The healthcare care system has come a long way and there are several changes and challenges that have been incurred in trying to make it better for consumers. Consumers too have enjoyed quite a bit of the transformation. They have experienced their fair share of challenges during this metamorphosis of the system which doesn’t seem to be any closer to its final form however many strides have been taken and several policies put in place all for the betterment of the system. and it goes without saying that what it’s like today is closer to what most people would have wanted to be in the past years. This paper looks at the various dimensions that have been affected by the healthcare system as well as the process it has undergone through change.
Changes that have occurred in the health care system have led to individuals being more concerned with their involvement in making choices about their health care. The system has undergone three shifts that have contributed to the changes in its landscape. The first shift has to do with the Dynamics of market turning to the consumers. As a result, of this shift, there is more burden placed of the individual consumers of healthcare services in terms of the costs that accompany the services. This is because there has been a move from the initial system where groups were involved. Individuals are therefore now required to pay higher premiums and more money is being deducted from their incomes. As such, there has been a plea for the healthcare organizations to articulate clearly their costs for services and products to allow for consumer comparison(Yetter, 2010).
The second shift has to do with the rapid increase in options available to consumers. Because of the increased number of individuals financing their health care, the system has made an effort to increase and market the variety of services. However it is not been easy because there has to be research about the consumer attitudes and behaviors to customize to the needs of the population being served.
The third shift has to do with the way different new innovators are now seeing the health care system in a different light. More emphasis is now being placed in making sure that the consumers have all the information they may require to make better choices in relation to their health care. Focus is seen in areas to do with health and wellness, the delivery of services in clinics as well as important analysis that are vital in the system. For these shifts to work towards the improvement of the healthcare system and towards better services to the consumer, the strategies that must be put in place should ensure the accomplishment of some important factors. These factors are, a clear well defined system which is transparent, a good understanding of what consumers require, ensuring that consumers have adequate information and support, and having the right individuals with the necessary skills on board to work towards the realization of this better system(Omachonu, 2010).
The health care system may experience different challenges in its efforts to meet the consumer’s needs. Some of these challenges are already in place while others could come into play in the near futu. One of these challenges is the shortage of professionals who can provide primary care, which is because of the few number of competent nurses and doctors that are new to the field who can possibly replace the health care practioners that have to retire. This issue could lead to problems in accessing health care. In addition, this shortage of professionals is likely to lead to a decline in effectiveness in the system.
Disparity in standards of health internationally is another factor that can pause a challenge as it directly influences health of people in the United States. An example of a country with less quality standards of health such as Mexico makes it harder for the United States and other countries where health standards are higher to address pandemics affecting the country. As a result, countries that are advanced in healthcare are forced to spend a lot more to protect themselves and their people due to the lower health care standards of this other countries.
A future challenge, one that has already began boggling the minds of stakeholders in this industry are the ethical concerns with relation to development of technology. This may involve sharing of information via digital devices that maybe used to take videos or photos of patients, could pose harm since this materials could land in hands of people that aren’t involved in the treatment process of these patients through cybercrime or an ethical violation of protocol. As such, reforms addressing these issues affecting the rights of patients ought to be implemented.
One other eminent challenge in this sector is exponential growth in cost of healthcare services. This by far remains the main issue yet to be properly addressed especially because consumers have witnessed a stunning increase in the cost of health care over the years and this becomes a problem where the rising cost aren’t directly proportional to higher quality of services. The amount paid by working consumers has increased way beyond payments that are being made by health plans with the cost rate rising faster than inflation being attributed to the principle of demand and supply among other factors such as taxes and lawsuits. Healthcare expenditure has more than doubled over the last decade and a half with an estimated 1.2 trillion climb from the years between1999 and 2009. This increase puts pressure on consumer pockets leaving a less amount for expenditure on other goods. Consumers have complained because this affects their available income in following ways; the untaxed share of the employer of the insurance premium, out-of-pocket expenditure for things like prescriptions, deductibles and co-pays, the untaxed share of the family insurance premium and the families portion of taxes(federal and state) allocated for health programs i.e Medicare, Medicaid, public health and veterans healthcare.
The healthcare system has encountered a shift of view in terms of acute healthcare and wellness and prevention models. Initially healthcare was more about treating already manifested illnesses and catering for the sick to get treated and better. However, the discovery of the bio psychosocial model and other theories of health that require participation of patients in helping prevent some lifestyle diseases as well as playing a role in early detection of illness by going for regular checkups has created a shift. There is more flexibility in that though patients are still being given acute care and treatment, they have a role to play in improving their health conditions as well.
Since the rise in healthcare cost has become a challenge to consumers the shifts in accountability has helped consumers to deal with this challenge. Accountability in the healthcare system means that the medical practioner has a responsibility to ensure that you are healthy. Here the doctors receive maximum compensation from the patients insurance and is held accountable for the patients quality of health as well as cost. However, it’s important to note that for the patient to receive good quality healthcare all parties are involved i.e. the medical practioner, the healthcare providers and the patient as well.
Challenges are bound to remain however, government and policy makers are looking into the issues in question, and laws and policies are being implemented to tackle the challenges in the most relevant way possible. E.g. increasing the workforce to cater for the growing demand of health services as well as improving structure and funding to assimilate and accommodate technological advancements that may improve quality of service.
REFERENCE
Omachonu, V. K. (2010). Innovation in Healthcare Delivery Systems : A Conceptual Framework. The Innovation Journal, 15(1), 1–20.
Yetter, E. (2010). Obamacare : Functions and Implications. The Health Law and Public Policy Forum (Vol. 10106).
