Unit 1 Individual Project Quality Improvement in Healthcare HCM672
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Colorado Technical University *
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Course
672
Subject
Health Science
Date
Feb 20, 2024
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5
Uploaded by rvsmith0625
Unit 1 Individual Project
Quality Improvement in Healthcare
HCM672
Vincent L. Smith
January 7, 2024
Introduction
The purpose of this unit 1 individual assignment will be to examine and explain some of the
possible reasons or factors for the rising costs of health care here in the United States. Based on
information or data from the health care industry, the United States continues to fall behind in
quality care and treatment for the patient or individuals in need of proper medical services based
on performance delivery. This assignment will also attempt to examine and explain the
relationship of cost and quality of health care in the United States. This assignment will also help
to identify methods in which the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) manages
or attempts to improve the quality of health care while trying to lower costs. Included in this
assignment will also be information explaining how and if the PPACA was capable of achieving
certain goals necessary for developing and implementing improved quality care (Buntin et al.,
2018).
Relationship between Cost and Quality in Healthcare
For the most part, health care in the United States has become very expensive due to
increasing costs for both services and treatments. Over the past few decades, concerns have been
increasing in numerous countries due to measuring how each particular hospital is being
assessed or monitored when it comes to comparing costs. Medical treatment and services are key
factors which play a vital role in the complexity of hospital costs along with efforts to control or
manage costs as well (Buntin et al., 2018). Costs containment and improvement for quality care
is imperative for the success within any health care organization or facility. The costs and quality
of health care continue to be hot topics of debate when it comes to policies and guidelines for
trying to reform the health care system in its current state today. These concerns and topics
surrounding health care include quality of care, increasing/decreasing costs, accessing coverage,
and affordable coverage just to name a few. While researching and examining quality and costs,
there are two vital questions of importance of great concern. The first question being; “Will the
improvement of quality increase health care cost?” The second question; “Will lowering costs
decrease or lower the standards for health care?”. However, the assumption exist that if there is a
improvement in care, that hospital costs will decrease by lowering both readmissions and
complications within the health care organization or facility. Research studies have shown or
indicated various characteristics are associated quality and costs. The process or method of
measuring or gauging quality can be implemented in numerous ways that will have connections
to costs that may be different or dissimilar. In addition to gauging quality, measuring of costs my
be determined by reimbursements to health care plans or to the provider for resources used. The
United States faces at least two vital factors or increasing concerns for health care such as quality
and increasing costs (Engel, 2018). These two factors or challenges for the most part in many
instances become a costly burden for private payers, the government and those individuals who
are or maybe low to no income.
The creation of the Affordable Care Act or Patient Protection Affordable was established
with various provisions. These provisions serve a purpose for helping to shape United States
healthcare system. The establishment of this regulation makes it possible to expand coverage to
help with making health care easier to afford while also reforming and stabilizing the health care
market or industry. This in some cases can make it possible to then reduce uneconomical or
unnecessary spending while also fostering competition within the healthcare market which will
eventually help to cause significant improvement for quality medical care. Since becoming a law,
the ACA has shown the the healthcare system has managed to show signs of steady improvement
in terms of quality although costs appear to be somewhat sluggish. These steady improvements
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