Significant Issue Facing Healthcare Discussion Paper

Week 1 Discussion

The selected national healthcare issue or stressor is access and quality of healthcare. Often, this problem is of significance as it directly influences the well-being of people and communities and affects healthcare outcomes at a national level. In my work setting, which is a rural clinic, the issue of access to quality healthcare is a major problem that affects the local community. There is limited access to affordable health services and this has profound implications on the society as it leads to delays in timely access to healthcare, exacerbation of health conditions, and poor health outcomes (Bhatt & Bathija, 2018)Significant Issue Facing Healthcare Discussion Paper. At the same time, the quality of health services is useful in patient satisfaction and impacts adherence to treatment plans.

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The social determinant of health that largely contributes to the health stressor of access/ quality healthcare is an individual’s socioeconomic status. People of a low socioeconomic status face barriers such as lack of transportation, financial constraints, and limited health literacy, which lead to reduced access and lower the quality of healthcare. There are certain measures that have been implemented by the American healthcare system to solve the issue, one of them being community outreach programs aimed at addressing barriers that people encounter with limited access to healthcare (Dassah et al., 2018)Significant Issue Facing Healthcare Discussion Paper. The programs include partnerships with local organizations to provide transportation services, financial aid, and health education to the community. At the same time, telehealth services have been expanded to improve access, especially for those people residing in remote and rural areas.

Within hospital settings, quality improvement mechanisms have been implemented. They include regular training sessions for health professionals to enhance cultural competence, improve communication skills, and focus on patient-centered care (Coombs et al., 2021)Significant Issue Facing Healthcare Discussion Paper. At the same time, patient feedback is gathered promptly to enhance continued monitoring and improvement of service quality. The measures are effective and adequate for resolving the issue of access to quality health services.

References

Bhatt, J., & Bathija, P. (2018). Ensuring access to quality health care in vulnerable communities. Academic Medicine, 93(9), 1271-1275. https://doi.org/10.1097/acm.0000000000002254

Coombs, N. C., Meriwether, W. E., Caringi, J., & Newcomer, S. R. (2021). Barriers to healthcare access among U.S. adults with mental health challenges: A population-based study. SSM – Population Health, 15, 100847. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100847

Dassah, E., Aldersey, H., McColl, M. A., & Davison, C. (2018). Factors affecting access to primary health care services for persons with disabilities in rural areas: A “best-fit” framework synthesis. Global Health Research and Policy, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41256-018-0091-x Significant Issue Facing Healthcare Discussion Paper

If you were to ask 10 people what they believe to be the most significant issue facing healthcare today, you might get 10 different answers. Escalating costs? Regulation? Technology disruption? Social Determinant such as environment/community, education, access/quality to healthcare?

These and many other topics are worthy of discussion. Not surprisingly, much has been said in the research, within the profession, and in the news about these topics. Whether they are issues of finance, quality, workload, or outcomes, there is no shortage of changes to be addressed.

In this Discussion, you examine a national healthcare issue and consider how that issue may impact your work setting. You also analyze how your organization has responded to this issue. Significant Issue Facing Healthcare Discussion Paper

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To Prepare:

• Review the Resources and select one current national healthcare issue/stressor to focus on.
• Reflect on the current national healthcare issue/stressor you selected and think about how this issue/stressor may be addressed in your work setting.

Post

A description of the national healthcare issue/stressor you selected for analysis, and explain how the healthcare issue/stressor may impact your work setting. Which social determinant(s) most affects this health issue? Then, describe how your health system work setting has responded to the healthcare issue/stressor, including a description of what changes may have been implemented. Be specific and provide examples Significant Issue Facing Healthcare Discussion Paper