Discussion: Review of Current Healthcare Issues If you were to ask 10 people what they believe to be the most significant issue facing healthcare today, you might get 10 different answers. Escalating
Discussion: Review of Current Healthcare Issues
If you were to ask 10 people what they believe to be the most significant issue facing healthcare today, you might get 10 different answers. Escalating costs? Regulation? Technology disruption?
These and many other topics are worthy of discussion. Not surprisingly, much has been said in the research, within the profession, and in the news about these topics. Whether they are issues of finance, quality, workload, or outcomes, there is no shortage of changes to be addressed.
In this Discussion, you examine a national healthcare issue and consider how that issue may impact your work setting. You also analyze how your organization has responded to this issue.
ASSIGNMENT:
Post a description of the current national healthcare issue/stressor you selected for analysis. Explain how the healthcare issue/stressor may impact your work setting (my work setting is a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Facility). Then, describe how your health system work setting has responded to the healthcare issue/stressor, including a description of what changes may have been implemented. Be specific and provide examples.
- Discussion is to consist of 3 paragraphs with 750 words no less than 550. With at least 3 references no more than 5 years old
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
The healthcare industry is facing many challenges and issues, with each having different impacts on specific healthcare settings. As a medical professor, I understand the importance of analyzing these issues and their impact on healthcare organizations. In this assignment, students are asked to describe a national healthcare issue/stressor, evaluate its potential impact on their work setting, and analyze how their health system work setting has responded to the issue.
Answer:
One of the most significant national healthcare issues presently affecting the mental health and addiction field is the opioid crisis. This crisis has been a significant issue across the country, with many individuals addicted to opioids, leading to heightened rates of hospitalizations, overdoses, and deaths. Substance abuse and mental health facilities like my work setting have borne a significant impact from the opioid crisis. Patients suffering from opioid addiction come with unique challenges that require specialized interventions, treatments, and resources.
To address this crisis, my health system work setting has implemented various changes. Firstly, it has increased staffing levels to ensure that more patients can access care effectively. Health care professionals have been trained to address opioid addiction and its related problems in multiple fronts. Secondly, the facility has implemented innovative pain management approaches that use non-opioid therapies to manage pain. Moreover, the facility has integrated medication-assisted treatments (MAT) into the care continuum of patients to address opioid addiction. MAT involves the use of medication such as Buprenorphine and Methadone, which block the effects of opioids on the brain and reduce cravings, and counseling/behavioral therapies. MAT has been effective in managing opioid addiction while supporting the patient’s long-term recovery.
In conclusion, the opioid crisis remains a significant issue in healthcare, particularly for substance abuse and mental health facilities. The crisis presents unique challenges that require specialized interventions to address. Implementing innovative approaches like MAT and increasing staffing levels are critical in addressing the opioid crisis. My health system work setting has responded effectively to the crisis by addressing these issues through various interventions, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
