Issues related to cost, quality, and access that affect the organization and the people it serves
MMHA 6050/DDHA 8051/HLTH 8051/HLTH 8051E/MMHA 5050: CONTEMPORARY TOPICS IN THE U.S. HEALTHCARE DELIVERY SYSTEM
- Module 6 (Weeks 10 and 11)
- Introduction
- Resources
- Discussion 1
- Discussion 2
- Assignment
- Module in Review
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MMHA 6050/DDHA 8051/HLTH 8051/HLTH 8051E/MMHA 5050: CONTEMPORARY TOPICS IN THE U.S. HEALTHCARE DELIVERY SYSTEM
- Module 6 (Weeks 10 and 11)
- Introduction
- Resources
- Discussion 1
- Discussion 2
- Assignment
- Module in Review
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- MMHA 6050/DDHA 8051/HLTH 8051/HLTH 8051E/MMHA 5050: Contemporary Topics in the U.S. Healthcare Delivery System
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- Syllabus
- Course Calendar
- Course Overview
- Course Information
- Resource List
- Module 1 (Week 1)
- Module 2 (Weeks 2 and 3)
- Module 3 (Weeks 4 and 5)
- Module 4 (Weeks 6 and 7)
- Module 5 (Weeks 8 and 9)
- Module 6 (Weeks 10 and 11)
- Student Support
- Walden Links
- Guidelines and Policies
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Module 6 (Weeks 10 and 11): Health Care Reform and Current and Future Trends in the U.S. Health Care Delivery System
Life is divided into three terms—that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the present, to live better in the future.
—William Wordsworth
In the first module of this course, you examined historical developments that have influenced health care delivery in the United States. Studying the past is critical for understanding the current health care landscape. In addition, health care administrators and others must pay attention to emerging trends that are likely to influence health care delivery in the future. Although the health care field is complex and rapidly evolving, examining key issues and trends provides a foundation for effectively planning for the future. As a health care administrator, this future-focused orientation can help you contribute to improving health care delivery and health outcomes for the people you serve.Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Analyze trends that impact the U.S. health care delivery system
- Analyze current and future issues related to health care reform
- Evaluate potential impacts of health care reform on health care administration
- Evaluate potential impacts of changing demographics on health care delivery
- Apply business communication skills to convey critical changes for health care organizations
Module Schedule
| Day 1 of Week 10 | Review Learning Resources |
| Day 2 of Week 10 | Continue review of Learning Resources |
| Day 3 of Week 10 | Discussion: Deadline to Post to Discussion 1 |
| Day 4 of Week 10 | Continue Discussion |
| Day 5 of Week 10 | Discussion: Deadline to Respond to Discussion 1 |
| Day 6 of Week 10 | Continue Discussion |
| Day 7 of Week 10 | Continue Discussion |
| Day 1 of Week 11 | Review Learning Resources; Begin Assignment |
| Day 2 of Week 11 | Review Learning Resources; Continue working on Assignment |
| Day 3 of Week 11 | Discussion: Deadline to Post to Discussion 2 |
| Day 4 of Week 11 | Continue Discussion; Continue working on Assignment |
| Day 5 of Week 11 | Discussion: Deadline to Respond to Discussion 2; Assignment: Current and Future Considerations for Health Care Delivery due |
| Day 6 of Week 11 | Continue Discussion |
| Day 7 of Week 11 | Continue Discussion |
Photo Credit: 06-30-06 © Steve Debenport
Learning Resources
Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Shi, L., & Singh, D. (2015). Delivering health care in America: A systems approach (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett.
- Review Chapter 13, “Health Policy” (pp. 510–531)
- Review Chapter 14, “The Future of Health Services Delivery” (pp. 538–564)
Buescher, B., & Viguerie, P. (2014). How US healthcare companies can thrive amid disruption. Retrieved from http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/health_systems_and_services/how_us_healthcare_companies_can_thrive_amid_disruption
The OWL at Purdue University. (2015). Sample memo. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/590/04/
Use the following resources to examine health care issues / trends for the Discussions in this module:
American College of Healthcare Executives. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://www.ache.org
American Hospital Association. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://www.aha.org
California Healthcare Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://www.chcf.org
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://www.kff.org
Medical Group Management Association. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://www.mgma.com
National Institutes of Health. (n.d.). Health information. Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://health.nih.gov/
National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
Required Media
Laureate Education (Producer). (2015b). Future challenges of the health care system – Part 1 [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 9 minutes.
Accessible player –Downloads–Download Video w/CCDownload AudioDownload Transcript
Laureate Education (Producer). (2015c). Future challenges of the health care system – Part 2 [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 10 minutes.
Accessible player –Downloads–Download Video w/CCDownload AudioDownload Transcript
Optional Resources
Colorado State University. (2015). Business writing: An introduction. Retrieved from http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/guide.cfm?guideid=70
Discussion 1: Health Care Trends
Post your responses to the Discussion based on the course requirements. Your Discussion postings should be written in standard edited English and follow APA guidelines as closely as possible given the constraints of the online platform. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate. Refer to the Essential Guide to APA Style for Walden Students to ensure your in-text citations and reference list are correct. Initial postings must be 250–350 words (not including references).
Note: This is a Post First assignment. You are required to post your original post before the discussion board opens for your review
Health care administrators must proactively plan for changes that alter the health care environment. Trends that affect health care delivery are varied and arise from many different sources, such as the emergence of new technologies, changing patient and workforce demographics, economic fluctuations, and policy developments. In this Discussion, you and your colleagues will investigate trends that are likely to play a pivotal role in the ongoing transformation of health care delivery.
Choose oneof the following topics on which to focus for this Discussion:
- Prevention and wellness
- Aging population
- Consumerism
- Accountability and governance
- Transparency
- Cost containment
- Technology
- Collaboration
- Medical tourism
Review the information provided on the websites included in the Learning Resources, and conduct additional research using the Walden Library and credible websites to assess current trends related to your selected topic.
By Day 3 of Week 10
Posta substantive and cohesive response to the following:
- Analyze trends related to your selected topic, including insights you have gained from the literature.
Reminder: Use and cite sources to support your posting and responses.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.
By Day 5 of Week 10
Respondto at least twoof your colleagues’ postings, describing intersections or distinctions among the topics and trends you and your colleagues addressed. Discuss potential impacts of these trends at the local, state, national, and global level.
Continue engaging in the Discussion through Day 7 of Week 10.
Submission and Grading Information
Grading Criteria
To access your rubric:
Module 6 Discussion 1 Rubric
Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 5 of Week 10
To participate in this Discussion:
Module 6 Discussion 1
Discussion 2: Health Care Reform
Post your responses to the Discussion based on the course requirements. Your Discussion postings should be written in standard edited English and follow APA guidelines as closely as possible given the constraints of the online platform. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this module’s Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate. Refer to the Essential Guide to APA Style for Walden Students to ensure your in-text citations and reference list are correct. Initial postings must be 250–350 words (not including references).
Federal, state, and local health care policies are continually instituted or amended to address emerging issues and trends and to rectify problems in health care delivery. For instance, reform may be required to address cost containment challenges or disparities in access to health care services.
Identify an issue currently in the news that relates to federal, state, or local reform.
Research the issue in a variety of news sources, such as government sites (e.g., the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Mental Health) and online newspapers. Do not use blogs or other informal sources.
Select one article or news item on which to focus for this Discussion.
Reflect on the information in the article/news item and consider how it relates to your understanding of the U.S. health care delivery system. Review the information in the Learning Resources and conduct additional research using the Walden Library and credible websites to assess this issue and associated reform efforts.
Analyze the social, economic, and political circumstances surrounding this instance of health care reform, and evaluate what this development might mean for your work in health care administration.
By Day 3 of Week 11
Posta cohesive response to the following:
- Summarize the article/news item you selected, noting key areas for discussion.
- Analyze how the issue and associated reform addressed in the article/news item you selected relates to at least one trend presented in the Learning Resources and/or other credible sources.
- Evaluate what this development may mean for your work in health care administration.
Reminder: Use and cite sources to support your posting and responses. Ensure that you include the reference for the article/news item you have selected and provide a link to it if possible.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.
By Day 5 of Week 11
Respondto at least twoof your colleagues’ postings, discussing the information presented in terms of the social, economic, and political context of health care reform.
Continue engaging in the Discussion until the end of the module, Day 7 of Week 11.
Submission and Grading Information
Grading Criteria
To access your rubric:
Module 6 Discussion 2 Rubric
Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 5 of Week 11
To participate in this Discussion:
Module 6 Discussion 2
Assignment: Current and Future Considerations for Health Care Delivery
Imagine that you are an administrator in a health services organization, and the CEO of your organization asks you to assess and report on developments that are likely to affect the organization’s success. What will you discover as you investigate changes in your community and the broader health care landscape?
In preparation for this Assignment, review your completed Module 3 Assignment, including any feedback you received from your Instructor. Select one organization from that Assignment on which to focus for this Assignment (i.e., imagine that this organization is the one in which you work).
Use the Learning Resources provided in this module, as well as previous modules, and locate additional sources through the Walden Library and credible websites to conduct your research. Use the following questions to guide your investigation:
- What are the prevalent health concerns in this community?
- What are the key issues related to cost, quality, and access that affect the organization and the people this organization serves?
- Which organizations in this area are business competitors and/or which organizations use highly effective practices or strategies that this organization may learn from or adopt?
- How will demographics and health reform likely impact the organization, as well as the broader community, in the next 5 years?
Next, review the information on business writing included in the Learning Resources. Consider what the central point of your memo should be. For instance, is there a critical challenge the organization is likely to encounter? Does the information you have gathered suggest the need for a particular course of action or a new business direction? If so, use this memo to inform and influence the CEO. If not, share the findings of your research with the assumption that the CEO will use this information as a launching point for future discussions.
The Assignment
Write a 2- to 3-page business memo in which you address:
- Prevalent health concerns in the community
- Issues related to cost, quality, and access that affect the organization and the people it serves
- Organizations in the community that are business competitors and/or from which you can learn highly effective practices or strategies
- Ways in which changing demographics and health reform will likely affect your organization and the broader community in the next 5 years
Your Assignment must be written in standard edited English. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this module’s Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate. Refer to the Essential Guide to APA Style for Walden Students to ensure that your in-text citations and reference list are correct. See the rubric for additional requirements related to research and scholarly writing.
By Day 5 of Week 11
Submit your Assignment.
Submission and Grading Information
To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:
- Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “MD6Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.
- Click the Module 6 Assignment Rubricto review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
- Click the Module 6 Assignmentlink. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.
- Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “MD6Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click Open.
- If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
- Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.
Grading Criteria
To access your rubric:
Module 6 Assignment Rubric
Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity
To check your Assignment draft for authenticity:
Submit your Module 6 Assignment draft and review the originality report.
Submit Your Assignment by Day 5 of Week 11
To submit your Assignment:
Module 6 Assignment
Module in Review
In this final Module, you analyzed issues related to reform within the U.S. health care delivery system and how they may affect administration. You also analyzed how changing demographics and other trends affect health care delivery. After you have completed the Discussion and Assignment, you have finished the course.
Congratulations! You’ve completed the course. Be sure to complete the Course Evaluation, which will be sent to you via e-mail.
