Performing chair side screenings is said to be dependent upon the productiveness and acceptance by dental care professionals. The average time it takes to complete a chair side screening in the dental office was averaged at 12 minutes.* the services included were hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes mellitus. This study took into account hourly wages of the dentist and dental assistants. The screen averaged 7 minutes to take a blood sample, measure blood pressure and test the blood for A1C and lipid levels, and an average of 5 min for the dentist to read the results and relay findings to the patient. The estimated cost of labor was found to be $11.90. Chairside screenings also serve as a means for the patient …show more content…
The study showed that femur neck osteoporosis and lower bone mineral density had a positive relationship with hypertension in the elderly population. * Another study discussed socioeconomic inequalities and the link between hypertension and missing teeth in the edentulous patient. The article states that due to the low quality of dental care available, an increase in missing teeth caused by periodontal disease and poor food choices is inevitable. Chronic oral infections caused by periodontal disease and inflammatory markers may lead to the onset of hypertension and stroke, however a connection could not be established. * The US is facing a chronic disease epidemic and health expenditure is exceeding economic growth. About 133 million Americans or 1 in 2 adults have at least 1 chronic illness. This accounts for more than 75% of health care costs and 70% of deaths each year, costing the US $153 billion annually in lost productivity.*Heart disease is preventable by 80% and most that are at risk are unaware. One study shows that chair side medical screening for diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension could save the health care system $42.4 million or $13.51 per person and $102.6 million that’s $32.72 per person over a one year period. These numbers are calculated before the cost of labor and strictly rely on patient compliance and adherence to
It is no secret that the cost of American healthcare is becoming increasingly more expensive. However, the issue of the rising cost of healthcare and its severity needs to be recognized as a major problem. Health prices are steadily increasing in the United States, and there is no sign of it stopping. Since 1970, spending on American health care has grown 9.8%, which is a rate that is growing faster than the economy (“New Technology”.) Furthermore, health insurance premiums are also increasing at a rate five times faster than American salaries, which makes it difficult for families to afford health care coverage (Zuckerman 28). Therefore, it has become an obligation to address why the cost of American health care is soaring and to seek out a solution to lower the cost. Many would jump to the conclusion that the United States simply charges too much for their medical services, but there are deeper influences that need to be analyzed. The causes of the rising cost of health care are people not using preventive health care, the development of modern technology, and the treatments being overprescribed. A possible solution is to have preventive health care services available in clinics of low-income areas.
Rising medical costs are a worldwide problem, but nowhere are they higher than in the U.S. Although Americans with good health insurance coverage may get the best medical treatment in the world, the health of the average American, as measured by life expectancy and infant mortality, is below the average of other major industrial countries. Inefficiency, fraud and the expense of malpractice suits are often blamed for high U.S. costs, but the major reason is overinvestment in technology and personnel.
There is broad evidence that Americans often do not get the care they need even though the United States spends more money per person on health care than any other nation in the world. Preventive care is underutilized, resulting in higher spending on complex, advanced diseases. Patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes all too often do not receive proven and effective treatments such as drug therapies or self management services to help them more effectively manage their conditions.
This was to be accomplished through education and preventative care, the third goal (Strategic Goals, n.d.). By focusing on this strategy of promoting preventative care, this can help combat medical bills (Adepoju, Preston, & Gonzales, 2017). This cuts down on overall health care spending (Weiner, Marks, & Pauly, 2017). While there are serious health concerns within the upper and middle classes, there are significant issues going on in low-income populations, particularly inner-city and rural areas. The ACA was designed with initiatives to bridge these disparities. To combat these diseases, there is going to have to be better patient education initiatives. In these areas, there are few places to access quality care for these individuals. However, if we educated them on the importance of their health and controlling chronic illnesses such as hypertension, and promote prevention services, the health care system and the patients would both benefit. Preventative health
United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Healthy People 2020 (2018) recognizes cardiovascular disease as one of the most widespread and costly health problems in the United States, accounting approximately $320 billion in health care expenditures and related expenses annually. Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) identifies prevention of cardiovascular disease as one of the priorities and includes an objective “to increase overall cardiovascular health and quality of life for US population." (HHS, Healthy People 2020, 2018)
Furthermore, late diagnoses and untreated diagnose are costly for Americans, because untreated and extended lack of treatment cause for expensive medical procedures to ensure quality of life for people. Research by McWilliams (2009) supports, in its comprehensive study of the health consequences of uninsurance, Care without Coverage: Too Little, Too Late, the Institute of Medicine in 2002 found that uninsured adults in the United States have less access to recommended care, receive poorer quality of care, and experience worse health outcomes than insured adults do (IOM 2002) (Para 5). However, America’s public health reform may have a negative reflection with the latest implementation ACA, but there is some positive reflection.
The number of Americans without health insurance is still high enough that the negative consequences outlined above pose a significant threat to many people. As of January 2015, the percentage of uninsured Americans stood at 12.9% of the total population (Levy, 2015). Although this may seem like a low number, this statistic indicates that there are tens of millions of people in the U.S. who are susceptible to the risks of dying at the hands of something that could have been prevented with coverage. Thus, the uninsured rate is still high enough to warrant concern from policy makers and should serve as a call to action to work towards getting as many Americans as possible covered.
Every individual in the world deserves to enjoy health and wellness. Maintaining or achieving proper health needs enables individuals to be productive at work and leisure. Traditionally, many people have had barriers obtaining adequate healthcare due to economic constraints or personal inconveniences. Despite impressive technological advances in medicine, the challenge of delivering quality healthcare to the Americans continues to be debated amongst the nation’s political and healthcare leaders. The aging baby-boomers and the increased number of uninsured people add to the equation of population growth which results in limited access to primary healthcare for the entire public. On the
In our society, the increasing cost of goods and services as time passes by is not a surprise at all. What surprised me the most after reading about the health benefits of employees in the Kaiser Family Foundation 2013 is the very steep rise in the price of health insurance premiums and deductibles while having a decreased extent of coverage. In a matter of a decade, there was a 147% increase in worker contribution and 114% increase in premiums (Estes, Chapman, Dodd, Hollister, & Harrington, 2013). If this trend continues, there would be a greater health disparity and lesser accessibility to healthcare. This could result to the hesitancy to even see a primary care provider and even worse if there is a referral to a specialist, which in turn
To reduce chronic disease across the nation, we must rethink our health care system. It is essential to have a coordinated, strategic prevention approach that
As the cost of dental care seem to rise in the US and Canada. An alarming number , of patients are not able to afford the cost of care at the same time some patients want to find economical care.
The practice of annual or biannual checkups is firmly rooted in the lifeblood of American medicine, but also has practical application: if one goes through the trouble of selecting a primary care doctor, what sense does it make to almost never see said doctor? Nevertheless, author Brian Palmer offers insight into the uselessness of most annual checkups in the United States: “Annual checkups account for more than 8 percent of doctor visits and cost the health care system $8 billion annually—more than the total health care spending of several states. Each visit takes around 23 minutes, which means doctors in the United States spend approximately 17 million hours each year running their stethoscopes over 45 million completely healthy people.” (Palmer 2013) Also, when preventive care is offered at annual checkups (which is only about 20% of the time), the potential for overscreening and overtesting exists, and this can cause patients to manufacture illness based on something only minor or because of a false positive (Palmer 2013). In other words, the more one visits her doctor, the more likely she is to feel ill even when she is perfectly
Hello class. I’m sure everyone knows someone with a chronic disease or conditions like heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, or obesity. It may be your parents, sibling, best friend, or coworker. In any case, what if there was not a high prevalence rate on any of these chronic diseases or conditions. What if our healthcare system focused on prevention rather than treatment and by doing this saving money. According to Escape Fire, “75% of healthcare cost go to treating disease that are largely preventable” (Heineman & Froemke, 2012). The Centers for Disease Control and prevention also known as the CDC, stated that in 2012 approximately half of all adults had one or more chronic health conditions (CDC, 2017, para. 2). A potential solution to cutting healthcare cost on treatment is having a workplace health program.
Gum disease (Periodontal disease) is the leading cause of tooth loss. If diagnosed early, treatment can be highly effective
Oral health is very important and in Florida, this is becoming a big issue because many people cannot afford to have regular dental checkups. According to Ghenshan (2012), in Florida, more than 115 thousand visits were made to the Emergency Room in 2010, which were related to dental problems (p.3). This means individuals are having a difficult time paying for everyday expenses and as a result, they are not going to have money to be able to pay for a dental visit. People going to the emergency room for dental care means that they are not getting regular dental check-ups or participating in any preventative dental care (stopping the problem before it actually happens).