1. Trends in health care
Chapter 1

2. Trends in health care Cost Containment:
A term heard frequently In healthcare circles, means trying to control rising cost of healthcare and achieving the maximum benefit for every dollar spent.
Technological advances- Highly technical procedures such as heart, lung and liver transplants.
The aging population- older individuals use more pharmaceutical products like medications and have more chronic diseases.
Health-related lawsuits- lawsuits force health care providers to obtain expensive malpractice insurance.

3. Trends in health care Diagnostic related groups(DRGs)
Method of classifying diagnoses into specific payment or reimbursement categories.
Outpatient services
Patients receive care without being admitted to the hospitals or other care facilities.
Energy conservation
Monitoring the use of energy to control costs and conserve resources. (electricity, water and gas)

4. Trends in Health care:
Home Health Care Any type of health care provided in a patient’s home environment.
Geriatric Care- care for the elderly
OBRA Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act- of federal law that regulates the education and testing of nursing assistants.
Telemedicine- involves the use of video, audio and computer systems to provide medical and/or health care services.
Examples: robotic surgeries, monitor data transmission in the field, (EMRs) electronic medical records accessible from different facilities.
* Telemedicine will become an important way of delivering health care in future years.

5. Trends in health care
Wellness- the state of being in optimum health with a balanced relationship between physical, mental, and social health.
Physical wellness includes well-balanced diet regular exercise and routine physical, dental and vision examinations.
Emotional wellness is promoted by understanding personal feelings and expressing them appropriately along with maintaining an optimistic outlook.

6. Trends in health care
Social wellness is promoted by showing concern, fairness, affection, tolerance and respect for others; communicating and interacting well with others; sharing ideas and thoughts; and practicing honesty and loyalty.
Mental and intellectual wellness is promoted by being creative, logical and curious; using common sense; obtaining continual learning; questioning and evaluating information and situations; learning from life experiences and using flexibility and creativity to solve problems.
Spiritual wellness is promoted by using values, ethics, and morals to find meaning, direction and purpose to life.

7. Trends in health care
Complementary and Alternative Methods of Health Care: (CAM)
Complementary therapies are methods of treatment that are used in conjunction with conventional medical therapies.
Alternative therapies methods of treatment that are used in place of biomedical therapies.
Integrative health care this uses both mainstream medical treatments and CAM therapies to treat a patient.
* The interest in holistic health care has increased the use of CAM therapies. See Table 1-8

8. Trends in health care
Pandemic is when the outbreak of a disease occurs over a wide geographic are and affects a high proportion of the population.
Government created plans to protect populations
Education- information about the pandemic and ways to avoid its spread given to the entire population
Vaccine production- more research must be directed toward producing effective vaccines in larger quantities and in a shorter period of time.
Antiviral drugs- drugs that are currently available must be stockpiled for immediate use and more research must be done to develop and produce effective antiviral drugs
Development of protective public health measures- rapid and accurate diagnosis, immunizations for those caring for infected patients and quarantine measures to control the spread of lethal viruses.
International cooperation- countries must be willing to work together and create a plan that will limit the spread of lethal viruses and decrease the severity of a pandemic.