Technological Advances in Healthcare

Answer

Technological Advances in Healthcare

Evaluate at least two different historical perspectives on the delivery of health care in America. How has the technology and the lack of developing technology affected these perspectives?

The American healthcare reforms have a distinct history. The historical perspectives on the delivery of healthcare in America are the rate of insurance coverage and the public opinion on the quality of healthcare. There has been a great concern on whether the Federal Government of the United States should provide free medical care throughout the history of the Americans. The first health insurance plan was initiated to cover Steamboat accidents during the Civil Wars of 1861-1865 (Brown, 2015). Health insurance policies formerly covered fewer individuals and criteria for the coverage were limited. A small portion of the population is covered by the private insurance sector, and therefore, the significance of the public insurance to cover the elderly and the non-employed has risen recently. According to the Census Bureau, the coverage by both Medicaid and Medicare has persistently risen since 2000. For instance, the public coverage by Medicaid rose from 10.5% to 14.5% while the Medicare coverage rose from 13.5% to 15.9% between 2000 and 2010 (Altman & Frist, 2015). The insurance coverage should be a major concern and the federal government should ensure everyone is covered either in private or public sector.

The public opinion on the quality of healthcare has also been a major hallmark in the historical perspectives of the healthcare reforms. Formerly, the public trusted healthcare stakeholders such as health insurance companies, healthcare providers, and healthcare professionals to provide high-quality care. A study of the public opinion on different healthcare plans adduced that people no longer trust the federal government’s actions to improve healthcare. Advancements in medical technologies whereby complex clinical procedures are devised to treat acute conditions have increased healthcare cost (Kierkegaard, 2011). Therefore, the premiums paid to the insurance companies for have also increased. The public is covered more by public insurance organizations than private insurers whose premiums rise proportionately to the increasing cost of medical care due to technological development (Brown, 2015). The increase in the premium rates has shifted insurance coverage from the private sector to the public sector. Improvement in health information system gives the public opportunity to judge the quality of care offered. The recent disdain in the healthcare system is due to the capability of the citizens to access healthcare information.

Compare and contrast two technological advances that have affected health care delivery in America

The two technological advancements affecting healthcare system are the electronic health record and the telemedicine. Telemedicine helps medical practitioners to use telecommunication to provide healthcare at distant places. The transmission of information ensures appropriate doctor-patient relationship because patients are also up to date with their health conditions. Telemedicine has also promoted convenience and efficiency of healthcare provision, especially in rural areas. Electronic health record system collects and stores health information for easy retrieval (Bai, Wang, & Su, 2015). On the other hand, telemedicine facilitates transmission of the information across various healthcare settings. The sharing of patient information is important in the provision of holistic care. Both telemedicine and electronic health record systems have improved the quality of healthcare countrywide. They ensure information about a patient is up to date. Healthcare providers can offer care based on the best evidence after retrieving healthcare records of the patient and searching the related cases using telemedicine searching strategies. The initial cost of installation of healthcare record systems is very high. Approximately $162, 000 initial capital and $85, 000 maintenance fees is required for a practice of five people (Kierkegaard, 2011). However, the cost of telemedicine is low with telecommunication strategies as the core requirement. Electronic health records and telemedicine also reduces disparities in healthcare.

The electronic records can also be assessed to determine the quality of care and the healthcare needs of different populations. Through telemedicine, healthcare providers can share information on the cases they manage so that other care providers can apply the same strategies. Therefore, provision of care would be standardized by the technology. There is also a similarity in the level of training required for healthcare professionals to use both telemedicine and electronic healthcare records. New, temporary, and permanent employees require training before they can use telemedicine and electronic healthcare records during care competently (Bai, Wang, & Su, 2015). The main issue of concern for the public opinion is the integrity of these systems in maintaining the privacy of patients. The technological advancements will ease the comparisons of the quality of healthcare and therefore, patients will choose their providers based on the best evidence they have. Most importantly, the systems work towards reducing the load on paperwork and increase accessibility to affordable care in the future healthcare system.

How have these changing technological advances affected public opinion of the changing health care system? Are the opinions positive or negative? How do you see these advances affecting the delivery of health care in the future?

Technological advances have profoundly influenced public opinion on the quality healthcare delivery. The most stirring issue that has positively influenced public opinion is the increased accessibility to affordable healthcare despite the locality.  The disparity in healthcare delivery between rural and urban areas is gradually mitigated because all healthcare providers can share information (Rothman, Leonard, & Vigoda, 2012). Healthcare records can also be stored and transmitted to other providers such that progress is made towards providing person-centered care. Telemedicine has also reduced traveling costs incurred to procure distant healthcare services (Fayers & Machin, 2013). Therefore, the public opines that the health information technologies have sustained equitable, efficient, and affordable healthcare delivery. These opinions are positive. Future practice would entail changing roles of medical staff, especially the ones whose job description involves providing insights for the patients about their ill-health. However, the practitioners who must perform physical tasks such as surgeons and physiotherapists will remain unaffected. New occupations would also be created in the practice. Healthcare delivery is extensively information-based. Therefore, it would be prudent for clinicians to employ analysts who can assist them to derive information from the large databases. Lastly, telemedicine and electronic health records will ensure that all healthcare professionals participate in professional development in the process of searching for the best evidence in the health information technology systems.