Health Care Leaders’ Challenges in the Time of Health Care Reform

Abstract

In the next 5 years, our health care leaders will experience unprecedented challenges and opportunities. These changes are stimulated by the current proposed national health care system changes geared toward reducing the countries health care expenditures while expanding access to health care services. In addition to health care system reform, our current presidential and congressional administration is considering insurance reform. Our national leaders are proposing the development of a strong primary care system that is expected to both reduce health care cost and improve health care outcomes. Within these proposed changes, technological advances are considered an essential component of the transformative change for the health care system. The implementation of electronic health records is expected to improve the efficiency of our current health care system while providing access to data that can be used to compare effectiveness of health care delivery models and effectiveness of interventions. Two proposed models of health care delivery within these health care changes are accountable care organizations and patient-centered medical homes. The accountable care organizations are organizational structures that permit hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers with the ability to collaborate and work together to provide costeffective care while maintaining accountable outcomes. The patient-centered medical home models are health care practice systems that embrace a patient-centered primary care model with an emphasis on evidence-based practice to improve both individualand population-level health outcomes. An overriding theme of both these new health care models is the integration of health care information, referral systems, and primary and specialty health care services within a well-articulated and aligned health care delivery system focusing on meeting the specific population’s health care needs in a cost-effective manner based on the latest evidence-based practice standards and guidelines. The proposed health care changes and new models of health care delivery systems that are emerging are requiring health care leaders to strengthen existing partnerships with primary care providers, adopt and accelerate the use of electronic health records, invest in performance measurement systems, adopt a model of evidence-based practice, and engage community members and nonprofit organizations within the health care delivery system networks. At the heart of this transformational change in our health care system is developing integrated systems that can provide health care services to a population while considering and integrating medical advances into the standards of practice of individualized health care such as genetic testing, genetic counseling, and pharmacogenomics. In conclusion, each health care provider interested in promoting men’s health will be challenged to ensure that men’s health issues are considered in the dialogue of this health care reform movement. Health Care Leaders’ Challenges in the Time of Health Care Reform