- Description
HCS 235T Wk 1 – Discussion: Current Events in U.S Health Care
Instructions:
Due Thursday:
Post a substantive response that addresses each of the following components (minimum 175 words):
- Identify a current event that creates a need for improvement or adaptation in the way that health care is delivered in the U.S..
- What data supports your current event selection?
- What historical events are related to this current event?
- How will the U.S. health care system need to improve or adapt to respond to this current event?
Due Monday:
Post a minimum of two replies to your classmates or instructor. Be constructive and professional.
HCS 235T Wk 2 Discussion – Health Care Providers
Reflect on what you’ve experienced or learned about the wide variety of providers that deliver services throughout the health care continuum in the U.S. Consider the settings in which these providers operate and how they function as part of the overall health care delivery model.
Instructions:
Due Thursday:
Post a substantive response that addresses each of the following components (minimum 175 words):
- As you think about the various types of providers and the services they offer, what are some aspects that surprised you?
- What about these has caused you to reconsider your assumptions concerning the settings and ways in which health care services should be delivered? Explain your answer.
Due Monday:
Post a minimum of two replies to your classmates or instructor. Be constructive and professional.
HCS 235T Wk 3 Discussion – Health Care Stakeholders and Emerging Roles
Stakeholders in the health care industry exist in a broad range that extends from within the industry to the community at large. Patients, communities, governments, providers, payors, researchers, and beyond, are some of the many stakeholder groups that have an important role to play in the U.S. health care system. Additionally, new roles within the health care industry continue to emerge and bring innovation to the continuum of care.
Instructions:
Research 1 stakeholder and 1 emerging role in health care that you would like to understand better.
Due Thursday:
Post a substantive response that addresses each of the following components (minimum 175 words):
- What type of health care stakeholder did you select to research? Why is this stakeholder’s role important?
- What type of emerging role in health care do you feel will have a significant impact on the industry? How has what you’ve learned about this role changed your vision of the future of health care?
Due Monday:
Post a minimum of two replies to your classmates or instructor. Be constructive and professional
HCS 235T Wk 4 Discussion – Types of Health Insurance
Understanding the various models of health insurance in the U.S. is essential in helping you develop foundational health care knowledge for your role as a health care professional. The following discussion is designed to help you understand how health care is financed and how health insurance plans influence patients and providers.
Instructions:
Due Thursday:
Post a substantive response that addresses each of the following components (minimum 175 words):
- Describe the following types of health insurance plans in your own words, and from the perspective of a health care professional.
- Health maintenance organization (HMO)
- Preferred provider organization (PPO)
- Point-of-service (POS)
- Provider-sponsored organization (PSO)
- High deductible health plans (HDHPs) and health savings accounts (HSAs)
- Consider each of the following in your response:
- How the care is paid for or financed.
- The structure of the model (e.g., gatekeeper, open-access, or combination of both).
- The benefits for providers.
- The challenges for providers.
Due Monday:
Post a minimum of two replies to your classmates or instructor. Be constructive and professional.
HCS 235T Wk 5 Discussion – Health Care Data and Analytics
There are many comparison databases available online that allow you to compare physicians, long-term care providers, and insurance companies. These databases allow you to gain experience and insight into health care data and analytics. Additionally, you’ll learn more about how such information is increasingly being used by health insurance companies, private and government payers, providers, and patients to make choices about which providers are selected and paid based on quality, satisfaction, and cost data.
Instructions:
For this discussion, begin by completing the following tasks:
- Access the Care Compare tool on the Medicare.gov website.
- Select the hospital provider feature and choose 3 hospitals that you are interested in comparing. For example, you might choose to compare your local hospitals or an academic medical center, a rural hospital, and sole community provider to see how they compare. Or, you could choose hospitals in different parts of the country for a regional comparison.
- Follow the website’s instructions to compare your 3 chosen hospitals and review the results.
- Expand the results categories, such as patient survey rating, timely & effective care, and complications & deaths, and to review the data for each hospital.
Due Thursday:
Post a substantive response that addresses each of the following components (minimum 175 words):
- What are the names and locations of the 3hospitals you selected and why did you choose them? Explain your answer.
- What observations do you have about the patient experience survey data and patient ratings for the hospitals you selected?
- Would you decide to use a hospital based on this data? Why or why not? What other information might you want to know? What difficulty would the average patient have in using this data?
Note: Cite any outside resources used to answer these questions and format your citations according to APA guidelines.
Due Monday:
Post a minimum of two replies to your classmates or instructor. Be constructive and professional.