Reference no: EM132328671
Read the post and Decide whether or not you agree with their assessment? Explain your answer.
1) Health Information Portability and Accountability Act
HIPAA was enacted in 1996 and it sets national standards for protecting personal health information. It is more commonly known as The Privacy Rule and it addresses the actions that need to be taken to assure that unauthorized personnel do not have access to individuals' personal health records. The Privacy Rule applies to health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and any healthcare provider who transmits health information in electronic form. What is protected is known as "individually identifiable health information," which includes all demographic information on the individual as well as healthcare plans, treatments, and payments. If the release of any of this information is needed for whatever purpose, written authorization from the individual regarding specific terms and conditions of its use is required by this law.
A positive aspect of HIPAA i.e. The Privacy Rule is that there is one provision that restricts anyone from using and/or sharing patient's information. Each organization must get a signed form from a patient indicating to whom the organization may share the patient's medical information. Without that written permission, the information cannot be shared in any way that would allow an employee to identify the patient from medical information shared. It has also help create a culture of compliance and security within healthcare organizations.
Many would argue about whether or not HIPAA is good for patient care. Some negative aspects of HIPAA is that health research is not as easy as it used to be. Researchers within healthcare organization cannot do studies without patient consent causing costs of recruitment for studies and surveys to rise. Another negative aspect is there are significant breaches each year which results in losses that extend the billions. According to the Ponemon Institute (2011), it is far more expensive to be noncompliant than compliant regarding privacy and HIPAA issues. Costs for lawsuits and breaches are often never fully recovered.
Four weeks ago I posted that the healthcare system is ever-changing. I still stand by that definition because it's still constantly changing. With the development of new technology, medications, laws, etc. there is always room for improvement. We need to be able to adapt to the chances.
In the next five years, I see the use of electronic medical records being the only source of retaining patient's health history. In the military, we have a system called HAIMS where we scan and upload medical documentation for a patient and it can be viewed by the whole hospital as well as other bases. Also, the Joint Commission is moving towards guidelines that are more patient-centered.
A new development that is coming along is a radiation oncologist at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle is working with surgeons to administer a single dose of interoperative radiation therapy in the operating room to women with breast cancer who meet certain criteria, eliminating weeks of radiation treatment post-surgery. Another is the depression automated remote monitoring system (D-ARMS). It's a phone system that makes multiple simultaneous outbound calls to patients at high risk for depression on both a scheduled and data-triggered basis and collects touchtone or spoken responses to recorded questions.
Read the post and Decide whether or not you agree with their assessment? Explain your answer.
1) Laws and Regulations Affecting Health Care
Part 1
Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 AKA (GINA) is a new federal law that protects Americans from being treated unfairly because of differences in their DNA that may affect their health. The law prevent discrimination from health insurer and employers. This law was signed by president Bush.
What is Nondiscrimination ?It occurs if people are treated unfairly because of differences in their DNA that increases their changes in their health care treatment. The law protects people from discrimination and employers on the basis of DNA information by health insurers.
Positives
Does not apply to members of the military.
Does not apply to employers with 15 or fewer employees.
Negatives
Employers can use DNA information to hire or fire workers. The law protects people from discrimination and employers on the basis of DNA information by health insurers.
Our Health Care Now.
The US healthcare has evolved over the last 50 years. examples are how doctors document and have more of a formal and standard way of charting . i.e. SOAP Notes. How now we have electronic medical records and are practicing HIPAA regulations and requirements.
I've learn a lot about the different healthcare systems in other countries. Also, I learned how medicine was practice in different centuries.
Part 2
Where Do I see healthcare in the next 5 10 years.
I see healthcare taking more of a drastic turn in regards to quality of health care, cost, access and technology.. Although there are some providers practicing mobile care. ie. going to jobs and schools to do screenings. I believe that eventually remote healthcare will be definitely on the rise. I even predict within the next 20 years we will even have drive through healthcare like we now have drive through fast food. I believe that one day we will go through a drive through and will ask you to list your symptoms and when you get to the window your diagnosis and your prescription will be there waiting for you.(My Prediction). I believe the cost will increase and quality of healthcare will decrease in the US.
Law makers and Lobbyist
Political parties. Texas law makes have a proposal to prevent more Texas moms from dying after child birth. Most child births are cover through Medicaid. And Medicaid only cover 60 post -partum.
Lobbyist are trying to past a proposal regarding "Medicare " for all. Although now Medicare is only for 65 years and older and for patients with certain diseases. Lobbyist are trying to push the "Medicare" for all by year 2020.