HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS

Systems In Healthcare AIU Online Karen.Bojaciuk Unit 1 (IP) HCM6101104A-01 Dr. Martha E. Jennings

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS

Introduction These slides will answer two questions about fragmentation and its affects. The first part will answer the question: What are the desirable and undesirable aspects of fragmentation and the second part will answer the question: Should actions be taken to stop fragmentation, if so what should be done and how can it be achieved?

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS

Fragmentation is not a new problem.

Three obstacles to healthcare.

Inaccessibility of Care. Fragmentation of Care. Cultural Insensitivity. Unattainable and Society's indifferences. Restrictions Example of Fragmentation in the Healthcare System

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS

For Example:

A twenty-seven year old female with two sons is taken to a urgent care facility with symptoms of a feeling of sadness and not being able to keep anything she ate down. During testing, she is found to be about three months pregnant. She is automatically sent to the Welfare Office to fill out papers for healthcare insurance (Medicaid). She does not understand the paperwork in order to fill out and complete the forms in order to get the sufficient care she so desperately needs, so she has to ask someone at the office to help her fill them out. About three weeks later she is notified that she is eligible to receive Medicaid and will be covered. It will be very hard for her to find a physician who will take her insurance but after awhile she finds one. At this present time her youngest has had no checkups for well-babies and is behind on most of his shots. The system becomes more fragmentized because if she had a check-up earlier on in her pregnancy, the complications she is now suffering could have been taking care of way back when and even treated.

Because of the problems she is now having, her current physician feels that he can no longer take care of her because he feels the scope of her problems are beyond his training. This in turn makes her look for another physician that will see her, regardless of the complications. A month has gone by and she is able to get a referral to see a OB specialist who is willing to take her on as a patient. The next problem to come about is when her insurance will only pay for some of her ultrasounds, leaving only the choice to either pay for them out of her own pocket or do away with the care that is needed. Toward the third trimester of her pregnancy she is sent to the WIC office so that they can monitor her and her children's dietary needs. This warrants more paper work, and to make matters worse the WIC office is clear across town and because the father of her children works two jobs, she is not able to keep all of her appointments due to the lack of transportation.
The closer she gets to her due date the more aggravated she becomes with the system that she contemplates terminating the pregnancy, which for her is easier to attain then to have the baby and take care of it.

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS

Because of specializations in the healthcare field, the quality of healthcare is at risk.

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS Desirable aspects of fragmentation:

Undesirable aspects of fragmentation: Bad Communications Inefficiency Ineffectiveness Inequality Commoditization Commercialization Not being Professional Despair and Discord

Improved long term care inside specialized areas. Special needs patient.

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS

Should Actions be Taken to Slow or Stop This Trend? Modernizing healthcare Lowering information problems Unified structures Data streams simplified Freedom for patients Needs and rights Standards of patient care

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS

Integrated Care Quality Reporting Technology and Expenditure Growth in Healthcare

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS

Comprehending the problem.

REFERENCES

Krekula, Nathan (2008) Fragmentation of the Healthcare

System. Retrieved on 10/4/2011. From:

http://www.weneedafix.blogtownhall.com/printaspx

Our Fragmented Health Care System: Causes and Solutions.

The Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology

and Bioethics. Harvard Law School (2008). Authors: Madison, Kristin and Chandra Amitabl. Retrieved on

10/04/2011. From: http://www.oup.com and

http://www.annfammed.org/cgi/content/full/7/2/100