Introduction
The medical industry in the modern world has developed highly specialized knowledge and tactics to generate income from research and care delivery, guaranteeing high standards of care and patient satisfaction. Over the past few years, there has been a steady deterioration in the quality of medical care provided. Despite impressive developments in health and technology, therapeutic services often fall short of the core responsibility of any company: consistently providing what customers require. Due to the ever-increasing complexity of medical service delivery, even the most conscientious efforts of individual doctors are no longer sufficient to ensure timely, high-quality care.
Turmoil
Many factors have contributed to the current chaos in the healthcare systems, although some problems have been identified and some fixes implemented. Difficulties have arisen because of the new requirements and modifications put on healthcare personnel, forcing them into a transition period during which they ought to adjust to the new rules and procedures. In addition, options abound, and developments have prompted several professionals to abandon the medical field (Bourgault, 2022). Supply appears to outstrip the current demand in terms of both the quality and quantity of available medical services. Practitioners in specialized professions have work-life imbalance and are likely to experience depression attributable to their worsening physical and emotional well-being. Problems with the workload, dissatisfied workers, inadequate care, and high turnover rates are all concerns the healthcare industry should deal with promptly. There is a severe shortage of doctors and nurses, which profoundly affects the healthcare system.
The decline in healthcare quality and the accompanying increase in the difficulty of accessing and paying for adequate medical treatment particularly affects remote areas of the US. Many people in rural parts of the United States suffer from high incidences of chronic diseases, higher poverty rates, lower levels of health insurance, and insufficient access to primary care. The United States leads the world in technology and medical breakthroughs (Flaherty & Bartels, 2019). Health care costs, however, are two times what they are in other developed nations. Therefore, healthcare reforms should be implemented to fix everything wrong with the cost of care, quality delivered, and adequate staffing. The most significant issue with the healthcare system is that, despite past reforms, it still does not provide affordable healthcare for all American citizens.
Two Main Problems
For a long time, American policymakers have been trying to solve the same two major issues that have plagued the country’s healthcare sector. Included on this list are problems with coverage and cost. The American medical system continues to be plagued by health insurance and inadequate staffing. Therefore, shortages of medical professionals, nurses, and administrative personnel, as well as financial resources like budgetary allotments and the cost of care, are two of the system’s most pressing problems. Late modifications to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act have contributed to a severe shortage of doctors and nurses. Many people without health insurance cannot get care because of recent changes in the law (Bourgault, 2022). The new regulations have placed a huge burden on healthcare workers. The demands placed on nurses and other medical professionals daily can be daunting. Some medical staff members are suffering from mental breakdowns and anxiety. Resolving conflicts in settings where medical treatment is provided has been difficult.
Medical professionals in rural areas generally choose to work there because of a strong desire to aid the underserved. To do their jobs effectively, healthcare professionals should be at ease, safe, and well-supplied. Having health specialists who know and understand what is happening is crucial to moving forward and being heard; thus, improving the quality of human services in care delivery is not enough. Whispered complaints at the health center cafeteria are insufficient; doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals should speak their minds openly. Employees in the medical field experience daily decline in health due to their excessive focus on the well-being of others (Flaherty & Bartels, 2019). When there is a shortage of skilled workers, it might be difficult to complete even little ordinary tasks. The updates that were supposed to reflect these developments arrived too late. Healthcare advisory groups like the Joint Commission should implement initiatives, guidelines, recommendations, and directions to address consistent safety concerns and medical errors.
The second key concern is mounting data showing that government budgetary allocations are depleting while the sick population grows. The healthcare industry’s ability to successfully treat a high number of patients is constrained by the amount of money it generates. The government and the ethnic community should contribute financially to ensure the survival of healing centers and other medical components. Sufficient funding and the number of patients receiving quality care are essential to the medical system’s success. A patient cannot obtain adequate care if there are not enough funds to pay for qualified medical professionals (Bourgault, 2022). In addition, there will not be enough drugs and medical equipment to go around. Medical mistakes will increase because of the increased stress and volume of labor caused by the shortage of personnel.
Aside from the government’s failure to fund healthcare adequately, the high cost of care is a major contributor to the current chaos in the healthcare system. The cost of medical treatment has been a major factor influencing access to health services in the United States. Millions of formerly uninsured Americans now have health coverage due to the Affordable Care Act. Many Americans do not have health insurance, especially those living in rural communities. The main issue is that insurance is a form of taxation (Flaherty & Bartels, 2019). This means that there will be a penalty attached to the insurance if the insured person fails to pay any required premiums or fees when they are due. Many people in the United States have unexpected medical expenses and must pay for them out of pocket. This has a profound effect on the lives of many uninsured people who rely on medical services, given that millions of Americans lack the financial resources to cover the expense of treatment or purchase insurance.
National Health Insurance
Therapeutic service providers have benefits and risks because of the national healthcare system. One of the main advantages of universal health care coverage is that it ensures everyone has access to medical care of a minimum acceptable standard. Many workers in the pharmaceutical industry now receive health coverage owing to their employers’ efforts (Wray et al., 2021). Medication cost reduction, payment reforms, service funding, quality enhancement, and process improvement are only a few of the positive outcomes of these initiatives. Financing means that younger, healthier people can afford to help pay for the medical expenses of older, less healthy people. On the other hand, the lower price makes treatment more manageable for those covered by national health insurance.
While the medical system can meet the mandated health insurance needs, it is experiencing a loss of workforce through high turnover due to a shortage of personnel and an increment in patients, leading to fatigue. All the legislation in the world will not do any good if the healthcare system cannot find out how to meet the demand created by the shortages. The nature of work itself poses a significant risk to personnel. Relationships between workers and patients are crucial to patients’ mental health and ability to cope with new medical issues (Wallace et al., 2020). Patients still require qualified individuals to assist them with their healthcare needs, regardless of whether the demand for employees can be supplied to address shortages.
Many Americans would benefit from a national issuance program, but a sizable minority would be at risk. Many Americans, particularly the elderly, are left uninsured because of the national assurance policy, and Medicare deficits have ballooned in recent years as Medicaid spending has skyrocketed. Even with health insurance, the rising expense of medical treatment has made it out of reach for most Americans (Wray et al., 2021). Many healthcare reforms have concentrated on expanding access to insurance as a primary goal. This runs counter to the plan’s stated objective of increasing the percentage of the population with access to low-cost, high-quality medical care.
Conclusion
Even the most sincere efforts of individual doctors are no longer adequate to assure timely, high-quality care because of the ever-increasing complexity of medical service delivery. The healthcare industry should promptly address workload issues, employee dissatisfaction, insufficient care, and high turnover rates. A lack of financial assets is linked to a shortage of available staff. Providing health care coverage to everyone is a sure-fire plan when there are enough resources and competent specialists who can take up existing positions to avoid shortages. The healthcare system should prioritize the number of people with access to low-cost, high-quality healthcare services.
References
Bourgault, A. M. (2022). The nursing shortage and work expectations are in critical condition: Is anyone listening? Critical Care Nurse, 42(2), 8-11.
Flaherty, E., & Bartels, S. J. (2019). Addressing the community‐based geriatric healthcare workforce shortage by leveraging the potential of interprofessional teams. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 67(S2), S400-S408.
Wallace, J., Lollo, A., & Ndumele, C. D. (2020). Comparison of office-based physician participation in Medicaid managed care and health insurance exchange plans in the same US geographic markets. JAMA Network Open, 3(4), e202727.
Wray, C. M., Khare, M., & Keyhani, S. (2021). Access to care, cost of care, and satisfaction with care among adults with private and public health insurance in the US. JAMA Network Open, 4(6), e2110275.