HCM 307 Unit 3 – Discussion Board
HCM 307 Unit 3 – Discussion Board
Access to healthcare is a right for all. However, most populations still experience challenges in accessing the care they need due to barriers in healthcare. Nurses and other healthcare providers play the crucial role of implementing evidence-based strategies to minimize barriers to healthcare access. They also collaborate with their populations to implement interventions that align with their prioritized needs. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine barriers to accessible healthcare in my community and what the hospital could do to improve access to care in my community.
Barriers to Accessible Health
Several barriers to accessible health exist in my community. One of them is disability. People with disabilities tend to experience considerable challenges in accessing the healthcare that they need. The barriers are more than he physical challenges that arise due to their status. The barriers experienced by this population vary. They include most of the physical environments in healthcare settings being inaccessible, lack of assistive technologies, and negative attitudes by others towards them. Most of the hospitals also lack policies and systems that prioritize the needs of the disabled(CDC, 2019). Besides the above, the disabled experience communication barriers, stigma, stereotyping, and transportation barriers that affect their independent functioning.
The second barrier to healthcare access in my community is cost. Healthcare cost in America is among the highest in the world’s most developed countries. The high cost implies that not all the populations can afford or access the healthcare that they need. The American government has implemented strategies such as adopting the Affordable Care Act to increase the access to and affordability of care. However, these strategies are inadequate as seen from the persistence in the access to healthcare for different populations. For example, individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds, low socioeconomic status, and unemployed still experience challenges in accessing the healthcare they need in my community(Garney et al., 2021; Huot et al., 2019). Therefore, it is important to implement interventions that will address the cost-related barriers to increase healthcare access for all in the community.
What the Hospital can do to Improve Access to Care
The hospital can incorporate telehealth into the delivery of healthcare services to improve access to care for the community. Telehealth is a technology that enables virtual delivery of healthcare services. Health organizations have embraced telehealth use in the management of chronic conditions such as diabetes, major depression, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among others. Telehealth addresses barriers to access to healthcare in several ways. First, it eliminates cost-related challenges in the access to healthcare. The virtual interaction between patients and healthcare providers reduces costs incurred in visiting the facility. The technology also promotes patient-centered, coordinated care. Patients are assured continuity in care even following their discharge, which improves patient outcomes such as safety, quality, and efficiency (Edge et al., 2020). Therefore, telehealth is an effective solution to the challenge of healthcare access in the community.
Conclusion
Disability and cost are some of the barriers to access to health care in my community. The barriers contribute to health disparities among the community members. Telehealth is a solution the hospital can adopt to address the barriers. It will reduce healthcare costs, enhance care coordination, patient-centeredness, and patient outcomes.
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HCM 307 Unit 3 – Discussion Board References
CDC. (2019, September 4). Disability and Health Disability Barriers | CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/disability-barriers.html
Edge, C., George, J., Black, G., Gallagher, M., Ala, A., Patel, S., Edwards, S., & Hayward, A. (2020). Using telemedicine to improve access, cost and quality of secondary care for people in prison in England: A hybrid type 2 implementation effectiveness study. BMJ Open, 10(2), e035837. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035837
Garney, W., Wilson, K., Ajayi, K. V., Panjwani, S., Love, S. M., Flores, S., Garcia, K., & Esquivel, C. (2021). Social-Ecological Barriers to Access to Healthcare for Adolescents: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(8), Article 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18084138
Huot, S., Ho, H., Ko, A., Lam, S., Tactay, P., MacLachlan, J., &Raanaas, R. K. (2019). Identifying barriers to healthcare delivery and access in the Circumpolar North: Important insights for health professionals. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 78(1), 1571385. https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2019.1571385
Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 300–500 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.
For the past 10 years, Helping Hands Hospital and the two nearby academic medical hospitals have been doing a great job of serving the population; however, the population is increasing in diversity and expanding into rural locations. These changes have sparked a concern about the ability of individuals to access care. Access to care is a determinant of health, but there are numerous barriers to access. There is an upcoming orientation for new staff, and you have been asked to address the access to care concern. Please include the following:
Discuss 2 barriers to accessible health care in your own community.
Give an example of something a hospital could do to improve access to care for your community.
Responses to Other Students: Respond to at least 2 of your fellow classmates with at least a 100–200-word reply about their Primary Task Response regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your discussion, please consider the following questions:
What did you learn from your classmate’s posting?
What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?
What clarification do you need regarding the posting?
What differences or similarities do you see between your posting and other classmates’ postings?
For assistance with your assignment, please use your textbook and all course resources.
HCM 307 Unit 3 – Discussion Board Rubric
Expectation Points Possible Points Earned Comments
Application of Learning Material Content: Initial post demonstrates understanding of Learning Material content.
25
Application of Course Knowledge: Initial post contributes unique perspectives or insights gleaned from personal experience or examples from discipline.
25
DB Responses: Responds substantively to two posts. Responses encourage interaction in the Discussion Board and classroom community.
10
Organization: Initial post presents information logically and is clearly relevant to discussion topic.
8
Professional Language: Posts contain accurate grammar, spelling, and punctuation with few or no errors. (APA formatting is not required.)
7
Total Points
75
Total Points Earned
View a downloadable version of the Discussion Board Grading Rubric.
