What is health care administration?: Health care administration involves multiple individuals, groups and facilities. Facilities must be able to provide care for their patients and give them effective and efficient treatments. Department heads of organized systems and groups within a healthcare facility communicate with one another to ensure the best care is received by the patient. Certain specialized professionals are a large part of health care administration because patients can be referred for specific treatments from their primary care, which enhances coordination regarding patient care. These specialized professions typically have their own department head to manage their organization and its responsibilities separately from the hospital, all while remaining a part of the overall health care system.
Insurance companies also play a part in health care administration. They help to provide affordability of care to the population by covering some medical costs. The patient pays a premium to the insurance companies to maintain their coverage and will pay a deductible on whatever service they received before the insurance company kicks in. Without insurance companies paying the majority of service costs, the hospitals would not be able to afford many technologically advanced treatments they provide today.
What is a systems view of the U.S. healthcare industry?: A systems view of any kind tends to break down a whole into parts that are more easily understood. The key rules of systems thinking involves Distinction (of an idea), Systems (breaking an idea down into systems), Relationships (relate ideas to one another) and Perspectives (looking at an idea through different ‘lenses’). The U.S. healthcare industry itself is fairly complex, but a systems view would break down the industry into smaller parts. Hospitals and physicians are shown to be at the center of the systems view, and they rely on their patients to “stay in business”. The buyers of healthcare, such as insurance companies, employers and uninsured individuals pay the hospitals and physicians for any services that were provided. Suppliers, like pharmaceutical representatives, IT and medical supply salesmen contact hospitals and physicians to sell their product. Regulators will make sure that the hospitals are providing safe and healthy environments for patients and they will oversee any competitive behavior they exhibit toward other facilities. Public Health Agencies try to improve the entire population’s health by researching illnesses (and providing research to facilities) and educating the public about health concerns. These intertwining parts make up the system of U.S. healthcare. The center will continue to be hospitals and physicians because most of these intertwining parts place their focus on hospitals and physicians.
What distinctions are you seeing in the systems view?: The distinctions I noticed start in the center of the view, surrounding the hospitals and physicians. Hospitals and physicians can be broken down and grouped into different clinics and services that operate outside of hospitals. I think this is an important distinction because it highlights how smaller facilities and groups are still the center of the view despite being located and managed separately from the hospital. I also thought it was important to explicitly show that consumers/patients relate directly to hospitals and physicians.
What distinctions are you not seeing?: I am not seeing a relationship between the physicians and the other inpatient care providers. For example, the relationships between physicians and nurses are simple and yet complex. The nurses are independent health care providers, but they are also subordinates of the physician and they have to work and communicate together to care for the patient. I think it would be beneficial to show how the physician and other providers work together and how they coordinate to help the patient.
How would you distinguish between regulators and public health agencies?: Regulators work to make sure that health care facilities are safe and have licensed and educated professionals working to help patients. They focus more on the facilities’ environment and if their patients receive safe and effective treatments. Public health agencies focus on researching health conditions, providing their research to facilities, and educating the public about issues like outbreaks, hygiene concerns and illnesses.
Can you compare and contrast suppliers and buyers?: Suppliers visit hospitals, clinics and physicians to sell their products. These products might include surgical supplies, pharmaceuticals, medical technology and other equipment the hospital may need. The suppliers are an important part of the healthcare chain because the more consumers and patients there are, the more supplies are necessary to run and maintain the hospital. The buyers are the organizations and people who actually pay for any services provided by the hospitals and physicians. This includes government programs, employers paying for employee insurance coverage, uninsured individuals, charities, insurance companies and others. The buyers have to work in conjunction with the consumers/patients because any patients who are insured need their insurance company (‘the buyer’) to pay the hospital back for any treatments.
What is organizational design?: Organization design contributes to the overall structure and flow of a facility. It works to designate authority figures, delegate responsibilities throughout the organization, and it maintains a structured flow of information. The design should be able to help organizations run smoothly and efficiently to enhance patient care (if it is used in a healthcare system). If the design is not working well, it can be changed if necessary.
Explain and describe how empowerment involves directed autonomy?: If a supervisor respects an employee’s decision and/or listens to their ideas, the employee may become more confident and empowered to voice future opinions. Empowerment and directed autonomy can even apply to the patient in the healthcare system. When a patient is respected and educated on their condition and any procedures or treatments that could be used, the patient can choose if they want treatment. Or, if they do want treatment, they can make an informed decision and give informed consent to the treatment the doctor has recommended.
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Emma,
I like your view on the fact that autonomy can certainly apply to a patient. If they feel empowered they are more inclined to take further ownership of their own healthcare experience. Some people who feel clueless can either just go with the flow and not ask questions or they can do the opposite and feel they cannot trust their physician. I feel that if the patient can gain confidence in themselves, their rights, and in their provider, they will have an optimal experience and even get motivated to find ways to be well.
Nicely done, Emma! Are you a member of our Facebook group?
I am now!
Thank you Jamie!
Hi Emma,
I have found that the suppliers, although a necessary entity for the function of a hospital, they operate under contractual agreements. These contracts do not always provide the best pricing of materials and products, which is very confusing and frustrating when you are working within your budgetary constraints. For instance, to purchase new chairs for my staff I had to work with the companies that the hospital contracted with. The cost was huge for the quality of the chairs I had to select from. I could have purchased a higher quality chair for half the price had I been allowed to purchase on- line through Amazon or even a department store. One would think the product would be of higher quality and better pricing when dealing with a contractual agreement to give a company all of your business.
Rhonda