Health Care Industry Paper Essay

Introduction In today’s society, healthcare and the issues surrounding the topic has went through some major changes within the last decade. Some of these changes in my opinion were decent and very important when it comes to providing exceptional quality care in this health care industry. Although some of the changes were not so reasonable in the eyes of most, these changes were in the best interest for the economy and for the improvement of the healthcare industry as a whole. In this paper the author will attempt to explain how the healthcare industry has changed over the last 10 years, the biggest change in healthcare in the next 10 years, and the role the author plan to have in the health care industry in the near future. The author will also explain how she would adapt her skills along with the industry’s needs, and how her perception has changed over the course of the program here at University of Phoenix. Finally the author will explain the most significant impact of the program, the role technology will play in healthcare organizations in the upcoming decade, and the financial and economic issues that will affect the healthcare industry in the next 10 years. Optimistically after the reader has carefully observed the content in this paper, he/she will have a better understanding of the delivery of healthcare and the changes that are made to ensure a better future for our health. How has health care changed in the last 10 years? Health care has changed dramatically over the last 10 years and the changes for the most part has been very successful in regards to delivering quality service in healthcare. One major change that has been very significant in healthcare is the dramatic decrease in the mount of hospital stays after a major surgery or procedure is done. In the past, an individual that  participated in a major surgery would have stayed confined to a hospital for at least a week to ensure proper healing and recovery. Now 10 years later several individuals may have the same surgery procedure conducted and will be home in a couple of hours, days, and in some cases the same day depending on the severity of the surgery. Technology has been a major contributing factor behind the improvement and delivery of quality healthcare within the last 10 years. According to Burchill 2010, technology is intended to assist several organizations accomplish specific tasks easier and more rapidly. An organization has to stay ahead of all the new changes and frequently shifting routines within the health care system (Burchill, 2010). Technology has ensured faster service when admitting patients, recovering patient’s information, and when providing surgical procedures that reduces the amount of time a patient has to spend in the hospital for recovery. What do you think will be the biggest change in health care in the next 10 years? There are some significant changes that I have observed recently that will be a dramatic change in healthcare in the next ten years. Some of those significant changes are; the rising costs of healthcare, lack of procedures covered under certain insurances, lack of access to care, and uninsured individuals. The most significant change is that now all individuals have access to care and are covered with insurance u nder the Affordable Care Act. By allowing all individuals to receive healthcare insurance and be given access to care this should more than likely reduce illnesses and motivate individuals to take advantage of the resources that are available under the insurance to better take care of themselves. Another big change that will be very significant in healthcare delivery will be through telemedicine. Telemedicine is where physicians and other healthcare providers can actually see and evaluate patients over the Internet. Many smaller communities in the United States are already utilizing telemedicine to great advantage (Burchill, 2010).Although telemedicine is a great way to deliver quality healthcare in a timely fashion, there is also a downside to the procedure as well. Telemedicine will in some way hinder the face to face communication between the doctor and patient that is vital in reducing errors. Most patients have a better understanding of what is expected of them when it is communicated clearly and effectively by their physician. Communication is the process of understanding and having meaning (Du Pre, 2005.) and it is  also the process of relaying information between people by the use of words, letters, symbols, or body language (Sallee & Forrest, 2005,). In my opinion I feel that telemedicine will decrease the moral as far as the Dr. and Patients are concerned. Although telemedicine may decrease a portion of the healthcare cost by less visits to the doctor, it will lose the value and importance of actually sitting down and talking with your doctor and receiving that one on one face to face time. Most patients are not even in tuned with technology and this can result in many errors and communication issues. What role do you plan to have in the industry? I think once I have entered the healthcare industry I will play a vital role in implementing fair but tough decision making when it comes to delivering efficient, friendly, quality healthcare. I feel that I will make reasonable decisions based on the enhancement of the facility while considering the needs of my patients and stakeholders as. I will be a leader that encourages a comfortable work environment where individuals are relaxed when reporting to work that will ultimately result in a productive staff that provides quality healthcare to our patients. How will you adapt your skills to evolve along with the industry’s needs? The skills that I have adapted here at University of Phoenix has changed my way of thinking. It has also assisted me with analyzing specific situations thinking outside of my way of thinking. So once I start working in the health care field, I will first observe my strengths and weaknesses within the organization, I would attempt to ask for advice on my weak areas, I will shadow other health care administrators, and I would also be willing to further my education to evolve with the industry’s needs if necessary. Has your perception of health care changed over the course of your program? What has had the most significant impact? Since I have been a student here at University of Phoenix my perception of healthcare has changed dramatically. I now have a better understanding of the different legal and state regulations that are involved, the stakeholders, and also how physicians and patients are billed for services received. This program has opened my eyes to a variety of situations that I did not know about in regards to healthcare. The most significant impact to me is the amount of individuals that were not covered under any type of insurance. I did not know that there were so many  uninsured individuals in the world. Now that I am aware of the problem of the uninsured, I am very satisfied with knowing that the Affordable Care Act will be something in motion to guarantee that all citizens will be covered under some type of insurance. What role will technology play in health care organizations in the coming decade? Technology will play a very important role in healthcare in the coming decade because technology in my opinion will become more advanced. I really do believe that most services such as x-rays, cat scans, etc. will be conducted without the patients leaving the comfort of their own home. What financial and economic issues will affect the health care industry in the next 10 years? I believe that with all the new technology out there, there will be more ‘baby boomers† and individuals living and this will have a significant impact on the health care industry in the next 10 years. The healthcare cost will rise significantly because with these individuals living longer there has to be individuals there to care for them and health services must be provided. Conclusion In Conclusion, The author explained how the healthcare industry has changed over the last 10 years, the biggest change in healthcare in the next 10 years, and the role the author plan to have in the health care industry in the near future along with how she would adapt her skills along with the industry’s needs, and how her perception has changed over the course of the program here at University of Phoenix. Finally the author explained the most significant impact of the program, the role technology has played in healthcare organizations in the upcoming decade, and the financial and economic issues that will affect the healthcare industry in the next 10 years. Hopefully after the reader has carefully observed the content in this paper, he/she will have a better understanding of the delivery of healthcare and the changes that are made to ensure a better future for our health. References Burchill, K. R. (2010, July/August). ARRA and meaningful use: Is your organization ready. Journal of Healthcare Management, 55(4), 232-235. Du Pre, A. (2005). Communicating about health: Current issues and perspectives (2nd ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill. Sallee, A. & Forrest, S. (2005). Effective communication and conflict resolution. In Contemporary nursing issues and trends (3rd ed.). St. Louis: Mosby