The adoption of new technologies is a vital step on the way to independence and self-sufficiency of medical systems. However, as can be seen from the case of Joe Sanford and Mid-Atlantic, the intention to integrate financing and investment functions of healthcare facilities is complicated by a number of factors. They are primarily related to the nature of such plans and projects, which are more logical rather than patient-oriented (Brown et al., 2013). In other words, the system is based on following administrative processes rather than considering patients’ needs, and the financing is performed by banks. Therefore, in order to successfully implement the initiative of creating a medical lockbox with the help of financial institutions, the plan should be readjusted so that it could address the emerging issues.
The principal issue related to the innovations proposed by Joe was explicitly stated by Jackie Green from the local bank at the meeting. It was connected to the incapability of medical facilities to perform such a change without assistance. The comparison of the situation with the previous achievements of Mid-Atlantic allowed concluding that Jackie was right. In order to integrate the financial function in medical facilities, they needed to give the responsibility for all transactions to the bank (Brown et al., 2013). Otherwise, this operation will not be possible due to the limited understanding of healthcare financing by clinics’ staff.
Moreover, a potential refusal to cooperate with the bank would also indicate the facility’s failure to address the needs of its clients in an efficient manner. Hence, such policies are against the principles of patient-centered care, and this concept takes a central place in the present-day health sector (Berman et al., 2016). For example, the researchers of this approach claim that the future of the field will be significantly defined by stakeholders, mostly patients, and this fact adds to the necessity to pay attention to their needs and perceptions (Berman et al., 2016). In this way, the orientation on clients should be the primary focus of Mid-Atlantic in such intentions as the establishment of new payment methods.
In the future, medical banking organized in accordance with the concept of patient-centered care can facilitate the shift from logical considerations to the particular needs of patients. Hence, the agreement of Joe and Jackie on the necessity to combine the efforts of banks and clinics will lead to the creation of a medical payment system corresponding to the perceptions of stakeholders. It will ensure the patients’ satisfaction with services provided by healthcare facilities. Moreover, once insurance companies start providing incentives to their clients in the course of cooperation, the latter’s awareness of their health will increase. As an alternative, this system could also be complemented by the development of IT systems allowing making remote electronic payments. In this way, it will lead to an increase in the efficiency of medical facilities.
While it is clear that the payment system of the present-day hospitals should be based on the concept of patient-centered care, it is vital to ensure the cooperation of all facilities involved in the process in order to perform the change. As it is said in the book of Ecclesiastes, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor” (as cited in Knowing Jesus, n.d.). Hence, the success of the initiative on the creation of a medical lockbox with the focus on stakeholders entirely depends on the capability of organizations to work together.
References
Berman, A. T., Rosenthal, S. A., Moghanaki, D., Woodhouse, K. D., Movsas, B., & Vapiwala, N. (2016). Focusing on the “person” in personalized medicine: The future of patient-centered care in radiation oncology. Journal of the American College of Radiology, 13(12), 1571-1578.
Brown, G., Patrick, T., & Pasupathy, K. (2013). Health informatics: A systems perspective. Health Administration Press.
Knowing Jesus. (n.d.). 13 Bible verses about cooperation.