Propose a change to one aspect of your local or regional healthcare system or program that would improve outcomes. Then, conduct a comparative analysis of other non-U. S. health care systems, focusing on the proposed change. 

Proposing Evidence-Based Change in Regional Health Care System

Executive Summary

The U.S. healthcare delivery system is a massive and complex array of institutions, including thousands of hospitals, nursing homes, mental health facilities, and home health agencies and hospices. The U.S. healthcare delivery system aims to deliver high-quality healthcare services to all Americans and ensure optimal national health.     

Proposed Change

Although the United States employs much more resources and funding on health care than any other developed country, the higher spending on health care does not translate to any health advantage. Many people do not have easy and affordable access to medical care as they are medically underinsured. Even insured Americans report problems getting quality medical care. Only 70 percent of U.S. adults feel confident about getting the most effective treatments if seriously ill (NCBI Bookshelf, 2013). Deficiencies in public health systems can impact healthcare quality, especially in rural and disadvantaged urban communities. There are notable differences in healthcare access in rural and urban areas in the United States due to lower physician density and financial constraints.

The State Office of Rural Health (SORH) Programs serve as a focal point within each state and support workforce recruitment, collect data and resources, and keep the locals aware of healthcare initiatives (HRSA, 2020). SORH aims to network with providers and partners to improve healthcare access in rural areas. About 95 rural hospitals closed in the U.S. between 2010 and 2019, 32 of which were critical care hospitals (HRSA, 2020). These events have received increased attention from the media and policymakers.

 Proposed Change for Rural Health in the United States

The analysis of rural health policies and services under the broader health system reveals the pressures for cost control and higher efficiency under the availability of fewer resources. The rural public health infrastructure has not been given the desired attention, and pastoral medical care does not offer the full range of therapies (Ricketts, 2000). The healthcare conditions of rural areas can be supported with telemedicine, which can help curb the shortages of physicians, improve the range of therapies, and lower the financial stress experienced in rural areas.

Desired Outcomes

Telemedicine is the most important way to balance the health disparities between rural and urban areas. Telecommunications with interactive videos and real-time data transmission via the Internet or by telephone can link rural hospitals and patients with modern medical science. Telemedicine can encourage remote patient monitoring, mob, ill health communication, and transmission of medical information. The aim is to offer efficient and cost-effective quality care to rural areas.

Desirable outcomes are the long and short-term objectives associated with a patient and the medical health care system. For a patient, desirable outcomes include reduced frequency of in-person hospital visits, reduced time of stay, timely treatment for fatal diseases such as heart attack, and early intervention through symptoms (Totten et al., 2019). Hospitals’ desired outcomes include preventing congestion in hospitals, reducing mortality of patients, and flexibility in working (Totten et al., 2019). Regarding payment, studies described a one-time investment is required for the hospital and patients in terms of infrastructure, which is necessary to set up the meeting between the physicians and the patients (Snoswell et al., 2020). The government must bear the initial cost of including telehealth in the public health infrastructure (Snoswell et al., 2020). Further, patients must pay “pay per service” for consultation (Snoswell et al., 2020). The limitation in achieving desirable telehealth outcomes lies in factors such as the level of awareness among patients, availability of nurses that can assess patients by following physicians’ instructions, remote location of patients, low availability of technology in low-income areas, and treatment level can be administered through telehealth.

However, telemedicine’s expansions and the use of telecommunications to treat patients in rural areas would mean planning adequate strategies and having sufficient funding to address the current barriers to providing pastoral health care. Advanced broadband networks, licensure issues, budget, and adoption of telemedicine are some of the critical obstacles to improving healthcare access in rural communities (Lustig, 2012). Wastage of funds and resources, gaps in broadband coverage, and lack of sustainability only add to those barriers.