Module 02 Written Assignment - Outline and Annotated Bibliography

Jessica Seifert

Rasmussen College

February 18, 2018

The delivery of quality healthcare services to the public gets undermined by the presence of several ideas which get based on facts, truths, and misunderstandings. Consequently, these ideas get commonly accepted as truths, but in reality, these ideas are merely half-truths or myths. Healthcare providers and policymakers need to challenge these myths to improve both the quality and efficiency of healthcare services delivered to the public.

A common managed care myth is that the United States public health-care system is less efficient than the private healthcare system due to bureaucracy. The misconception that if the healthcare system gets left to the private sector, then efficiency will increase is one common managed care myth. This myth suggests that public healthcare gets controlled by the government for the sake of equality thus resulting in the degradation of quality, an increase in healthcare costs, a decline in access, and an increase inefficiency (Mintzberg, 2018). The idea that the American health care system has failed as a result of government interference since it does not encourage competitiveness thus eliminating the opportunity for innovation and formulation of practical solutions. The proponents of this myth argue that since public health care systems get primarily driven towards equality, the healthcare reforms are not geared towards value-based care delivery systems thus resulting in high costs and inefficiencies. They argue that the privatization of the American healthcare system will improve drastically since efficiency gains which characterize the private sector are a significant contributor towards productivity and profitability. This myth creates the illusion that an improvement in the American health care system can only get realized through a shift in the regulatory approach to on that advocate for a private healthcare market thus resulting in the acceleration of the healthcare system. They argue that a privately led healthcare system will result in the significant participation of entrepreneurs and innovators thus leading to more effective and efficient solutions which will make it possible for the transition of the American healthcare industry to move to value-based care delivery. The public sector needs to become more efficient thus the public sector needs to embrace efficient and lean practices and techniques in both the purchase and delivery of healthcare services. Although efficiency, quality, and equality are fundamental in any health care system, the public healthcare system cannot function adequately without the involvement of government regulation. The government is the sole custodian of the welfare and wellbeing of its citizens. Therefore, government regulations through legislation are essential for the success of the healthcare industry.

The significant issues in health care which need to get addressed should get driven towards narrowing and the eventual elimination of the gap which exists within society. The delivery of quality and efficient health care services requires the collaboration and engagement of all relevant stakeholders, both in the private and public sector. It is therefore essential to identify the appropriate roles of each stakeholder to facilitate the balance between efficiency, equality, and quality in healthcare. Consequently, as consumers continue to take an active position in decision making in healthcare, it is necessary for healthcare providers and policy makers to collect data to have an accurate understanding of the needs of the public (Cordina, Kumar, and Moss, 2015). This approach will pave the way for the possible realignment of the traditional thinking about managed care thus creating the opportunity for the adoption and implementation of viable and productive long-term solutions.

References

Cordina, J., Kumar, R., & Moss, C. (2015). Debunking common myths about healthcare consumerism. McKinsey & Company.

Mintzberg, H. (2018). Managing the Myths of Healthcare. In The Myths of Health Care (pp. 3-

11). Springer, Cham.