With the constantly-rising cost of healthcare and health services, many healthcare organizations are concerned about providing quality and affordable care for their patients, while still being able to make a profit.
As with any other business, healthcare organizations are concerned about the return on their investments, or their ROI. Any time a new piece of equipment is purchased, or a new system is adopted, the ROI must be considered.
One question that is currently being debated, in terms of its potential ROI, is the adoption of electronic record-keeping systems such as EMRs and EHRs.
EMRs, or electronic medical records, are used to store all of a patient's information in an electronic format, and are designed for use within a single organization where a patient receives long-term care. EHRs (electronic health records) are intended to store a more comprehensive and all-inclusive patient history, and to be shared among several organizations which have access to the system.
That way, caregivers always have access to a particular patient's information (including diagnoses, test results, treatments, etc.), even if they visit multiple providers, without patients and caregivers having to concern themselves with the transfer of paper records.
Doctors and hospitals are slow to adopt these systems, however, because there is a high initial investment required; the equipment and software must be purchased, and then they must learn to use the systems.
The time and effort spent, by caregivers, on learning the new systems detracts from that which can be spent on patient care, and they must also pay their staff extra for the time they dedicate to mastering the technology.
However, despite the large initial investment, the ROI for these systems is high according to many experts, and more organizations are choosing to adopt the technology.
The organized and neat format eliminates time wasted trying to locate files and decipher notes that are often nearly illegible; the system can also help to eliminate medical errors, which saves money on malpractice insurance and lawsuits.
Unnecessary tests and repetitive treatments can also be avoided, which saves time and effort, but also a great deal of money.
Paper records also require a great deal more storage space than electronic systems, and use up a significant amount of supplies, which means that while the initial investment for these systems is low, the cost to maintain them over time can be much higher than many practitioners realize.
Many smaller clinics in your area are now offering immediate care services. One of the key benefits of this is that you will have a smaller wait time compared to going to a very large hospital. These clinics are fully staffed, take every type of insurance, and are all professionals. Why be rushed to a hospital just to wait for hours on end to get treated when you can use immediate care services at your local health centers. No matter if it is an accident, a bone breakage, an illness, or everything in-between, you can call for emergency assistance.
One great quality of an immediate care service is that they are equipped to treat people of any age. There is trained staff for adults, children, and even infants. No matter what the injury is, or medical condition, you can expect very fast service. Considering that the immediate care vehicles have less people to worry about than a major hospital, you can expect to be picked up very quickly after you call. Emergencies are always time sensitive, so not having to wait those extra few minutes can be very beneficial.
The immediate care section of the clinic always has enough staff on hand to treat anyone at a very quick pace. Don't expect to wait at all. There would be no point in calling this type of service immediate if you had to wait. Even if you are unsure as to how serious your condition is, it is always safe to go ahead and request immediate attention.
Cost is a very big topic of discussion right now. Many people simply can't afford the amount of money it costs to visit the hospital. The reason why hospitals are so expensive is because of the amount of overhead it has. Smaller clinics don't have this type of overhead, which is why the same services can be offered at a lower price. The other aspect of this topic is what type of insurance you carry. Smaller clinics usually offer services no matter who your health care provider is. This allows you to not have stress all the time about what place takes what type of insurance.
If you have an emergency or you are in need of urgent care, no matter what type of insurance you carry, or if you have insurance at all, you best bet is to contact a local clinic that is much smaller than your local hospital. The facility is just as technological as your hospital, the staff is just as trained, the pricing is much cheaper, you simply can't go wrong.
The hospital model of care has undergone a number of transformations in recent years. One change has been the addition of different types of health professionals such as a Hospitalist. About ten years ago, Hospitalists began to appear in the health care industry. Since then, they have become more widely used in hospitals. Today, there are more physicians that are using Hospitalists to care for their patients when they are admitted to the hospital or they come to the emergency room.
A Hospitalist is a medical practitioner who specializes in caring for hospitalized patients. Hospitalists work with a physician while caring for the physician's patient. They receive the same medical school training as other physicians. Most of these practitioners specialize in working with internal medicine doctors, but they also can work along side family physicians, nurse practitioners, pediatric specialists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Their specialty is focused in the hospital supporting physicians who are burdened with too many tasks. They can be found working in a family physician medical practice to help reduce the physician's workload. Sometimes Hospitalists may will handle the on-call services for a physician.
Duties of Hospitalists normally include patient care, education, and research. As well, they convey information and coordinate care with the patient's primary care physician and other specialists. This saves the physician money and time of having to visit the hospital and be on call when a patient is admitted into the hospital and visits the emergency room. A Hospitalist can work for not just a hospital or family medical practice, but they can also work for a medical managed care group.
Generally, Hospitalists normally earn an income comparable to physicians with the same training. Hospitalists were once mostly found working in the US, but now there is a growing number of these practitioners working in Canada. There are now a number of hospitals and medical schools integrating Hospitalist residency programs due to the increase in the number of Hospitalists in the healthcare field.
There are many benefits to using the services of Hospitalists. They have more experience and expertise in caring for complex hospitalized patients on a daily basis. They are also more available than traditional physicians and can meet with family members, answer nurse questions, follow-up on lab tests, answer nurses' questions, and deal with problems as they occur. Often a Hospitalist will see a patient more than the physician because they make sure the health treatment going smoothly. As well, they explain the treatment to patients and their family as well as keep them updated on the patient's progress.
Hospitals hire Hospitalists for many reasons such as: convenience, improve efficiency, relieve financial strain on primary care physicians, patient support and safety, cost-efficiency for the hospital, and the hospital required more specialized and coordinated care for hospitalized patients. When in the hospital and you fins yourself under the care of a Hospitalist, you can rest easy that your care is in you are in safe and qualified hands. As well, if you are interested in becoming a Hospitalist, it is a very lucrative and rewarding career that is growing in demand.
