Introduction Chapter on "Governmental Healthcare Centers Concentrate"

Introduction Chapter 10 pages (3797 words) Sources: 14

[EXCERPT] . . . .

A concomitant consequence of this law was to "entrenched the hospital and physician-centered model of Medicare by limiting insured health services covered by the five governing principles of the Act -- public administration, universality, accessibility, portability, and comprehensiveness -to medically necessary hospital and physician services" (Romanow & Marchildon, 2003, p. 284). With respect to accessibility in particular, Romanow and Marchildon emphasize that the vagaries of the CHA with respect to the delivery of health care services has created a privileged system in some territories and provinces. In this regard, these researchers report that, "Although the CHA has never blocked the provinces from providing a broader range of services under their respective health plans, it has meant that both hospital services and primary care physician services are historically privileged" (Romanow & Marchildon, 2003, p. 284).

The fact that Canada has universal health care but also has issues with respect to the availability of health care services suggests that Canadian health care consumers are not receiving the same level of diagnostic and evaluation as their counterparts in the United States, despite outperforming them on the life expectancy rating for quality of care. In this regard, the National Bureau of Economic Research reports that:

Canada provides universal access to health care for its citizens, while nearly one in five non-elderly Americans is uninsured. Canada spends far less of its GDP on health care (10.4%, versus 16% in the U.S.) yet performs better than the U.S. On two commonly cited health outcome measures, the infant mortality rate and life expectancy. (Com

Continue scrolling to

download full paper ⤓

paring the U.S. And Canadian health care systems, 2013, para. 2)

Health Care Systems in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the National Health Service (NHS) operates and manages a nationwide system of hospital services through NHS trusts that ensure hospitals deliver high-quality health care services and that the resources allocated to these facilities is used effectively. The NHS trusts are also tasked with developing appropriate hospital development strategies (About NHS hospital services, 2013). All medical services are provided for free at NHS hospitals except for emergency care (About NHS hospital services, 2013). In addition, according to Lynch (2012), in the United Kingdom, "Community health centers have long provided an excellent model of multidisciplinary care that the private practice of medicine would do well to emulate" (p. 5).

Accessibility to health care services is regarded as generally good, but there are some regional differences (Lynch, 2012). Moreover, there are lengthy waiting times for some services and specialists (in some cases, up to 18 weeks or even longer) (About NHS hospital services, 2013). According to the National Health Service, "The NHS Constitution says you have the right to access certain services commissioned by NHS bodies within maximum waiting times. Where this is not possible and you ask for this, the NHS will take all reasonable steps to offer you a range of suitable alternative providers" (NHS waiting times, 2013, para. 2). These commitments are legally codified by NHS England and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in the responsibilities and standing rules regulations published in 2012 (NHS waiting times, 2013).

Health Care Systems in the United States

Health centers that are funded by the federal government in the United States include those defined in Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act as follows:

1. Community Health Centers, Section 330 (e);

2. Migrant Health Center, Section 330 (g); and,

3. Health Care for the Homeless, Section 330 (h).

In addition, the federal government maintains the country's largest system of health care facilities in the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Administration, with tertiary health care facilities located in each state as well as hundreds of outpatient clinics and Vet Centers across the country. Eligibility for these health care services, though, is restricted to veterans of the armed services and in a few restricted cases, their family members.

In the United States, the majority of state and local authorities initiate managed care contracts with privately managed health organizations and health maintenance organizations (McDaniel & Spiegelman, 2006). Accessibility to these health care facilities, though, is carefully controlled and is not automatic (McDaniel & Speigelman, 2006). According to McDaniel and Spiegelman (2006), "Several organizational procedures are employed to manage access to care, or gate-keeping, and counties, states, and private payers adopt them either singly or in combination" (p. 276).

Although eligibility for access to public health care facilities in the United States is rigorously controlled, the administration of policies and programs, and therefore accessibility, may differ from state to state (McDaniel & Spiegelman, 2006). Generally speaking, McDaniel and Spiegelman report that, "Gatekeeping typically establishes a single point of entry or other control over access to the treatment system and may include elements such as telephone or in-person administration of a precertification screening tool, the application of medical necessity criteria, and triage to treatment or other programs" (p. 276).

Some general indication of the respective availability, accessibility and quality of health care services provided or supported by the governments of Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States can be discerned from the numbers of hospitals beds that are available (availability), the physician/patient ratio (accessibility) and the life expectancy at birth rates (quality of health care services) which are set forth in Table 1 below and depicted graphically in the figures that follow.

Table 1

Comparison of Australia, Canada, UK and U.S. For Availability, Accessibility and Quality of Health Care Services

Category

Australia

Canada

United Kingdom

United States

Availability (beds per 1,000 pop.)

3.82

3.2

3.3

3

Accessibility (physicians per 1,000 pop.)

2.99

1.91

2.74

2.67

Quality of Care (life expectancy at birth)*

81.98

81.57

80.29

78.62

Source: CIA world factbook (2013) at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/

* Life expectancy at birth is a commonly used indicator of quality of care (Comparing the U.S. And Canadian health care systems, 2013)

The respective ratings for health care availability for Australia, Canada, the UK and the U.S. are depicted graphically in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1. Respective Ratings for Health Care Availability: Australia, Canada, UK and U.S.

The respective ratings for health care accessibility for Australia, Canada, the UK and the U.S. are depicted graphically in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2. Respective Ratings for Health Care Accessibility: Australia, Canada, UK and U.S.

Finally, the respective ratings for quality of health care for Australia, Canada, the UK and the U.S. are depicted graphically in Figure 3 below

Figure 3. Respective Ratings for Quality of Health Care: Australia, Canada, UK and U.S.

Importance of the Study

Organization of the Study

This study used a five-chapter format to achieve the above-stated research objectives. Chapter one of the study introduced the issues of interest, including a statement of the problem, the objectives of the study, as well as the background of the study including a brief review of the respective health care systems used in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. Chapter two of the study provides a review of the relevant and peer-reviewed literature concerning the health care systems in these four countries and how accessibility, availability and quality of care affect emergency responses. Chapter three describes more fully the study's methodology, including a description of the study approach as well as the data-gathering method and the database of study consulted. The penultimate chapter provides an analysis of the data collected during the research process and final chapter presents a summary of the research and important findings concerning the status of the nationally sponsored health care services in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Chapter Two:

Literature Review

In recent times, the increase in population, shortage of land and rapid urbanization in developed countries such as Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and United States have increased the population of areas, which are most likely to experience natural disasters that would have negative consequences on health of the entire community (Public Safety Canada, 2013). In the last few decades, the outburst of natural disasters and epidemic outbreaks have increased significantly and have contributed towards social and economic damages as well as claiming lives of millions of people all over the world. Natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, U.S. flu epidemic, Whooping Cough Epidemic in United Kingdom and Canada, are some of the disasters that have clearly demonstrated that even developed countries are prone to these disasters and therefore, it is necessary to address these problems in order to maintain the health and welfare of citizens (Public Safety Canada, 2013).

After the occurrence of natural disasters, epidemic outbreaks of infectious diseases can further threaten the health of communities and can create panic, confusion and therefore, it is essential that governmental health centers utilize their emergency and natural disaster management plans in order to manage public health activities (Frykberg, 2002). Health centers must be available and accessible to provide health care to individuals in order to cater the needs of those who have been injured from these disasters. Mohammad et al. (2006) asserts that "The prolonged health impact of natural disasters on a community… READ MORE

Download Full Paper

Write a New Paper for Me

Quoted Instructions for "Governmental Healthcare Centers Concentrate" Assignment:

“

Below is the original proposal( introduction, literature review, methodology, data, and conclusion) and an outline that should be used as a guide:

THE OUTLINE:

Under Chapter 1 for the Introduction, the outline is as follow –

A. Government health care centers (GHC)

What are GHCs?

Who are served at GHCs?

How do they function?

Services provided

Infrastructure Needed

Current status of GHCs? How are they relevant for the population served?

B. Problem Statement

C. Research Questions (I would try to keep the questions between three to four questions.)

1. How do GHC’s contribute toward universal health in the respective countries in terms of accessibility, availability and quality? Comparison

2. What aspects of the four GHCs are the same? Population served, services provided, reimbursement methodology

3. What aspects of the four GHCs are different? Population served, services provided, reimbursement methodology

(2 and 3 could be a comparison/contrast question)

4. How do GHCs address emergency preparedness planning to facilitate health care services during natural disasters?

C. Significance of the Study.

THE APPROVED PROPOSAL:

Abstract

Governmental healthcare centers concentrate on providing primary care to individuals and to control and manage the spread of infectious diseases and to manage natural disasters(Christian et al, 2008). However, in the public domain, health care differs from one country to another. This can be specifically applied in developed nations, where social, economic and political factors are most likely to influence public health policies and centers and their accessibility and availability(Christian et al, 2008). This research proposal concentrates on presenting an overview and detailed background of health centers in English speaking countries. The countries selected are Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and United States.

Introduction

Governmental healthcare centers concentrate on providing primary care to individuals and to control and manage the spread of infectious diseases and to manage natural disasters (Christian et al, 2008). However, in the public domain, health care differs from one country to another. This can be specifically applied in developed nations, where social, economic and political factors are most likely to influence public health policies and centers and their accessibility and availability (Christian et al, 2008). This research proposal concentrates on presenting an overview and detailed background of health centers in English speaking countries. The countries selected are Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and United States. These four countries have their own public health policies and have installed several governmental health centers in order to provide primary care to individuals and to effectively manage disasters and epidemic outbreaks. In terms of availability, accessibility and quality of care provided in these centers vary from one nation to another and therefore, this research would consider in investigating these differences. Furthermore, emergency preparedness plans, natural disaster management plans, performance, funding and demographic data would be analyzed in order to understand the efficiency and effectiveness of these health centers.

Research Objectives and Background

The goal of this research is to analyze and review of the healthcare centers, which are sponsored nationally, in different English speaking countries and their effectiveness in responding to emergencies. The countries selected are: United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. This study would concentrate on presenting a detailed and comprehensive history on the health centers, which have been sponsored by the government. Furthermore, how these centers effectively manage disasters and respond to emergencies as well as their effectiveness and efficiency would be reviewed and analyzed in order to understand how they cater the needs of the community where they operate in their respective countries. Preparedness plans and emergency plans from wide ranging governmental health centers in countries selected would be analyzed and compared. Based on the analysis, effectiveness and flaws of these plans would be outlined.

Research Questions

This research would address the following questions:

1. What are health centers?

2. How governmental health centers contribute towards providing universal healthcare to citizens in Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and United States?

3. To what extent, governmental healthcare centers contributed towards universal health in respective countries in terms of accessibility, availability and quality?

4. To what extent, governmental sponsored health centers have been successful in managing and responding to emergencies and natural disasters?

5. To what extent, governmental sponsored health centers have been successful in introducing emergency plans and disaster management plans to effectively manage disasters?

6. What emergency and disaster management plans have been incorporated by different health centers in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia?

7. What are the strengths and weaknesses of these plans?

8. How successful are these plans in managing disasters in their respective countries?

9. How politics influence governmental health centers?

10. What is link between demographic need and the accessibility of health centers?

11. What is the relationship between quality, availability and accessibility of health centers?

Literature Review

In recent times, the increase in population, shortage of land and rapid urbanization in developed countries such as Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and United States have increased the population of areas, which are most likely to experience natural disasters that would have negative consequences on health of the entire community (Public Safety Canada, 2013). In the last few decades, the outburst of natural disasters and epidemic outbreaks have increased significantly and have contributed towards social and economic damages as well as claiming lives of millions of people all over the world. Natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, US flu epidemic, Whooping Cough Epidemic in United Kingdom and Canada, are some of the disasters that have clearly demonstrated that even developed countries are prone to these disasters and therefore, it is necessary to address these problems in order to maintain the health and welfare of citizens (Public Safety Canada, 2013).

After the occurrence of natural disasters, epidemic outbreaks of infectious diseases can further threaten the health of communities and can create panic, confusion and therefore, it is essential that governmental health centers utilize their emergency and natural disaster management plans in order to manage public health activities(Frykberg, 2002). Health centers must be available and accessible to provide health care to individuals in order to cater the needs of those who have been injured from these disasters. Mohammad et.al, (2006) asserts that “ The prolonged health impact of natural disasters on a community may see the collapse of health facilities and healthcare systems, disruption of surveillance and health programs (immuniza-tion and vector control programs), limitation or destruction of farming activities (scarcity of food/food insecurity), interruption of ongoing treatments and use of un-prescribed medications”.

Transmission of diseases and epidemic outbreaks after occurrence of natural disasters can have detrimental and long term effects. The effects include changes in environment, exposure to infectious diseases, low levels of immunity and inaccessibility of healthcare services(World Health Organization, 2008). These issues can have a negative impact on the health of individuals and can lead to their deaths. Health centers should concentrate on developing strong and robust emergency health care plans in order to manage natural disasters, to prevent epidemics and effectively control the spread of infectious diseases and to provide quality care to the victims(Moore et.al, 2007).

Governmental health centers have been developed in different developed countries such as United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, etc to provide universal healthcare to its citizens and to effectively manage disasters and epidemics(Niska& Burt, 2007 a, b)(Moore et.al, 2007). The goal of GHCs is to effectively respond to emergencies and disasters, which is dependent on the quality of medical care they offer along with other support services(Moore et.al, 2007).

Research Methodology

Research methodology is considered to be the organization of the research and it concentrates on collection of data. Based on the nature of the research, quantitative method of study would be used in order to investigate the differences between health centers in providing health care services to citizens and emergency and natural disaster management plans. The countries selected are Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and United States. These four countries have their own public health policies and have installed several governmental health centers in order to provide primary care to individuals and to effectively manage disasters and epidemic outbreaks. In terms of availability, accessibility and quality of care provided in these centers vary from one nation to another and therefore, this research would consider in investigating these differences.

References

Christian MD, Devereaux AV, Dichter JR, et al. (2008). Definitive care for the critically ill during a disaster: current capabilities and limitations: from a Task Force for Mass Critical Care summit meeting, January 26–27 2007 Chicago, IL. Chest. Vol. 133(Suppl):8S–17S.

Frykberg ER. (2002). Medical management of disasters and mass casualties from terrorist bombings: How can we cope. J Trauma. Vol. 53:201–12.

Mohammed AB, Mann HA, Nawabi DW, et al. (2006). Impact of London’s terrorist attacks on a major trauma center in London. Prehosp Disaster Med. Vol. 21:340–4.

Moore EE, Knudson MM, Schwab CW, et al. (2007). Military-civilian collaboration in trauma care and the senior visiting surgeon program. N Engl J Med. Vol. 357:2723–7.

Niska RW, Burt CW. (2007a). Emergency response planning in health centers, United States: 2003–2004. Adv Data. Vol. 391:1–13.

Niska RW, Burt CW. (2007b). National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: terrorism preparedness among office-based physicians, United States: 2003–2004. Adv Data. Vol. 390:1–10.

Public Safety Canada. Canadian Disaster Database. 2007. [accessed 2013 March.]. Available:http://ww5.ps-sp.gc.ca/res/em/cdd/search-en.asp.

World Health Organization. Hospitals safe from disasters. Reduce risk; protect health facilities, save lives. 2008–2009 World Disaster Reduction Campaign. Geneva (Switzerland): The Organization; 2008.

How to Reference "Governmental Healthcare Centers Concentrate" Introduction Chapter in a Bibliography

“Governmental Healthcare Centers Concentrate.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2013, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/government-sponsored-health-center/9282475. Accessed 27 Sep 2024.

Governmental Healthcare Centers Concentrate (2013). Retrieved from https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/government-sponsored-health-center/9282475

A1-TermPaper.com. (2013). Governmental Healthcare Centers Concentrate. [online] Available at: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/government-sponsored-health-center/9282475 [Accessed 27 Sep, 2024].

”Governmental Healthcare Centers Concentrate” 2013. A1-TermPaper.com. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/government-sponsored-health-center/9282475.

”Governmental Healthcare Centers Concentrate” A1-TermPaper.com, Last modified 2024. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/government-sponsored-health-center/9282475.

[1] ”Governmental Healthcare Centers Concentrate”, A1-TermPaper.com, 2013. [Online]. Available: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/government-sponsored-health-center/9282475. [Accessed: 27-Sep-2024].

1. Governmental Healthcare Centers Concentrate [Internet]. A1-TermPaper.com. 2013 [cited 27 September 2024]. Available from: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/government-sponsored-health-center/9282475

1. Governmental Healthcare Centers Concentrate. A1-TermPaper.com. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/government-sponsored-health-center/9282475. Published 2013. Accessed September 27, 2024.

Related Introduction Chapters: