Introducing Introduction

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Introduction

The health care services are very important to individuals. The quality problem of the health care has been occurring today due to variations in the use of health care services. The underuse and misuse of the health care services have led to quality problems and an increase in costs. The issue of reducing costs while improving the quality of the health services offered to patients has been researched for quite a long time. The literatures have increased over the decade due to increase in society needs of quality health services. In this research, I will review the past studies and try to come up with more advanced views concerning the changes that have taken place (Wickstrøm, et al., 2002).

During the 1990s, health care cost increased, raising the prices in the market. The government implemented policies in order to control costs and people had hopes of relieving since the inflation reduced slightly. In the last several years the health care cost raised again and it has become an important issue to be addressed (Spithoven, 2009).

In accordance to the Harris Poll survey, the participants in health care systems said that the health care system needs change. The dissatisfaction of the health care systems has since increased due to high prices of drugs and low quality of services. Today, researchers and policy makers are rapidly coming up with ways that can reduce the costs and improve the quality of health services. They are either revisiting the past strategies or discovering new approaches that are viable (Wickstrøm, et al., 2002).

Health care costs have grown fast in the last decade burdening consumers, Federal government and the employers. In the United State nearly one quarter of the national spending is spent on in the health sectors. In this paper consumer-friendly approach to health care cost reduction is defined. This research will entail issues like how the health care costs are rising, how the consumers are affected by the costs and if the consumers receive quality health care services (Spithoven, 2009).

Hospital bottlenecks which are avoidable need first to be eliminated to improve the quality of health services offered. Recently, some of the hospitals in the United States have improved the quality of health services offered to their patient. These changes have occurred due to increase in use of refined data collections and modeling tools plugged by the IHO. The information obtained is then used by hospitals to set standards that are used to decide admissions of patients instead of doctors making decisions on individual basis. Patients have differences in perceptions of the health services provided and this can help greatly in solutions of the bottle-neck (Wickstrøm, et al., 2002).

Higher cost spent on the health care system does not mean improvement of the nation’s health. Developed nations like the United State spend more on the health care though the nation, though the quality has not yet improved. The new health system in the United State excludes millions due to the insurance issues meaning that low quality health is experienced. Developing countries cover all their citizens and the cost incurred in health care is less due to lack of funds. Studies show that low quality health care in the developing countries is due to lack of resources. High quality health care is given where the resources are few (Spithoven, 2009).

In this research examination of the current strategies is important to determine whether the costs are reduced. Moreover, strategies that reduce cost are also examined keenly to determine whether the quality is reduced, constant or improved. At the end of reviews I will come up with improved approaches and strategies or new strategies.

References

Spithoven, A. H. (2009). Why U.S. health care expenditure and ranking on health care indicators are so different from Canada’s. International Journal of Health Care Finance & Economics. doi:10.1007/s10754-008-9044-0

Wickstrøm, J., Serup-Hansen, N., & Kristiansen, I. S. (2002). Future health care costs—do health care costs during the last year of life matter? Health Policy.