Introduction
Powell and Albert write that healthcare can be defined as the “management and treatment” of diseases as well as the preservation of health through a number of services made available by alternative medicine, dental and medical professions (22). In the ever-changing health care industry, advanced technology has made possible a number of new procedures and methods of diagnosis thus increasing the longevity of quality of life of American citizens.
The Institute of Medicine or the IOM is a non-governmental American organization that was initiated in 1970 to provide national advice on matters concerning medicine, biomedical science, and health (Institute of Medicine, 2001). It is also part of the US National Academy of Sciences charged with the responsibility of serving as an adviser to the United States to improve the general health of Americans. The Institute of Medicine provides particular guidelines for healthcare officials and providers to follow. It is understood that guidelines provided by the Institute of Medicine help regulate the healthcare system.
Institute of Medicine’s 10 rules for redesigning the 21st Century healthcare system
Given the current health care system situation in the United States, the Institute of Medicine saw it wise to redesign the 21st-century health care system by providing 10 rules which are vital for enhancing a good organizational structure in healthcare services (Powell and Albert, 27). These include:
- The patient becoming the source of control (IOM, 2001)
- Care is customized to cater to the patient’s need as well as value(IOM, 2001)
- Decision making being evidence-based and not based upon training as is currently the norm (IOM, 2001)
- care is based on continuous healing associations as opposed to the current care being based on visits (IOM, 2001)
- Transparency will be required and safety will become a health care system priority (IOM, 2001)
- Waste is consistently decreased (IOM, 2001)
- health care needs anticipating (IOM, 2001)
- Knowledge is also shared (IOM, 2001)
- There is the free flow of information (IOM, 2001)
- Cooperation among clinicians is a top priority (IOM, 2001)
Impact IOM regulations in an organizational setting
Any organization can apply the ten rules of IOM to redesign the 21st-century health care system by ensuring that patients receive health care services whenever they need them and also gain easy access by multiple therapeutic means (Powell & Albert 27).
Health care systems should be structured to meet the most common forms of patient needs but still have the capability to respond to personal patient choices as far as customization (based on patient values and needs) is concerned (Cuellar & Gertler, 2005).
In the case of anticipation of patient needs, an organization applies the 10 rules by ensuring that the health care system anticipates patient needs rather than react to occurrences. Organizations should not waste any health care resources or patient time (IOM, 2001). An organization also reduces risk by ensuring safety requirements are set. This will assist in the prevention and mitigation of errors. An organization makes sure that the healthcare system provides easy access to information when required by patients and their families allowing them to make informed decisions (Cuellar & Gertler, 2005). Lastly, institutions, as well as clinicians, are made to actively collaborate as well as communicate to ensure there is an appropriate flow of information and coordination of health care.
At our organization, we based our care on continuous healing relationships since we don’t base our system on pre-determined visits. We are responsive to patient care even when they contact us impromptu through other methods of communication. We realize that in this modern times service delivery must consider other ways of contacting the patient other than the traditional method of face–to–face visits. Our patients can contact us via phones and the internet.
Our health care system can also be customized to cater to the patient’s needs as well as value. While we aim to meet the most common types of needs, our system is flexible so that we can handle an individual exceptional case. We can respond to a patient preference and choice.
Our organization also allows for the patient to become the source of control. A patient is given the requisite information and opportunity to exercise the level of control they choose for health decisions that affect them. We understand that various patients have different preferences when it comes to health care.
We also practice sharing of knowledge and allow for the free flow of information. We enable the patients to have unlimited access to their own health data and ensure they have up-to-date clinical knowledge. We see this as necessary since they are able to communicate back and ensure they get the kind of service they want.
Our organization makes decisions pertaining to health based on evidence from findings. This evidence-based decision-making is achieved by the application of scientific knowledge from our clinicians. The use of high-precision equipment prevents care from varying from the various medical practitioners.
At our organization, the safety of the patient comes first. Our clinicians are advised to reduce risk to the patient and ensure their safety comes first. This is achieved by being extra keen on systems and helping prevent errors.
We also encourage transparency so that patients and their families make informed decisions pertaining to health. The patient has unlimited access to medical data so that they can even choose alternative forms of treatment. We don’t keep secrets from patients
Our organization works under the principle of anticipation of needs rather than waiting for something to happen then reacting to it later.
We also consider the aspect of wastage where resources are not wasted. Human resource and patient’s rime is also considered in this aspect.
We also encourage cooperation among the medical practitioners in the organization. They are also encouraged to share ideas with those from other organizations.
Possible problem(s) organizational process and solutions to this problem
A study within my local organization revealed that there was a gap in communication between clinicians and the source of control. It was however noted that there was room for improvement in that healthcare providers can be educated on how best to handle patients and to ensure smooth flow of information between clinicians in order to establish patient satisfaction by being able to attend to their personal needs (Cuellar & Gertler, 2005). Stakeholders are encouraged to get involved in the organization’s health care system by coercing them to contribute to settling hospital fees for patients who are not in a position to cater for their medical bills as well as purchase more medical equipment. Other health care agencies and organizations are also incorporated to implement measures to take in order to improve the general health status of patients (Kickbush & Quick, 69-70).
We can also overcome the problem of the use of information technology. Patient information is for example dispersed in a collection of paper records, which is sometimes poorly organized, illegible, and hard to retrieve. This makes it hard to handle chronic illnesses that require extra monitoring and ongoing patient support. Patients could enjoy quick and cheap services if they communicated to health agencies via e-mail. The application of an automated medical order entry system can cut down errors in prescribing and administration of drugs. Computerized reminders aid patients and clinicians identify essential services.
Our organization being patient-centered is required to interact with the patient as much as possible. We endeavor to ensure that all clinical decisions are made according to his preferences and needs. To do this we collaborate with the patient by ensuring that they know they are the source of control.
Our organization values the importance of collaborating with other health agencies. In line with this, our hospital has recently merged with another. Critics have argued that this was a strategic move to increase revenue. Our main purpose was to reduce the workload and improve patient care quality. It has also helped increase the hospital efficiency in our locality since the organization has now become a major health care referral. Our organization is using mergers as a means of collaboration in order to increase its efficiency.
Conclusion
Implementation of the health care system in the United States will greatly improve the citizens’ health status and in the process enable them to gain confidence and feel secure as far as a health care provider is concerned (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2008). The major challenges for the changes are being identified as Information Technology, Payment, Clinical Knowledge, and Professional Workforce
The 21st-century health care system envisioned is expected to provide health care that is evidence-based, patient-centered, and systems-oriented. It also calls for new roles and obligations for every patient and their families, who must become more aware, and take more part in demanding a health care system that is meeting all their needs. All involved must be unified by the importance of reducing the burden of illness, injury, and disability the country.
Works Cited
Cuellar, Andrews, et al. “How the expansion of hospital systems has affected consumers.” Health Affairs, 24, 213. 2005,
Gedan, Bridgids. “Hospitals merger August not reduce patient costs.” McClatchy – Tribune Business News.
Institute of Medicine, Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Web.
Kickbush, Joan, et al, Allscripts “Allscripts Acquires Extended Care Information Network.” Hospital Business Week, 36. Web.
Merger Watch, Religious Health Restrictions (N.P.) Web.
Powell, Francis, et al. Health Care Systems in Transition: An International Perspective, Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 1999.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. How has Hospital Consolidation Affected the Price and Quality of Hospital Care? (n.p.) Web.