The health care reforms have brought about a dramatic change in the way people seek healthcare. Before health reforms, people choose to remain untreated, as treatment costs was too expensive. This scenario has changed with the introduction of managed care. More people are seeking health care and more transparency has been introduced into the care process. The healthcare has been reengineered to effectively integrate various players that form a part of the managed care system. The health providers, pharmacies, health delivery, payers, specialized services are integrated to form a multifunctional health care system. (Hoffman & Emanuel, 2013)
Nurse’s role in reengineering care is very critical. Healthcare has become more patient centered and as front desk executives; nurses face the extra burden of patient and family satisfaction. With the introduction of managed care and regulated payment services, health care is compelled to identify inefficiencies and wastage in the system function, so that it can maximize its income and reduce unnecessary wastage of resources. Nurses can contribute to the effective functioning and coordination of activities between different components of managed care. (Parekh, 2010)
Nurses are also required for managing the change that happens during the reengineering process. They can contribute to the knowledge that is required to introduce and implement change(Aiken, Clarke, & Sloane, 2002). They can also motivate and participate in the change process. A quality approach has been sought by healthcare to implement the change. The system is reengineered to be more responsible for the services it provides (McNulty & Ferlie, 2002). The process of reengineering health care, helps the systems to adapt to the changes that happens with time (Neuman, 2000). In order to make the system more efficient, its infrastructure should be put to maximum utilization. Nurses can help to identify demands and help in maximizing the care process.
References
Aiken, L., Clarke, S., & Sloane, D. (2002). Hospital staffing, organization, and quality of care: Cross-national findings. Nursing Outlook, 50(5), 187-194. http://dx.doi.org/10.1067/mno.2002.126696
Hoffman, A. & Emanuel, E. (2013). Reengineering US Health Care. JAMA, 309(7), 661. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2012.214571
McNulty, T. & Ferlie, E. (2002). Reengineering health care. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Neuman, K. (2000). Understanding Organizational Reengineering in Health Care. Social Work In Health Care, 31(1), 19-33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/j010v31n01_02
Parekh, A. (2010). The Challenge of Multiple Comorbidity for the US Health Care System. JAMA,303(13), 1303. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2010.381
