Wk 5 reply/response

Q.1 Write reply/ response for this article. (Jose)

Professor and classmates, as more and more countries adopt market-based approaches for healthcare delivery, executive attention will continue to shift from the merits of competition to strategies for staying alive and prospering.  The constant pressure for improved clinical, operational and financial performance leave little time for trial and error. These are some examples that healthcare organizations are responding to the healthcare marketplace. One way is that you are stating to see more and more businesses grow and merge by entering into a joint venture. By doing so they have the ability to leverage economies of scale, strengthened bargaining position with cost payers and more services in managed care programs through verticalization along the supply chain. Another way is to establish and develop more outpatient networks that can reach out to more people and have the organization achieve significant outcomes in less capital intensive ways than by just building hospitals. Another way would be making sure the organization invests in modern IT, staff training, high performance equipment, modern premises and even contemporary room amenities is the price for staying profitable in a highly competitive market. Healthcare institutions are using smart finance to improve planning, acquire state of the art technology and manage cost-per-outcome in order to offer high-quality care and service to patients, which in turn enhances the organizations reputation, attracts more patients and staff, deploys clinical services more efficiently and effectively, adapts seamlessly to market changes and ensures regulatory compliance.

https://healthmanagement.org/c/hospital/whitepaper/the-keys-to-staying-competitive-in-today-s-healthcare-market

Q.2 Write reply/ response for this article. (Jordan)

Professor and class, some avenues that hospital organizations are venturing in would be education, pharmaceuticals, institutional, and research development. These organizations are applying new curriculums to programs to increase interest in the field, trying new medications to improve ailments and long term care plans, modernized buildings and equipment as well as technology and data management, and finding funding for research projects for advancement in medicine such as stem cell research and curing auto immune diseases. The viability of these concepts in terms of longer viability would be adjusting tuition and training costs, offering more for what you pay for, this leads to job retention and confidence in the field and can bring up numbers in the field. Also Interpreting price of medications and comparing them to competing pharmaceutical companies. For future endeavors the ability to predict supply and demand and securing prices for products and services, how quickly manufacturers can produce products cutting down shipment time, turn around time for referrals, procedures, and inpatient treatment can all be effected by the innovative competitive healthcare market.   

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3210041/

Q.3 Write reply/ response for this article. (Tracey)

Utilizing technology to communicate with patients is an innovate response to make hospitals competitive. Setting up centralized scheduling eliminates the need for repetitive services in multiple departments. Patients can call one single line to schedule appointments, and testing.  Automated reminder calls for upcoming appointments will minimize missed appointments.  These can be by telephone call, text messaging, email, and patient portals.  Another way to stay competitive is using self-register Kiosks. Patient can verify and update information, sign consent forms and check in.  This helps minimize long waits in registration areas. Bedside computer stations allow nurses and physicians to update charts in real-time.  This will minimize delay in imaging requests and updates on medication.  On-line bill pay will increase financial revenue by making easier for patients to pay their bills.

As baby boomers, Gen X, Y and Z all get older they are a group who are comfortable using technology in their day to day living.  For this reason, the increase in technology will continue.  More scheduling will be done by technology and less by humans. Additional more patients will utilize patient portals to communicate with physicians and update information.

10 Technologies to Keep Hospitals Competitive. (2012, January 30). Beckershospitalreview.Com.  https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/10-technologies-to-keep-hospitals-competitive.html#:%7E:text=%2010%20Technologies%20to%20Keep%20Hospitals%20Competitive%20,a%20unique%20identifier%20for%20each%20patient.%20More%20 (Links to an external site.)

Edited by  Tracey Wilson  on Mar 30 at 9:46pm

IVOH

Q.4 Write reply/ response for this article. (Latasha)

n the past, outpatient services were not very convenient. For example, scheduling appointments to see providers or receive services was as difficult and  very time consuming. You either had to wait on the phone for long periods of time to speak someone to get your appointment scheduled, then experience a longer wait because they had to search for open availability by either going through a scheduling book or rolodex of some sort.  There was a point in time where patients had to physically go into a facility to schedule appointments. Present day, thanks to larger technological advancements and the use of EHR and systems, it is a lot easier for patients to search/schedule/modify/ and cancel appointments as needed. 10-15 years in the future, I foresee that there are many more and much better improvements in both inpatient and outpatient services in clinics and hospital settings. Technology plays a major role in today’s healthcare system, from record keeping to patient care. Because of this, there will be an increased use of advanced technologies which will provide more availability to the outpatient services.  

Q.5 Write reply/ response for this article. (Jo0se)

Professor and classmates, it wasn't long ago that most surgeries and many medical diagnostic procedures required patients to plan for an inpatient hospital stay. How times have changed, its almost getting to the point that having a baby is one day going to be considered an outpatient thing! Ok Ok just kidding but I remember when my first son was born 20 years ago my wife was in the hospital for about 3 days to recover, when my second child was born, 10 years later, they wanted her to leave the following morning. But looking at the times and how things are changing, you can say that  clinical innovation, patient preferences and financial incentives are tilting the balance in fabor of outpatient settings for hospital services. Some of this change is driven by patient preference, and clinical techniques that reduce complications and allow patients to return home sooner. I think people are embracing this because not many people like staying days in the hospital and prefer to recover in the comfort of their own home. Financial incentives have played a huge role in healthcare shifting away from traditional hospital inpatient care. Health plans and government program payment policies support providing services in lower-cost settings like outpatient facilities. Hospitals are investing more in outpatient facilities, from full scale service centers to urgent care centers to standalone emergency departments, all because they are seeing that they can generate more revenue. 

https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/health-care/outpatient-hospital-services-medicare-incentives-value-quality.html (Links to an external site.)

https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/changing-priorities-shift-hospital-focus-outpatient-strategies

Q.6 Write reply/ response for this article. (Constance)

The issue of long patient waits has attracted increasing public attention due to the negative effects of waiting on patients’ satisfaction with health care. Long waiting times for patients are commonly seen in outpatient facilities, and this difficulty contributes to a range of public health issues, including impaired access to care, interruption of hospital work patterns, and patient dissatisfaction (Mohsin et al., 2007).

It is common to find patient care being postponed because of long waiting periods, and patients often spend more time waiting than actually consulting with health care providers. Among the several public health issues that might be related to long patient waits, the problem of patient dissatisfaction with care has attracted the most attention. Studies in various settings, such as military outpatient clinics, outpatient veterans administration clinics, outpatient primary care units, ambulatory services, outpatient ophthalmology clinics, outpatient orthopedic clinics,  or university health service clinics have all demonstrated that patient waits are associated with various levels of patient dissatisfaction 

In the coming years, there will be much more modifications in the outpatient services as there will be increased use of advanced technologies, making more available to the outpatient services.

References:

Mohsin M, Forero R, Ieraci S, Bauman AE, Young L, Santiano N; Emerg Med J. 2007 Mar; 24(3):175-9

Patient and physician satisfaction with an outpatient care visit. Probst, JC, Greenhouse, DL, Selassie, AW J Fam Pract. 1997 Nov; 45(5):418-25