Healthcare Concepts Paper Example

The definition of quality in healthcare can be subjective. A service that one individual may regard as quality may drastically differ in another individual. Furthermore, the perspective of healthcare professionals and patients on concepts of healthcare such as cost, access, and quality varies significantly. Patient satisfaction differs from patient to patient. However, there are common factors that affect patient satisfaction across all patients. They comprise of cost and quality of care which are determined by various factors. Healthcare professionals view concepts of healthcare differently possibly because they are at the center of the provision of care. Thereby, their opinions are inclined towards what they deem crucial for quality services. Consideration of the two sides (patients and healthcare professionals), indicates the need to balance cost, access, and quality of care and services.

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Regarding access to healthcare, there exist racial disparities. Studies reveal that 65 percent of African Americans and 55 percent of Hispanics think that they will receive not receive quality services and care from a healthcare provider because of their race (Betancourt, 2014). The number is relatively high indicating the crucial role of racial disparities plays in the provision of healthcare. For white patients, on the other hand, only 22 percent think that they will receive poor treatment from a healthcare provider based on their race. Furthermore, studies indicate that fewer people of color are usually recommended for cardiac catheterization and bypass grafting (Betancourt, 2014). Healthcare professionals, on the other hand, are quick to deny their contribution to this disparity observed.

To a great extent, racial disparity greatly impacts on the quality of care for minority groups, particularly African Americans and Hispanics. Mistrust in the patient-physician relationship lowers the level of compliance to treatment and also it does not encourage patients to come back for follow-up visits. Patients usually do not trust that the healthcare provider will act in their best interest, thereby they do not feel the need to go for follow-ups. The role that racial prejudice plays in healthcare is one that cannot be ignored due to its far-reaching implications on the health of minority populations. As the government seeks to improve the accessibility to healthcare services among the populations, minority groups should be considered. In most instance, minority populations usually still do not have access to healthcare facilities despite measures taken by the government to improve access to healthcare services (Betancourt, 2014). In the US, the access of people to healthcare differs greatly along ethical lines. Therefore, ethnic disparities is a determinant to the perception of the quality of care among patients hence the need for policies to acknowledge this challenge.

The cost of healthcare is usually a concern for the providers of care and the recipients. Many healthcare organizations struggle to balance the available resources with the existing demands for these resources. For instance, in the case of mentally ill patients and cancer patients, the providers usually face the challenge of deciding which category of patients should have priority regarding access to healthcare services (Gray, 2017). Furthermore, there is the concept of value-based practice, where maximum benefit should be derived from existing resources. The implication of this is that there usually exists a threshold of the number of patients that should be available to ensure that a given resource would be maximally utilized. An example is radiation therapy equipment that would require the presence of a given number of patients before the equipment is installed. However, despite the increase in the productivity, safety, and quality of healthcare services, many challenges in the provision of healthcare services still exist. The notion that the unavailability of resources is the cause of difficulties in the delivery of services to patients seem to prevail among healthcare professionals (Gray, 2017). They seem to think that the increase in resources is the answer to challenges in the provision of care. However, this is not the case. There is a need to optimize the use of the available concerning the changes in the manner of service delivery over the years (Gray, 2017). Value-based practices emphasize the need to use the existing resources rationally to realize maximum benefits from them. Physicians should recognize their role to optimize the care their patients receive at the lowest available cost.

The balancing of access, quality, and cost of healthcare services by healthcare organizations is a complex task. Increase in quality of healthcare services is usually coupled with an increase in the cost (Fulton et al., 2008). The increase in cost arises from increased resource allocation. Although the increase in resources usually improves the service quality, to some extent it may have a negative implication on the availability of care. The increased cost which accompanies increased quality lowers the accessibility of care for most populations (Fulton et al., 2008). Most patients cannot afford expensive healthcare costs. Thereby, an increase in quality without the consideration for cost will not benefit most patients since accessibility is core to the provision of care. The challenge for healthcare organizations is to ensure there is a balance between the cost and the quality of healthcare services. However, in most scenarios, where healthcare is affordable and easily accessible, the quality is usually compromised. For most patients, the access to these services is usually of paramount importance. Healthcare professionals, on the other hand, are of the opinion that both are of equal importance since the quality of care is mandatory for positive outcomes. For the patients on the other hands, access to healthcare services almost always means positive outcomes for them. Thereby, in the provision of care, the creation of a balance between the cost, access, and quality of care is vital.

The level of customer satisfaction in the provision of healthcare services is depended on some factors. The cost and quality of care are the most important determinants of satisfaction (Lobo et al., 2014). Cost is usually an important determinant of accessibility, which in turn affects satisfaction. Quality on the other hand usually impacts on outcomes. Quality care is usually accompanied with positive outcomes, hence, higher satisfaction. Other important predictors of satisfaction include nursing services and the perception of equity in health (Lobo et al., 2014). Nursing services are especially an especially important determinant since nurses are the ones who are in contact with patients the most. It has been shown that where nurses portray competence by demonstrating an understanding of issues through explaining procedures, there is better satisfaction in patients (Lobo et al., 2014). Also, equity in the provision of care by nurses is correlated with higher satisfaction. In essence, patient satisfaction is determined by various factors in the provision of care, chief of which are the price of services and quality.

For healthcare professionals, particularly stakeholders, value-based and evidence-based designs are vital in the determination of most cost-effective means of increasing quality of care. evidence-based design (EBD) provides proof of the effectiveness of practices in saving life cycle expenses while enhancing the quality of services. For instance, it can be demonstrated the number of hours that healthcare professions such as physicians are paid to work can be reduced while still maintaining the quality of care. It can be achieved by ensuring optimal performance of personnel for few hours. The value-based design is whereby there is optimal utilization of available resources to realize improved quality without necessarily increasing the availability of resources. Economic evaluations indicate that in the provision of care, EBD and value-based design have been shown to be the most cost-effective means of improving quality and safety in healthcare (Zadeh et al., 2015). The implication of this in practice is that stakeholders should consider these designs in developing strategies to improve safety, quality, and outcomes.

Conclusion

In summary, the perception of quality in healthcare differs between individuals and between the patients and healthcare professionals. In patients, the most important determinants of satisfaction are usually cost, quality, and equity. Also, these factors determine the access of patients to healthcare services. Healthcare professionals, on the other hand, seem inclined to the opinion that both access and quality are crucial in the provision of care. Hence they have a different perspective from that of patients. Evidence-based and value-based designs present stakeholders with the most cost-effective means of improving quality, safety, and outcomes of care. Therefore, in healthcare, a balance between access, quality and cost must be established for good outcomes and increased patient satisfaction.

References

Betancourt, J. R. (2014). In Pursuit of High-Value Healthcare: The Case for Improving Quality and Achieving Equity in a Time of Healthcare Transformation. Frontiers of Health Services Management, 30(3), 16-31. Doi: 10.1097/01974520-201401000-00003

Fulton, L. V., Lasdon, L. S., McDaniel, R. R., & Coppola, N. (2008). Including Quality, Access, and Efficiency in Healthcare Cost Models. Hospital Topics, 86(4), 3-17. doi:10.3200/htps.86.4.3-17

Gray, M. (2017). Value-based healthcare. BMJ, j437. doi:10.1136/bmj.j437

Lobo, A., Duarte, P., Carvalho, A., Rodrigues, V., Monteiro, M. J., & Alves, H. (2013). The Association of Equity, Accessibility, and Price With Primary Healthcare User's Satisfaction. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 36(2), 191-208. Doi: 10.1177/0193945913497830

Zadeh, R., Sadatsafavi, H., & Xue, R. (2015). Evidence-Based and Value-Based Decision Making About Healthcare Design. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 8(4), 58-76. Doi: 10.1177/1937586715586393