The US Health Care Delivery System

Often when describing health care, people refer to it as a system. A system can be defined as an interconnected group of related, yet individual organizations that work together as a network to provide a service or product. To prepare for this Discussion, reflect on what the experts shared in this week's video presentation in light of the needs of our veterans. Consider the points they made about the problems with the current health care system.

With these thoughts in mind, address the following:

1. What changes in the U.S. health care delivery system would you suggest to actually make it a system in order to address the health needs of veterans and their families, e.g. post-traumatic stress, brain injury, post-deployment depression, and other visible and invisible wounds of war?

2. How do gaps in the system impact nurses and nursing care delivery?

Support your ideas or those of others with references from the professional nursing literature.

References:

• Course Text: Sultz, H. A., & Young, K. M. (2014).Health care USA: Understanding its organization and delivery(8th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
• • Chapter 1, "Overview of Health Care: A Population Perspective"

Chapter 1 describes the problems with the U.S. health care system by discussing the historical and social factors that have contributed to its current state. It also identifies major stakeholders in the health care industry.

Chapter 4, "Hospitals: Origin, Organization, and Performance"

This chapter discusses the characteristics of hospitals and the foundational events that have shaped today's hospital structure. The chapter also provides insight into the ongoing efforts to improve quality care and how these efforts have influenced patient care.

• Course Text: Mason, D. J., Leavitt, J. K., & Chaffee, M. W. (2014).Policy and politics in nursing and health care(6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders.
• • Chapter 13, "The United States Health Care System"

Chapter 13 describes characteristics of the U.S. health care system and evaluates it along three key dimensions: quality, access, and cost. It also discusses current issues and challenges, as well as the impact of health care reform initiatives.

Articles

Read the following article on Veteran's health (required):

• Sabella, D. (2012). PTSD among our returning veterans. How to recognize and assist veterans with this increasingly common mental health disorder.American Journal of Nursing, 112 (11),48-52. Use the CINAHL Plus with Full Text

Web Site

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2014). HealthCare.gov.Retrieved from http://www.healthcare.gov/