Models of Comparative Healthcare Analysis - Essay Example

 Models of Comparative Healthcare Analysis Introduction Healthcare system refers to the organization of institutions, resources and people to deliver services of healthcare and respond to health needs of target populations. There are many forms of healthcare systems on the planet, and the histories of development of these systems are associated with the nations in which they are practiced (Institute of Medicine, 1994). The organizational structures of different health systems are determined by the policies and rules, which govern health practices in those nations. The planning of health system can be distributed among the participants of the market, but in other cases, the efforts of health system are concerted among such key players as religious bodies, NGOs, governments and trade unions. The efforts of health provision are utilized to deliver healthcare services that are planned to the citizens. Healthcare systems have evolved from basic services to sophisticated forms of health services, which are provided to people with regard to their needs. With this effect, this brief overview will analyze three comparative models of the healthcare system. Further, the text will highlight the significance of understanding the different models to a professional nurse. Models of healthcare analysis Each nation has devised its own health care system, which is adopted to provide for health needs of the citizens. Different countries devise different models, which they follow to attain the chief objectives of the healthcare system that include protection of families and individuals from financial exploitation and ruin through healthcare bills, treatment and care of the sick people and keeping individuals healthy (Paranjape & Sadanad, 2010). It is not necessary to study the variations and health systems that exist in every nation, as the arrangements for health care provision seem to follow a similar pattern. Though there tends to be four models of healthcare analysis, the span of this write up does not encompass all the four models, but three models only. The Beveridge Model The first model of comparative healthcare analysis is The Beveridge Model, which was named after a social reformer who designed the National Health System of Britain. This social reformer was named William Beveridge, and he was a famous person who influenced the health system in Britain for long. The system advocates for payment and provision of health services by the government, which finances the operations through taxes and revenue collection from the citizens (Wurman, 2004). In countries where the model operates, most of the hospitals, clinics and other health infrastructures are owned by the nation, and most of the health personnel who work in the health facilities are employees of the government (Paranjape & Sadanad, 2010). However, other doctors and nurses in this model work on a private basis, and they get their salaries from the government. Britain’s citizens never get hospital bills that wipe out the entire savings of families, relatives and friends (Institute of Medicine, 1994). The Beveridge Model has reduced per capita since the government regulates the practices of doctors and other medical personnel, as well as the fees that they charge for treatment of patients. The Beveridge Model is popular in the original place where it started (Great Britain), and other regions and countries, such as Scandinavia, Spain and New Zealand. Hong Kong has maintained The Beveridge Model of the healthcare system, which is a symbol of the ideology that the nation has maintained after its independence from the Britons. Despite the fact that The Beveridge Model is evident in most parts of the world, Cuba is a perfect example of a country where this model is practiced to the letter. The government has total control of the heath system, and it controls all services and operations of doctors. Patients get their health services at the expense of the government, and every citizen is guaranteed to obtain quality health services (Institute of Medicine, 1994). The Bismarck Model The second model of comparative analysis of the healthcare system is The Bismarck Model, which was named after the chancellor of Prussia (Otto Van Bismarck). Bismarck created the welfare state with an aim to unify Germany in 19th Century, and though the system originated in Europe, most Americans recognize the model in the American health care system (Matcha, 2003). The Bismarck Model utilizes a series of systems of insurance, and the insurance companies are referred to as sickness funds. The contribution towards the sickness funds is achieved through a joint effort of the employees and the employers through proportional salary deductions (Paranjape & Sadanad, 2010). The deductions are directed towards funding the activities of providing health services to people since the insurer covers the medical bills. The insurers receive premiums contributed monthly by employees, and they promise to expense the medical expenses to their own accounts, in case a person falls ill (Shi & Singh, 2011). The Bismarck Model in the US is different from the systems in other nations, as the insurance companies do not strive to make profits from their activities of providing insurance cover to American citizens (Tan, 2010). Their insurance policies cover everybody who lives in America. However, hospitals and doctors in countries that operate the Bismarck Model seem to be private, and studies show that US has fewer private hospitals than Japan (Willis et al, 2008). The government enjoys the privileges of controlling cost in this model, which is similar to the control in Beveridge Model. There are various countries that utilize The Bismarck Model, and they include Japan, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Latin America and Switzerland (Paranjape & Sadanad, 2010). The Out-of-Pocket Model The third model of comparative analysis of the healthcare system is The Out-of-Pocket Model. Only the industrialized nations have established systems of health care and these nations form less than a third of the total number of countries in the world. A majority of nations in the world are disorganized and poor, and they cannot provide medical care to the masses. The worst and shocking reality about health systems in poor countries is that the poor do not have access to medical services because they cannot afford it. Therefore, they remain sick, and most of them die from treatable diseases (Paranjape & Sadanad, 2010). However, the rich people are the only ones who manage to pay the hospital bills, and they can afford treatment, which is always prohibitively expensive. In most rural regions of developing nations in places like South America, China and India, people spend their entire life in sickness and they die without encountering a doctor or any form of treatment (Shi & Singh, 2011). The poor people might be lucky to obtain the medical attention of traditional healers in their villages, but their medicines might not work to heal the patients. The poor people struggle to get medical treatment to the extent that they can attempt to pay for the services using goods and live animals, or rendering babysitting services to the doctors (Tan, 2010). The shocking evidence is that those people who do not have anything to offer go without the services and they remain in the hands of ailments, which crush them to their death. The above models of health system can either exist on their own or as a combination of more than one model (Institute of Medicine, 1994). For instance, America always operates more than one model of healthcare system. For instance, there are people who are employed, and they pay premiums to insurance companies for medical cover, while others have nothing and they live in the rural regions, especially in developing nations (Matcha, 2003). It is significant to note that not all people in the developed countries enjoy organized medical services; there may be poor people in such countries who cannot manage to pay for their treatment. Cases of Out-of Pocket Model of healthcare are also prevalent in developed countries, and there are people who die from treatable diseases because they cannot pay for treatment (Wurman, 2004). The Significance of Healthcare Analysis Models to Nurses Nurses provide the basic care to patients and they assist doctors in the entire aspects of caring for patients. Nurses have a duty to guarantee that patients receive routine care to end their suffering, pain and discomfort. The nursing profession places nurses at the core of giving care to patients since they interact with sick people every day. Therefore, it is extremely essential that nurses comprehend the entire healthcare models that exist in order to ensure that they perform effectively in their roles and duties (Matcha, 2003). A clear understanding of the nature and structure of the systems of healthcare systems facilitates nurses’ knowledge of the exact expectations of their profession and the extent to which they offer their services. Nurses play a central role in medical records of patients, and these records are later employed in billing activities and medical charges (Tan, 2010). The models of the healthcare system utilized in a nation help nurses to know the exact steps followed in billing and medical charges. Further, the health system models determine and regulate practices and activities of nurses and other medical personnel (Paranjape & Sadanad, 2010). The obligations that nurses obtain from their roles and duties at the workplace compel them to understand every aspect of health systems. Failure to master the requirements of these health systems might result in confusion and loss of life of patients due to ignorance. References Institute of Medicine. (1994). Changing the health care system: models from here and abroad. New York: National Academies. Matcha, D.A. (2003). Health Care Systems of the Developed World: How the United States' System Remains an Outlier. London: Greenwood Publishing Group. Paranjape, R. & Sadanad, A. (2010). Multi-Agent Systems for Healthcare Simulation and Modeling: Applications for System Improvement. New York: IGI Global Snippet. Shi, L & Singh D.A. (2011). Delivering Health Care in America. London: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Tan, J.K.H. (2010). Developments in Healthcare Information Systems and Technologies: Models and Methods. New York: IGI Global Snippet. Willis, E., Reynolds, L. & Helen, K. (2008). Understanding the Australian Health Care System. Australia: Elsevier Australia. Wurman, R.S. (2004). Understanding Healthcare. New York: TOP. Read More