Chapter 13 began with a "A Brief History of Health Care Delivery in the United States." This section explained how health care went from being provided from family, friends and neighbors, to qualified personal such as doctors and nurses. We learned how the quality of hospitals and health care facilities improved from being dirty and unhygienic to clean and sanitary with more improved procedures. In more detail we learned that in the year 1920 x-rays, chemotherapy, and specific/specialized surgical procedures were invented. In 1946 the Hill-Burton act was established and health care facilities began to become more adequate and funds were provided for hospital construction. With better facilities, procedures and equipment available to the public the cost of health care began to rise. In the 1960's health insurance began to become a popular idea and employees started to work harder in getting their agents to provide better health care policies. The third party system was developed. This system became the norm on how to pay for medical care in the United States. Most recently in the years of 1980 and the 1990's there were changes. In 1980's people were allowed to start decide where they want to receive their health care and by who, when. Also, there was another advance in technology with MRIs and ultrasounds now available. In 1990 manage care was introduced. In 1996 total health care topped 1 trillion dollars. In 1997 President Clinton wanted to start reforming health care and providing it for all, insured or not insured, but it was unsuccessful in starting.
The rest of the chapter was describing "The Spectrum of Health Care Delivery." There are four levels of practice: Population-based Public Health practice (aimed at disease prevention and health promotion; education) , Medical Practice (first-contact treatment, ongoing care for medical conditions, prevention, early detection), Long-term Practice (follow-up care; surgical post-operative care) and End of Life Practice (care for those with 6 months or less to live).
We also learned about the types of health care providers: allopathic and osteopathic (traditional - ex. for physicians), non-allopathic (not traditional - ex. for chiropractors). More about these will be explained in class during our brochure presentation.
Lastly we also learned about specific health care professionals in the sense of a nurse, non-physician practitioners, allied health care professionals, and public health professionals.
Reflection:
The first thing our group that was "wow this chapter had SO much information," and it really did. We talked mostly though about Bill Clinton and what we thought about reforming America's health care system and making it universal for everyone. We had differing views. Some of us thought we only needed to fix private insurance and we would be fine, others thought it was really important, especially for children, to make sure everyone has a change to receive health care and medical attention. In the end we all agreed children need to be a priority in this country and that they all should, no matter what, until they're 18 be able to receive some form of health insurance.
Our group also talked about the different types of Health Care Delivery. We all knew that Medical Practice and Long-Term practice existed but Population-based public health practice and End-of-Life practice we weren't aware of. We had always thought that End-of-Life practice was just a part of Long-Term practice and that Population-based public health practice was more of a community and education delivery, not a health care delivery, although we saw where it tied in together. We also liked learning that our major now ties into a piece of the Health Care Delivery Spectrum because many of us are interested in the medical side of community health.
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