04 Jan DQ1 Explain telemedicine,

HLT314 Health Care System

Week 1 Discussion

DQ1 Select an allied health care profession and provide a description of the jobs and services provided by that profession. Research regulatory or professional organizations that serve the profession you chose, and describe an area in which the profession seeks to improve or expand. In what other ways might the profession grow to better serve the ever-changing health care population?

DQ2 Select and describe one of the key factors that influenced the evolution of the U.S. health care delivery system to what it is today. What challenges and opportunities are still relevant? How is the selected key factor affecting health care delivery today? How might it affect future health care delivery?

HLT314 Health Care System

Week 2 Discussion

DQ1 Select one area of health policy and describe the impact that policy formation places on direct patient care delivery. What component of the policy area you selected could be improved to provide better care or patient outcomes, and how?

DQ2 View the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” video:

(http://lc.gcumedia.com/zwebassets/courseMaterialPages/nur508_healthcare-reform-video-series-v1.1.php)

This video was developed just as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as ACA) was due to be implemented. Now that the ACA is operational, contrast the information from the video with actual outcomes and provide your assessment of whether or not the stated goals of the ACA are being met for direct patient care. Support your position using sources inclusive of peer-reviewed literature as well as governmental statistics (state or national) or other nonpartisan resources.

HLT314 Health Care System

Week 3 Discussion

DQ1 Review current types of health care delivery systems in the United States and contrast the current status with the reform models or revisions proposed in the readings for this topic. Select one area in health care delivery where change or reform to the current system could improve the delivery of allied health care and present your findings.

DQ2 What are the needs driving the development of integrated health care delivery systems (IDS)? What benefits directly apply to the provision of allied health care services? What limitations exist at present that could be improved, and how so?

HLT314 Health Care System

Week 4 Discussion

DQ1 Describe the role that professional health care organizations and societies play in (1) monitoring quality care, (2) disseminating preventative health care measures, and (3) the public’s health care literacy? Select one of the three areas above and discuss established or proposed standards that assist in explaining the role of professional health care organizations and societies.

DQ2 Access the Healthy People in Action section of the Healthy People 2020 website:

https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/Healthy-People-in-Action

Select State Plans from the drop-down menu of the “Healthy People in Action” tab above the main page content. Pick a state (or territory) which has not already been selected by a classmate, and access that state’s 2020 Healthy People Plans. Select and summarize one area in the plan you selected that pertains to allied health care delivery in that state (for example, medical sonography, respiratory therapy, radiography, speech pathology, etc.). For the area you picked, what do you think the state plan does well? What could it do better, and how so?

HLT314 Health Care System

Week 5 Discussion

DQ1 Explain telemedicine, and describe how it is typically being used in either a rural or an urban setting at the present time. For the setting you chose, what are telemedicine’s overall strengths? What are its overall weaknesses?

Next, select an allied health profession and describe how telemedicine is now or could affect patient care in that field. In your responses to colleagues, select posts that discuss different settings and professions (if possible) and offer a fresh perspective or a novel approach as to how telemedicine could be more fully used.

DQ2 Select a current or emerging trend in the delivery of health care or in professional practice from the allied health perspective in one of the following areas: (1) health care reform, (2) provider shortages, (3) practice trends, (4) leadership challenges, or (5) health IT. Provide a summary analysis of the trend, expected impacts on health care delivery or professional practice, and your assessment of the pros and cons.