Healthcare originations play a critical role in providing a wide range of care services that are aimed at ensuring public health. One of the key components of healthcare organizations is the principles of healthcare finance, such as pooling, payment, collection, and purchasing. The core functions of these principles are to ensure that healthcare functions and practices towards provisions of universal healthcare services (Taylor, 2019). Other than healthcare finance, there are also other components such as policy and politics whose impacts affect how healthcare facilities are generally prepared to manage and respond to healthcare disaster-related issues. This also
Evaluate policy and politics of disaster response and public health emergency preparedness
Healthcare organizations face numerous challenges, and it is only through policy development along with the implementation of various strategies for disaster and risk management enable healthcare organizations effectively handle different disasters in more prepared ways that reduce potential harm to the public and healthcare organizations in general. Public health emergency preparedness is important in the sense that it supports the nation’s capability to respond to most of the anticipated and unanticipated threats (Tulane University, 2021). Generally, healthcare policy on disaster management should have key elements such as approved risks and disaster mitigation measures, a high level of preparedness, an effective response plan, and a comprehensive disaster recovery approach.
Other than policy on disaster and threat management, Chronic Care policy requires that healthcare professionals provide a comprehensive care plan with a list of the patient’s health problems, medications, treatment goals as well as community services needed by the patient.
Discuss Chronic Care policy
The Chronic Care policy is a new policy in the Health Care industry. It aims to reduce the cost of care for individuals who need long term care. The idea behind this policy is that it will reduce the cost of care for those who need long term care, but will incur a higher premium for those who do not need chronic care. This policy has been controversial for several reasons, one being that since this is a voluntary policy, many people do not adopt it even though it would benefit them. Another reason is that there have been many complaints from those who are already suffering from acute illnesses and have to pay higher premiums to cover people with chronic illness who are less likely to buy insurance because they are healthy at the moment. The biggest issue with this policy is that it ignores the fact that a person’s likelihood to get sick in the future might be influenced by their lifestyle choices now. For example, a person who smokes and drinks regularly may not be able to buy insurance when they are older because they failed to protect themselves while they were younger because they did not think they would get sick then.
Medical Homes and Primary Care
The term “medical home” refers to a setting in which an individual has access to and experiences seamless care throughout their medical history, without disruptions, gaps in services and providers, or unnecessary delays. Medical homes have been associated with improved care coordination, health outcomes and patient satisfaction. Many states have developed initiatives to promote the concept of a medical home, often by creating directories of certified providers. In contrast, primary care is defined as the provision of ongoing, comprehensive healthcare by a single provider. Primary care services include both routine and preventive services as well as care for acute illnesses.
How should healthcare professionals proactively plan to update their knowledge and skills to respond to the major public health issues and challenges facing them and their clients?
The healthcare professional should be exposed to progressive learning and training to allow them to get updated and replenish their skills and competency level. Through attending seminars, benchmarking, and workshops, healthcare professionals will get the opportunity to learn better ways of responding to emerging healthcare challenges and public health issues in a more proactive manner (Tulane University, 2021).
With the rapid advances in public health and healthcare, it is becoming increasingly important for healthcare professionals to proactively plan to update their knowledge and skills to respond to the major public health issues and challenges facing them and their clients. The following are a few strategies for how healthcare professionals can proactively plan to update their knowledge and skills.
1) Join public health organizations. Organizations like the American Public Health Association, the National Association of County and City Health Officials, the World Health Organization, etc. are all excellent places to start. They provide a multitude of opportunities for professional development and networking through conferences, publications, online forums, etc.
2) Pay attention to emerging issues in the news. With new diseases appearing (Zika virus in 2015), outbreaks occurring (Ebola in 2014-15), and old diseases making a comeback (like Tuberculosis in 2009), it’s important that you stay up-to-date on related news stories. Better yet, look at what sorts of questions people are asking about these issues. This will help you get a sense of what patients might be asking you about these topics as well as what resources you might need to help answer those questions.
References
Knickman, J. R. (2018). Health care financing. Jonas & Kovners Health Care Delivery in the United States. doi:10.1891/9780826172730.0010
Taylor, M. M. (2019). Public health solutions to rural health disparities. SpringerBriefs in Public Health, 25-35. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-11467-1_3
Tulane University. (2021). What is disaster management: Prevention and mitigation. Retrieved from https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/what-is-disaster-management/