Write a 2-4-page executive summary recommending resource investment in a program based on its potential to deliver positive health and economic outcomes.
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This assessment has three main parts:
The first part is your examination of the organization’s current practices and alignments with historical healthcare trends, as well as how the organization needs to change to align itself with current and emerging trends.
The second part is your analysis of two existing programs that could be candidates for further investment (Note: You may use two program examples from your textbook, your own research, or your own organization as the context for your analysis and this executive summary.).
The third part is your proposal on how to allocate resources for the two programs, as well as a brief explanation of how the views of the stakeholders influenced your decision-making project.
If you have not already, it may be helpful to complete the formative activity to check your understanding of the economic concepts relevant to this assessment.
Economic Elements in Health Care | Transcript.
Consult the scoring guide to make sure you are meeting the communication criteria and achieving your desired rubric level.
Part I: Current State of Organization and Potential Changes to Align with Trends
Describe the current state of a healthcare organization with regard to alignments to historical healthcare industry trends. (Competency 1)
For this, use either an organization that you currently or previously had worked for, have researched as an organization you would like to work for in the future, or one that was present in the textbook or other research you conducted.
Explain how a healthcare organization needs to change to better align itself with current trends in the healthcare industry. (Competency 1)
Continue using the organization you described to meet the first scoring guide criteria.
Part II: Analysis of Current Programs
Analyze two current programs in a health care setting with regards to the inputs required to operate and its outputs with regards to health outcome rates and patients served. (Competency 3)
As noted in the instructions above, you may use program examples from your textbook, your own research, or your own organization. Be sure you choose examples for which you can report the inputs, outputs, and approximate patients served.
Part III: Resource Allocation and Stakeholder Reflections
Propose whether to reallocate, maintain, or increase funding for current programs based upon available resources and project outputs. (Competency 4)
Use the two programs you analyzed in Part II. It will be helpful to cite evidence (literature, your textbook, or current health improvement initiatives [like those being pursued via your state’s Department of Health] to help support your proposals.
Explain how opinions and agendas of stakeholders influence decisions related to the funding of programs in a health care setting. (Competency 4)
Make explicit reference to the stakeholders and their statements in the Scenario section for this assessment, or to specific examples from your current or former career experiences.
Resources
Feldstein, P. J. (2012). Health care economics (7th ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar.
Chapter 1, “An Introduction to the Economics of Medical Care,” pages 1–35.
This book chapter will present historical trends in health care economics, as well as the basic concepts and tools that will be covered in this course.
Greer, S. L. (2015). Reflecting on ‘The 2010 U.S. Health Care Reform: Approaching and Avoiding How Other Countries Finance Health Care.’ Health Economics, Policy and Law, 10(4), 473–477.
This article examines how the United States currently, and in the future, could structure health care reform by including evidence from other countries.h
Feldstein, P. J. (2012). Health care economics (7th ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar.
Chapter 2, “The Role of Government in Health and Medical Care,” pages 36–50.
This chapter examines how the government impacts health care and its economics, including optimal rate of output and inefficiencies in the system.
Chapter 3, “Health Policy and the Legislative Marketplace,” pages 52–72.
This chapter examines the ways in which policy and legislative markets differ from purely economic and how this can impact the health and function of organizations.
Click Government Intervention in Health Economics to work through an example of how a task force is trying to lower the fee-for-service use.
Iedema, R., Verma, R., Wutzke, S., Lyons, N., & McCaughan, B. (2017). A network of networks. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 31(2), 223–236.
This article examines how an agency leveraged its existing networks and resources to transmit health care practice improvement to other potential networks.
Kaissi, A., Shay, P., Roscoe, C., & Woodrum, S. (2016). Hospital systems, convenient care strategies, and healthcare reform. Journal of Healthcare Management, 61(2), 148–164.
This article examines the emergence of urgent care centers and retail clinics as convenient care models and their impact on traditional hospital systems.
Steele Gray, C., Wilkinson, A., Alvaro, C., Wilkinson, K., & Harvey, M. (2015). Building resilience and organizational readiness during healthcare facility redevelopment transitions. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 9(1), 10–33.
This article examines how building resilience and readiness to change in employees can help organizations transition and redevelop more effectively.
Feldstein, P. J. (2012). Health care economics (7th ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar.
Chapter 4, “The Production of Health: The Impact of Medical Services on Health,” pages 75–102.
This chapter covers foundational information related to the production of health and strategies for maximizing the output of health with the constraints of an input budget.
Chapter 5, “An Overview of the Medical Care Sector,” pages 105–113.
This chapter provides an introduction to the markets that exist in the health care industry and how these drive service and economic considerations.
Batalden, M., Batalden, P., Margolis, P., Seid, M., Armstrong, G., Opipari-Arrigan, L., & Hartung, H. (2016). Coproduction of healthcare service. BMJ Quality & Safety, 25(7).
This article examines the concept of coproduction, proactively involving patients, of health and its implications on service delivery and measuring benefits.
Gaertner-Johnston, L. (2013). Write better executive summaries. Retrieved from http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2013/05/write-better-executive-summaries.html
This website provides tips for improving the clarity and quality of executive summaries.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2014). Improving patient flow and reducing emergency department crowding: A guide for hospitals (executive summary). Retrieved from https://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/final-reports/ptflow/executive-summary.html
This example shows an executive summary for a 43-page report. It may help you to understand ways to prioritize which information needs to be included.
Australian Government Department of Health. (2010, May), Mental health nurse incentive program: Case studies project report [PDF]. https://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/241524/sub501-mental-health-attachment3.pdf
Review the Executive Summary section. This is another example of how an executive summary can be organized and information communicated concisely.
https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/transparency-coverage-final-rule-fact-sheet-cms-9915-f
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7585
