Introduction
The United States health care has been occasioned with a variety of challenges such as; reduced consumer satisfaction, poor healthcare quality and high prices with low coverage among other ills. These challenges are some of the symptoms pointing towards larger underlying issues in the health care. A systematic approach and analysis is of essence to ensure the main causes of these problems is noted and tangible steps made to ensure the health system is streamlined and able to deliver to the public. The paper defines the model trends that are available in the United States health care system.
The paper further, identifies and explains about two model trends available in the delivery of healthcare. Consequently, the paper describes how the transformation of the health care system has impacted on the two model trend identified. The paper moreover, discusses the implication of external forces, which is anticipated in the United States health care, and finally the paper concludes.
Model Trends in United States Health care system
A model trend is commonly referred to as a system that enables clarification of a persons or a business “service line”. Model trend facilitates entities to understand better their nature and line of their businesses and services they make available to the public (Wietecha, 2002, p.68). Model trends illustrates a formidable aspects in the united states health care because it helps organizations to understand the welfare of their customers and narrowing their attention towards its fulfillment. Moreover, trends aids in identifying a customer’s health care entity and provides an important role of impacting on the way in which a business entity is organized and managed.
Model trends contribute significantly in determining the quality and the kind of health organization that are available in regard to terms and the value they create in the market (Wietecha, 2002, p.79). This implies that there should be a definition of organization business alignment and the guiding principles that drives the health organization. This would greatly influence the performance of the organization.
Trends in the health system differ from other line of businesses for instance; in health care, the models can be broad or narrow, this is because, there is some misconceptions some entities believes that they are part of the health care or hospital business whereas others believe that they are part of health care delivery system as noted by Wietecha (2002, p.88). The entity which believes they are part of the hospital business is composed of hospitals which try to provide and environment of competition with other hospitals. Policy experts are part of health care system who strongly believes that when health system delivery is strengthened in can serve considerably more people.
Current trends in healthcare delivery models
Lemco (1994,p 68) suggests that most health care delivery models have alienated and distanced themselves from intervention by the federal government, strategy makers and states. They have constituted themselves into competitive models. This is because of value based competition trend. The first trend to be discussed is the value based competition model. The value based competition model provides a major shift, it does not pay attention on doctors, strategy makers and business as a major factor in health care, it instead embraces the value of patients as the most important entity of the business. Lemco (1994,p 76) explains that, this is a holistic approach because it does not only endeavor to tailor its specialized services to patients but also incorporates extra excellent services in addition to the ones they provide. In this value based competition, there is no encouragement to perfection in relation to a given area of health care such as surgery by major hospitals or practitioners. But the emphasis is centered towards the quality of overall health care system (Lemco, 1994, p. 89). This means strengthening and providing excellent services will motivate a patient. For example if a patient receives excellent diagnosis , he or she may get the right treatment, by disseminating efficient and well organized services to a patient, the health care service delivery can be streamlined and enhanced (Leathard, 2000,p.87).
Moreover, soft regulatory is another trend in the health care delivery. Soft regulatory is widely used by strategy makers. Regulatory measures are believed to be traditional approach in regard to health care delivery. Consequently, the soft regulatory trend helps to accommodate majority of people in the health care system (Leathard, 2000, p.96). However, the soft regulatory comes with issues which includes; incorporating more elderly people in the healthcare system, there is technological rise, much emphasis is placed on efficient provision of service and increased consumer awareness (Leathard, 2000, p.103).
This issue has raised a lot of concerns due to cost consequences associated with it. Moreover, the policy makers and the government have been compelled to accept a soft approach towards this issues and the health care in general. Modern methods of health care prohibit direct government involvement. This implies that, the supply and allotment of health care providers and assets may prove a challenge to the health care (Wolper, 2004, p. 67). Policy makers therefore have provided a vital role in guidance. The soft regulatory approach has more merit in regard to the health care system. One of the merits of this approach is that patients are provided with equality in accessing medical care without consideration of their financial background. Furthermore, the system also encourages fairness in the dissemination of health care a rare opportunity in value-based approach (Wolper, 2004, p. 77).
Impact of Value.-based competition and soft regulatory in healthcare transformation
Patel and Rushefsky (2008, p.98) explains that the United States health care system has revolutionalised now days. Patients are enlightened and they know what to expect from the health care providers. The need for health care providers to understand the patients’ needs and incorporate then in their line of duties has to be embraced.
The soft regulatory method has majorly been affected by this revolution. This is because smart implementation of services is deeming to be instituted (Patel and Rushefsky, 2008, p.108). The value based competition has not been spared either in regard to health care revolution. Patients now have the privilege of accessing all the health choices that are available via the use of information equipments. It means that, to facilitate enhanced value and service, hospitals needs to reorganize and strategize themselves than they used to operate decades ago to stay at par with the emerging technology and be in a position to embrace its use in their operation in order to executed relevant and up to date needs in the health care field Patel and Rushefsky (2008, p.113).
Health care system in the past has been funded by the use of inappropriate methods and regardless of the nature and size of the organization (Huber 2006, p.48). Health care would only be able to get funding basing on the historical information such as expenditure information. It was a model which did not provide room for accountability and service improvement.
Newport (2009) points out that contemporary method of funding are based on service delivery. Both trends i.e. the soft regulatory and the value based competition are prone to be influenced by this approach constructively. Nature of service provided unlike historical background will be a basis used for analyzing funding (Huber, 2006, p.65). This will influence quality, productivity and creativity in the health care system. Moreover, hospitals will not be worried, because there will be more adequate funds to cater for other programs which deems fit to improve service delivery.
External forces and the United States Health care
The external forces are playing an important factor in shaping the health care system in the United States. A shift to specialty services in the health care system has been the trend by most health care organizations. A shift from providing a variety of services in an ordinary way to routine enrichment has been a factor associated with external forces. Moreover, the style of management has changed; there has bees a shift from centralized management to distribute. Consequently, the external forces is reshaping the health care to facilitate the practitioners have the ability to make sovereign decisions on their own.
Impact of current environmental trends on the healthcare delivery model
Coker and Bennett (2010) says that a number of environmental factors exists that affects the health care system. The environmental factor influences the health system differently, basing on the model in place. The “clinical outcome” in health care is one of the important aspects embraced in health care. The blend arising from clinical research and patient care benefits value base model because it enhances quality and efficient service.
This approach is essential and the outcome is easily noticed with clinical research. Soft regulatory do not easily favor research in regard to patient care. Soft regulatory involves separation of clinical research and geography. Another environmental factor that shapes the health care system is geography (Coker and Bennett 2010).
Geography is an important element in any kind of business. Geography encourages understanding of the market for a given product. In health care, geography is an important environmental factor because it helps in incorporating regional health care services needs to be reflected at a national level. The value based model is affected by geography this is because the health practitioners have the responsibility of eliminating the factors that predispose them to competitors.
Geography also provides an opportunity of teaming up with partners. In soft regulatory some aspects of health needs are identical with certain ecological locations. Moreover, the resources released or the choice of regulation provided is entirely based on location. Hence geography gives a choice and affects the provision of service in regard to soft regulatory trend.
Effects on healthcare organization leadership
Leadership in the health care system has been transformed to be in tandem with the contemporary changes in the health sector as noted by Juvan (2009). Organizations have therefore been restructured and redefined their line of businesses to conform to the needs of the patients. This implies that most of the services provided to the patients are now specialized.
Vertical integration has been significantly reduced by most organization because the decision making m has been widely appreciated across a variety of health care approaches. Hospitals have integrated strategies which focus on individual units. The approach is quite different in relation to the one which was used in the past, which involved using a uniformed organizational policy in the entire hospital as noted by Juvan (2009).
Moreover, different units in the hospital have been mandated and given responsibility to make their own decisions not only the hospital administration.
The pricing strategy in hospitals have also been transformed because there has been introduction of single bills which relate to each service provided instead of a larger package which covers all health bills. The issue of pricing ensures accountability because it helps respective business units to view returns directly. The emerging health trend has changed the services being provided in the market. Moreover, organization stress emphasis on the Excellency of their products ad services, this ensures a competitive market environment is created. The contemporary trend has encouraged the growth of more health institutions, because of decentralization, expansion to reach wider geographical regions has been created at the same time efficiency in services has been superb.
Impact of future development in healthcare will shape individuals
Vandenburgh (2001, p.288) points out that the development in health care will provide a challenge to individuals and groups in the health sector. As medical globalization gains momentum, there is likeliness of patients to cross borders and move t o neighboring countries such as Canada and Mexico to seek treatment and purchase of inexpensive medications which are not readily available in the United States (Vandenburgh, 2001, p.290).
They trend is likely to go up with more patients seeking specialized treatment for instance surgery, they will be moving out of the country to seek inexpensive and cheaper treatment in neighboring countries. Cost savings has resulted in lower administrative costs, capital and other costs associated with hospital stall in this country. Incorporation for the use of alternative medicine for the treatment of illness will also have impact to individual concerned (Vandenburgh, 2001, p.295).
Patients might use a variety of traditional herbs to help him or her cure a potential disease thereby promoting her or his health. This will results in pharmaceuticals loosing sells hence affecting the group concerned. There might be other alternatives such as yoga, acupuncture and aroma therapy. These alternatives can be used to promote a healthy living of a person.
Conclusion
The health care system provides alternatives health care to majority of Americans. The value based competition provides patients with the much needed quality medical services. It gives the patient more freedom and comfort because it is patient centered. It provides an environment where competition rests in the jurisdiction of the health practitioner instead of giving the policy makers the authority. In soft regulatory, the authority to regulate the health care system is within the policy makers. They provide guidelines and allow it to be followed. The contemporary trend in the health care system management has lead to decentralization and decision making. This has shaped the organization functioning and altered its administration structures in a number of ways. This has resulted in transformation of billing systems, market, and alteration of organization management structure.
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