evolved through individual private insurance, then employment-based insurance, and then finally government-based financing (i.e. Medicaid and Medicare) (2012, p. 187)...
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...Title: Pain, Coping and Sleep in Children and Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease (Quantitative?) Abstract: Purpose The study examined the relationships among pain, pain coping, and sleep, and assessed factors (age, gender, frequency, and intensity of pain) that affect pain, coping, and sleep in children with sickle cell disease ( SCD). Methods Participants (66) were 39 children ( M = 11.5 years) and 27 adolescents ( M = 15.5 years) with SCD who completed an electronic visual analog scale ( eVAS), Pain Coping Questionnaire, and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index. Results About two-thirds of the children reported pain the previous month. No significant differences were found between pain and age, gender, pain intensity, or frequency. Most children coped with pain by seeking information, problem solving, seeking social support, and positive self-statements. There were significant negative correlations in males between worse pain severity and behavioral distraction and internalizing or catastrophizing. The majority (91.2%) had mild to severe sleep disturbances, with 18.2% requiring sleeping medication three or more times a week. There were no significant differences between sleep and age, gender, pain intensity, or frequency. Conclusion Children with SCD experience pain that affects sleep patterns and the way they cope with pain. Nurses need to concurrently assess pain, coping, and sleep and promote sleep hygiene and positive coping strategies during pain episodes. Graves, J. K....
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...country is facing: a growing elder population and the ever increasing costs of healthcare in conjunction with a waning economy. Alarming statistics, such as the following, will demand Germanys attention as well as the vast majority of developed counties with questionably sustainable health care systems. Populations in developed nations have been rapidly aging for several years at a rate that will only increase before achieving equilibrium between 2050 and 2060. Most developing countries outside of Africa also will experience a rapid growth in older populations over the next forty years and by 2030, these countries will contain 70 percent or more of the world's population that is ages 60 and older (Polivka & Baozhen, 2013, p. 39). Germany’s Type of Healthcare System The German social health insurance (SHI) system is an internationally prominent health care system primarily funded by payroll contributions shared by employers and employees and managed by nonprofit sickness funds. Whereas, like the United States, financing is tied to the labor market, in comparison Germany has nearly universal health insurance coverage. Care is delivered by self-employed, office-based physicians in the ambulatory sector and by salaried physicians in the hospital sector (Carrera, Siemens, & Bridges, 2008, p. 981). The key to the German’s choice of social insurance is the unique role of sickness funds and...
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...Ebony Stewart May 7, 2014 Estimating Health Care Associated Infections and Deaths in U.S Hospitals as Oppose to Medical Malpractice Epidemiology Introduction This study was conducted for two important reasons. Deaths in the United States as well as an estimation to provide information for the number of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) were the purpose. The data sources used were 1) National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance 2) National Hospital Discharge Survey and 3) American Hospital Association all of these sources were used by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s. HAI occur in many different healthcare settings: acute care within hospitals, same day surgery centers, long-term facilities, and ambulatory outpatient care in health care clinics. HAI has resulted from and adverse reaction to toxins and evidence of infection isn’t presented during time of admission to hospital. Surveillance has also been a research base for HAI. NNIS is an ongoing system that has collaborated with CDC to monitor data on HAI”S and other nosocomial infections. It covers intensive care units, high risk nursery, and surgical patients. A major goal of NNIS is to develop data to prevent and control nosocomial diseases. NHDS was designed to meet needs of patients from non-federal hospitals that stayed only for a short period of time. The data collected from these surveys is collected to examine the importance of public health. The survey is conducted in three difference...
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...Overview Overview Section 1877 of the Social Security Act (the Act) (42 U.S.C. 1395nn), also known as the physician self-referral law, or Stark Law, intends to prevent the misappropriation of or over utilization of healthcare that could result from incentivized diagnostic ordering protocols that may be a direct result of financial relationships that could influence healthcare decisions. The law is named for its author, United State Congressman Pete Stark, a Democrat from California, who authored and supported the creation of this piece of legislation. The law’s purpose is to prohibit a physician from referring a patient for designated health services (DHS) to any organization that the physician or a member of his/her immediate family has a financial relationship. Exceptions to the law exist and will be examined in later sections of this reflection. Originally the Stark Law (Stark I) only applied to referrals of Medicare Beneficiaries, but Section 1877 of the Social Security Act (the Act) (42 U.S.C. 1395nn), also known as the physician self-referral law, or Stark Law, intends to prevent the misappropriation of or over utilization of healthcare that could result from incentivized diagnostic ordering protocols that may be a direct result of financial relationships that could influence healthcare decisions. The law is named for its author, United State Congressman Pete Stark, a Democrat from California, who authored and supported the creation of this piece of legislation...
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...Original Contributions Data Mining Applications in Healthcare Hian Chye Koh and Gerald Tan A B S T R A C T Data mining has been used intensively and extensively by many organizations. In healthcare, data mining is becoming increasingly popular, if not increasingly essential. Data mining applications can greatly benefit all parties involved in the healthcare industry. For example, data mining can help healthcare insurers detect fraud and abuse, healthcare organizations make customer relationship management decisions, physicians identify effective treatments and best practices, and patients receive better and more affordable healthcare services. The huge amounts of data generated by healthcare transactions are too complex and voluminous to be processed and analyzed by traditional methods. Data mining provides the methodology and technology to transform these mounds of data into useful information for decision making. This article explores data mining applications in healthcare. In particular, it discusses data mining and its applications within healthcare in major areas such as the evaluation of treatment effectiveness, management of healthcare, customer relationship management, and the detection of fraud and abuse. It also gives an illustrative example of a healthcare data mining application involving the identification of risk factors associated with the onset of diabetes. Finally, the article highlights the limitations of data mining and discusses some future directions....
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...RESEARCH Proposing a carpal tunnel treatment centre: The Shouldice model revisited Hazim Sadideen, Faddy Sadideen ABSTRACT The Shouldice Hospital prides itself with excellent hernia repair outcomes. The Shouldice concept exhibits a unique, successful business model, and is a clear example of the concept of a highly innovative value proposition. Exploring Shouldice's fundamental principles and extrapolating them to other settings might help healthcare professionals offer improvements to patient care. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common elective hand disorder, which can be debilitating for patients. Surgical intervention is extremely effective when necessary. It would be prudent to develop efficient pathways for the treatment of CTS, and other common disorders in the future. This review aims to explore the successes behind the Shouldice model, cross-fertilise surgical and management grounds by familiarising surgeons with the Shouldice model to help generate key ideas for the future, and extrapolate key information to postulate the 'carpal tunnel treatment centre' as a potential enterprise that can be designed on the basis of the Shouldice model. Optimal healthcare delivery while improving the patient journey, in a cost-effective manner, requires careful planning and execution. It is important to further explore and capitalise on this knowledge, to improve our service to patients and the multidisciplinary healthcare workforce, particularly in light of restructuring...
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