Introduction
The healthcare system is a complex mechanism of professionals, systems, and services created for the purpose of supporting the population. However, there are a number of different frameworks that can be applied in order to understand and manage healthcare settings. One prevalent method is healthcare economics, which applies economic thinking to the subject and allows the consideration of the decisions of patients and providers from a new angle. For the purposes of this work, this outlook is helpful in understanding the differences in healthcare outcomes and patient outcomes.
Healthcare Outcomes and the Work of Hospitals
In the example presented, the work of hospitals in Boston and New Haven is compared. Individuals who live in Boston are said to be hospitalized more often despite the age-specific mortality being the same in the two locations. This raises questions about the effectiveness of healthcare and its ability to improve individual wellness. An important thing to notice is that the health outcomes are determined by using mortality rates and hospitalizations (Lin et al., 2018). This measure does not take into account the quality of life, potential health disparities between populations, or even the specific geographical differences between Boston and New Haven. As such, it may be more beneficial to consider other measures of population outcomes (Cella et al., 2019). According to the most recent data, hospitals are able to improve the quality of life for individuals considerably (Sentrics, 2022). Therefore, the increased hospitalizations are likely to contribute to a more satisfied, healthy, and cared-for population (Karaca & Durna, 2019). However, it is also possible to consider this from the standpoint of productivity. Then, it can be surmised that New Haven hospitals are working inefficiently despite their increased hospitalization numbers. The difference in marginal and average productivity, as outlined in Phelps (2018), dictates that the larger productivity in New Haven means that the quality of each subsequent hospitalization lowers. In this vein, the quality of outcomes for people also decreases instead of rising.
Conclusion
Hence, understanding the variations in patient outcomes and healthcare outcomes is helpful in the field of health economics. In spite of the fact that the age-specific mortality is the same in Boston and New Haven, residents of Boston are considered to require hospitalization more frequently. Increased hospitalizations will probably result in a population that is happier and healthier. The quality of each consecutive hospitalization declines as New Haven’s output rises.
References
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Karaca, A., & Durna, Z. (2019). Patient satisfaction with the quality of nursing care. Nursing Open, 6(2), 535–545. Web.
Lin, M. Y., Kressin, N. R., Paasche-Orlow, M. K., Kim, E. J., López, L., Rosen, J. E., & Hanchate, A. D. (2018). Is 30-day posthospitalization mortality lower among racial/ethnic minorities? A reexamination. Medical Care, 56(8), 665–672. Web.
Phelps, C. E. (2018). Health economics (6th ed.). Routledge.
Sentrics. (2022). How modern hospitals are improving patient outcomes. Web.