COVID-19’s Financial Impact on Primary Care Clinicians and Practices
Synopsis
The article under review, COVID-19’s Financial Impact on Primary Care Clinicians and Practices (Filippi et al., 2021), discusses how the Coronavirus disease adversely affected primary health care delivery in terms of the financial impact it caused. It resulted in a decline in patient visits, significantly reducing healthcare revenues and services. Despite various measures undertaken to fund the sector, the business viability of most primary care practices remained in doubt. This phenomenon impacted the implementation of telehealth and staffing decisions because it was difficult to project an increase in patient visits.
Content and Analysis
The article’s authors delved deeply into finance and revenue, which is an essential aspect of primary health care delivery. I agree with the authors’ point that the pandemic significantly reduced patient visits to health facilities leading to a reduction in revenues and poor service delivery. They are objective and factual in their analysis because they base their arguments on empirical data.
The article presented various challenges the primary healthcare sector faced due to the 2019 Coronavirus pandemic. Some of these challenges include:
- Financial strains
- Reduced patient visits
- Significant revenue reductions
- Reduced ability to serve patients.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The authors concluded that low patient visits occasioned by the pandemic led to decreased revenues, changes in staffing decisions, and the stimulation to implement telehealth. They also recommended that alternate payment models could address business viability, which could ensure financial stability in primary healthcare facilities. I agree with the authors’ recommendation because primary healthcare facilities could only survive the pandemic if they offered flexible payment terms which guaranteed a continuous cash flow.
Professional Projections
The article has taught me that healthcare facilities need to be constantly flexible to changes in internal and external environments because unexpected events such as the pandemic can significantly impact their revenue streams and threaten their business survival, sustainability, and viability.
The Financial Impact of a Terminal Cancer on Patient′ s Families in Colombia
Synopsis
This article discusses the socio-economic impact occasioned by cancer patients on caregivers and families of cancer patients in Columbia. It aims to investigate the existence of financial burdens experienced by such families, especially those caring for cancer patients who are terminally ill. The most affected economic items brought about by cancer patients due to their condition are family savings, educational plans, and medical treatment. Due to the high cost of medical treatment, most caregivers drain their family savings or postpone other necessary family plans, including medical treatment.
Content and Analysis
In the article, the authors discuss how the treatment of terminally ill cancer patients poses a tremendous financial burden to caregivers. They talk about how a family’s financial stability can be disrupted in treating terminally ill cancer patients. The authors are factual and objective in their analysis because they base their arguments using empirical data from real hospital cases in a specified country.
It presents various challenges faced by caregivers and families of cancer patients. Some of these difficulties include:
- Loss of home savings
- Postponement of educational and other essential family plans
- Postponement of medical treatment or movement to another home
Conclusions and Recommendations
The authors concluded that financial impact affects cancer patients and their families even in countries like Colombia, with universal health coverage. They recommend that policymakers give keen consideration to the economic and emotional hardships undergone by caregivers and families of cancer patients and formulate effective policies to lighten their burden. I agree with this viewpoint because caregivers are crucial to cancer patients and a country’s healthcare system. Lightening the financial load will have a significant impact on the whole healthcare system of a nation.
Professional Projection
The article has taught me that the healthcare system of a country needs to support caregivers and families of patients with terminal diseases because they play an essential role. They need to be kept to meet financial obligations related to medical treatment.
References
De Vries, E., Vergara-García, O. E., Karduss-Preciado, S., Castro, V. B., Rodríguez, S. P., Forero, M. S.,… & Calvache, J. A. (2021). The financial impact of a terminal cancer on patient′ s families in Colombia–A survey study. Journal of Cancer Policy, 28, 100272.
Filippi, M., Callen, E., Wade, A., Coffman, M., Westfall, J., Jabbarpour, Y., Hester, C. & Carroll, J. (2021). COVID-19’s Financial Impact on Primary Care Clinicians and Practices. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 34 (3) 489-497; Web.