Increasing Malpractice Premiums Increase Wait Times and Impact Healthcare

“The contribution of volunteers results in an increase in the quality of perceived care in hospital settings (even with simple hand holding, information giving, and other non-medical services). These may be non-clinical and non-union tasks, but they provide a warm, human dimension during a difficult time for the patients and their families” (Handy, 2004, pp. 31-32). “Volunteers assist patients with prompt responses to their non-medical needs and reduce the anxieties of being vulnerable and alone-a common and significant occurrence. As hospitals grow larger and become more specialized and technologically sophisticated, the effective use of volunteers is vital in maintaining a human and personal touch” (Handy, 2004, p. 35).

But down to its most fundamental level, patients’ needs is nothing more than the presence of someone that could offer them the great comfort they long for. Nonetheless, it is sad to see that this humanistic aspect is fading away and being corroded by the rapidly modernizing health care settings.

Giving myself time to read up on nursing experiences, attending more clinical practice labs, participating and watching these duties in the health care setting will allow me to develop a secure level of confidence the next time that this type of situation may occur. Staying in the room allowed me to experience the feeling of support while looking past social norms and how they are challenged. I met my personal values, and I believe that one should respect another person`s privacy. This understanding allowed me to be there to support the resident during her time of need. In the article `starting out` by Jane Schulz, a nursing student shares her experience of helping her colleague assist an elderly patient with daily care. Observing the compassion and care between nurse and patient from fundamental tasks, she took away a valued lesson of how our support and caring methods affect an individual. My relation to this story allowed me to reflect on the effects my care and supporting actions had on our patient.

The payment system in the healthcare industry has appealed to specialty care providers, they make a higher income than the primary care physician. The physicians are attracted to specialty care, and the individual feels that specialty care is better. If physicians were all paid well, in order to pay for their education and then continued quality training, we would not be confronting the lack of primary care doctors who are available to treat the general needs of the population (Fisher, 2013). Just as the physicians seem to be treated differently in our health system so are the patients. Using a multi-tiered system of health care where some insurance gives out a higher payment to physicians, some patients seem to be wanted while others are less well received, this leads to an “everyone for himself or herself ethic” within our medical system (JAMA, September).” The design of the system is flawed in reference to the primary care physician and with the patient who has insurance which pays less, the way to reorient both is to make the pay scale more competitive for both. The primary care physician should be able to make money and cover this educational expenses and the patient should have insurance that will equate to

Health System Reform in the United States: Impact of Rising Premiums and Opportunities for System Improvements to Enhance Access to Healthcare Services

The health facility in this case study experienced several problems and issues beyond possible solution efforts by the time. One of the main problems is based on the perfect way of handling the various challenges attributed to a shift from the hospital’s fee-for-service in the case of managing care environment. Besides, some local physicians were loyal to Dr. William and had the necessary flexibility and availability to assist the doctor in various ways, but today they are no longer available to assist the doctor towards the achievement of his medical and societal mission. The physicians were always available and loyal to the doctor and they could volunteer their efforts especially in cases of physician shortages in the health center. The physicians cannot afford the time they once used for volunteering activities in the health facility to assist Dr. Williams (Swayne, 2008). The reason behind this problem is that the physicians have now been employed by various managed health care organizations. Others have been involved in various contractual agreements such that the partners prohibit them from working with the health care facility. Although the health care facility has a few small groups or individuals offering primary care, these individuals and small groups are still struggling to survive in the industry. As such, the majority of them cannot

In the next stanza, the poet describes “A figure walking towards cloaked in blue/ Beeping/ Tubes/ Needles.” The poem addresses the routinely and monotonous aspect of being in the hospital for long periods of time. It is a critique of the biomedical model and how the hospital system is created where patients are tended to by multiple doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals. The patients and healthcare professionals are unable to form a relationship that consists of what Kleinman describes as “empathetic witnessing” (Kleinman). Therefore, detachment between patient and health workers is developed and established, to which the patient cannot recognize or know the people assisting them. In addition, Grealy discusses this in her earliest accounts and appointments with doctors. She states that there is a layer of “condescension” and is an “endemic in the medical

Compared to many other countries, the United States has a healthcare system much more focused on specialists than general practitioners. Instead of using primary care providers as the gate keepers, many patients seek care directly from specialists. Additionally, with the constant pressure of malpractice or improper practice accusations, primary care providers are less willing to provide services outside of the basic realm of general care. This leads to an abundance of specialist referrals, many of which might be unnecessary. Further, evidence shows that specialists are generally compensated at a higher rate than general practitioners. This combination of factors has led to and is continuing to foster reduced numbers of general practitioners and increasing numbers of specialists. This trend may become a danger to the industry. General practitioners are crucial in maintaining population level health, increasing access, and reducing costs. As the number of general providers dwindles we risk returning towards a healthcare system with limited access. If we want to reverse this trend, we must recreate the norm that relies on general practitioners as a trustworthy and competent first line of service. This will require incentivizing medical professionals to train as general practitioners and reassuring individuals that these providers can provide a variety of services. Renewing the trust and utilization of general practitioners can ultimately lead to reduced costs and increased

Prior to walking in, my expectations for what I was about to partake in and experience were all over the place. I didn’t know whether to expect the absolute worst types of situations going on such as people being rushed into medical rooms or the most basic situations such as patients waiting for a strep throat test. I did expect to see a wide range of patients in terms of race, class, age, and gender. Contrary to the patients, I didn’t expect to see a wide range of race, class, age, and gender within the staff. I expected to see mostly female nurses, and male doctors, majority being Caucasian and middle age. I didn’t expect there to be that much security or any type of possible crime that could go on within a medical facility. I expected the waiting area and facility to be very large, large enough to accommodate a lot of patients at once. Lastly, I expected that taking our field notes would be a challenge because writing notes down in front of patients would be awkward and during interviews it would be hard to conduct a good interview while writing the whole time.

A large percentage of current doctors are reaching the age of retirement and many students are turned off from the field for multiple reasons. One of the greatest disadvantages of having any medical job that involves such high stakes, are the pressures of professional liability. Many doctors are at risk of being sued for malpractice during their medical careers. Medical liability can deter doctors away from tending to high risk patients or even practicing at all. According to a study conducted by the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “58% of OB-GYNs said they changed how they practiced due to the risk or fear of being sued. Slightly more than one out of four OB-GYNs (27%) decreased the number of high-risk patients, 24% increased the number of cesarean deliveries, 19% stopped offering VBACs, and 6% dropped obstetrics altogether” ("Women's Health Care Physicians.”). The care these physicians provide is essential, especially for women who are in high-risk situations. No woman should have to worry about being denied treatment by a doctor for fear of being potentially sued. When obstetricians-gynecologists are sued, the effects are detrimental to multiple aspects of the their career. Not only does it bring about a large mess of legal issues, but it also takes a toll on the mental health and confidence of these trained medical professionals. This

Notwithstanding the vast amount of knowledge obtained through scribing, there is a void of opportunity for one to cultivate meaningful patient connections. My dual role as a patient care technician on the Florida Hospital med tele/orthopedic floor allows me to establish closer interpersonal relationships with patients. A memorable moment occurred one early morning while performing my hourly rounds. “Morning,

The Washington Post reported on June 16, “Once again, the United States has most the expensive, least effective health care system in survey.” It’s apparent that the United States healthcare system is in an economic crisis. Furthermore, the United States healthcare system is not only in economic turmoil, but the social systems currently in place offer little to no future economic resolve for the predicament we are currently situated in. The paradox that seems to have fallen upon American healthcare is that, “The system doesn’t want you to die, but at the same time doesn’t want you to get well.” Heineman (2012) It is bad business. In other words, medicine is a business and I have witnessed this approach towards business in medicine first hand in my over five years of clinical and business experience in the medical field.

Yet, with all of this positive marketing for new surgical procedures, the lack of knowledge of potential patients is being taken advantage of on a routine basis. Hospital administrators are now trying to find more ways to get their physicians to get more work in order to add to the hospital's bottom line. Physicians are feeling the pressure from management to get as much work done as possible and they are burning themselves out (Health Care Fraud 1).

In addition to the challenges of the primary care physician shortage, the shortage will also have a great impact on health care organizations from a business perspective. The shortage will have a great effect because physicians are revenue makers for healthcare organizations. The care primary care physicians provide translates into billable services that make up the organization’s income. It is reported that the average physician generates approximately $1.4 million in income for a healthcare organization (Amirault, 2014). Therefore, organizations operating with less primary care physicians could experience significant revenue loss. For example, if a health care organization is short a single primary care physician it could mean longer appointment waiting times for patients. This could result in patients choosing a different organization for their medical care and the health care organization will lose money. The organization will be affected in other ways as well because fewer primary care physicians mean lower patient satisfaction and quality of care. From a business perspective, the shortage of primary care physicians will

While working on the Acute Medicine floor at Victoria Hospital, I have had many patient encounters that have allowed for me to reflect upon many aspects of the care I was providing. One particular encounter in which I found myself critically reflecting upon involved a situation in which my co-caring nurse and I were struggling to move an elderly female patient with limited lower body strength from her bed to the chair. For confidentiality reasons, this patient will be referred to as Rosemary for this reflection.