Top Five Elements of the Health Care System that Most Need Reform - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages Essentially, the rise or drop of the global economy is greatly dependent on the quality of health care delivered all around the globe (HackBath & Miller, 2009). To be specific, in the United States, healthcare is stands out as the largest industry adding up to fourteen percent (14 %) growth in Gross Domestic Product, which increases by a double digit annually. However, the health care industry is highly complex, large and inefficient thus necessitating the need to come up with significant number reforms, which will play a huge role in maximizing benefits enjoyed by the United States and its citizens at large (Fiscella, 2011). In simple terms, health care reform in the United States is an Affordable Care Act that was signed into law by President Obama in March 2010 (Fiscella, 2011). It entails a policy to effect positive changes to the country’s standards of health care practices. The health care industry provides exceptional opportunities for the country’s industrial and systems engineering. Since the reformation strategy paves a great room for the industry’s output towards the society, respective stakeholders are doing their best to achieve the set out reformation goals. In this regard, Healthcare reform is expected to affect all Americans, which include the old, young, working, unemployed, single and married. Ultimately, the goal of the reform policy is to enhance the number of insured Americans. Additionally, it is aimed at increasing the quality of care while at the same time maintain stability or reduce costs that Americans face while accessing services at the care centers (Sainfort & George, 2004). This paper therefore focuses on a thorough and logical analysis of five key reform elements via an account of the United States’ health care industry. It further aims at justifying the impacts of the following health care reform elements on the current system. Health care reform elements Science and Technology It is important to acknowledge that the United States’ health care industry has made significant steps in employing technology on different areas of operation. The World Health Organization recently ranked the United States’ health care system 37th out of all countries all around the globe (Sainfort & George, 2004). However, the current US health care system has largely been left behind in crucial technological areas such genomics and sensor technologies. Genomics engrosses offering promise in diagnosis while sensor technologies refer to automated detection and monitoring (Sainfort & George, 2004). This subject requires great reform by having fully implemented software systems that address their respective requirements. It is clear that these advancements will greatly affect that current health care system in that it will take shorter time to detect a patient’s problem, along with ensuring that exact problem is taken care of at the right time. Essentially, this will play a very huge role in ascertaining that Americans have access to high quality health care services (Sainfort & George, 2004). Health care payment system The citizens of the United States of America have always been victims of huge costs charged by the Health care centers (Odier, 2010). Research indicates that, the health care industry’s main areas of concern include use of medical instruments, medical research and training. Although it has excelled in the provision of these crucial components of high quality care, the focus has been offering them at high costs to those people who can afford (Sainfort & George, 2004). Thus, reforming the payment system to a state where it is standardized to meet all user levels will ensure that higher numbers of ...Download file to see next pagesRead More