We focus on products, services, and products within the healthcare industry. An example of a service might be primary care. Primary care typically provides services that are general in nature and in most healthcare organizations serves as the gateway into specialty care. A patient may present in primary care to address a condition and depending on the nature of that condition, treatment will be resolved within primary care or the patient may be referred to specialty care for further evaluation or treatment. Consider the following as we address this week's objectives:

1. As we look at the types of providers in the health care industry, what are some barriers and limitations to how patients transition from one level of care to another?

2. How can integrated delivery systems help reduce costs and improve the quality of health care?

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