Readings Summary Essays Examples

- Chapter 8: Understanding Role of Policy in Promoting System Change.
The chapter discusses the role that policy plays in promoting system, change. It identifies that there has been an increase in private and public policy bodies using their power to influence the quality agenda for healthcare services. It also discusses the role that quality oversight agencies play in and also explains the national policy initiatives that are applied targeting system change. The initiatives identified include the quality reporting, transparency initiatives as well as incentives. The chapter also discusses the redesigning of the Joint Commission’s approach. That is discussed in the iceberg metaphor context for illustration of how public policy can be applied for system change. Finally, the discussion associates the increase in change to the rapidly changing healthcare quality policies specifically citing the Affordable care Act of the year 2010. Thus, the article advises continuous review of sources mainly the internet as a way of keeping updated with current changes and initiatives as well as plans.
- Article 1: The Best Health Care Delivery System in the World? Women's health care trends in Philadelphia, PA, United States—1997–2011
The article examines the trends in women’s’ health and maternity care in Philadelphia, United States. Te report identifies Philadelphia as one of the cities that fall; short of the MDG-5 AND MDG-4 maternal and newborn health statistics. The report also identifies evidence that access to midwifery services care in the city would enhance the women and newborn health care.
However, it is identified that various factors undermine the approaches to pregnancy care in the US, Philadelphia and as well as in rural areas. The factors include high cost of private institutions healthcare and multitiered healthcare delivery system that is influenced by poverty levels in US for both rural and urban areas. They also include competition between the maternity care providers, healthcare insurance agencies that are profit based and the large number of lawsuits that are associated with healthcare delivery. Thus, Philadelphia is noted as a good example of how the MDG-5 AND MDG-4 recommendations on child healthcare improvement are not achieving their objectives towards the 2015 targets.
Thus, it is recommended that there is a need to address maternal health programs issues including geographical and racial disparities. It is also suggested that institutions should increase care to women and expand the use of midwives in the prenatal period. In conclusion, the report indicates that Philadelphia and US may not have the best healthcare services in the world contrary to claims they are. In that respect, there is a recommendation that there should be an improvement in newborn and maternal health in the country as a way of achieving MDG-4 and MDG-5 2015’ goals.
- Article 2: Charting a New Course for the Delivery of High-Quality Cancer Care
Cancer treatment is sophisticated as the disease is complicated to diagnose and treat. However, there are few metrics to asses’ cancer treatment in the US accompanied by the rising demand for services, rising costs of care delivery and accessibility as well as workforce shortage. The situation led to the formation of IOM committee in 2012 that examined key issues for cancer treatment and recommended suitable approaches as follows.
- Identified key issues
- Patients engagement
- Adequate staffing
- Evidence-based cancer care
- Evidence translation to clinical practice and treatment management
- IT system for learning about Cancer
- Affordable cancer care accessibility
- Recommendations
- Provision of understandable information to patients and their families
- Provision of end of life care that meets patient's values, needs and preferences
- Provide patient-centered and comprehensive care
- Ensure the competency of those caring for the patients
- Expand depth and breadth of cancer data collection for research purposes
- Development of quality reporting programs at national level
- Development of IT systems for cancer healthcare learning
- Eliminate waste and reform payment as means of improving affordability
- Reduce disparities in care access for various communities and populations.