Reply to each post with a paragraph –
Post #1- Brittany
A type of healthcare spending that I consider wasteful would be spending too much on administration. The healthcare delivery system that spends too much on the collaboration of more and more administrators and managers instead of nurses and physicians can lead to wastage of its economic resources. For instance, of the nearly four trillion dollars spent every year on healthcare in the U.S., administrative spending makes up approximately ¼ of that total while actual delivery of care is about ¾ (Sahni et al., 2021). Bottom line, administrative simplification can save up to a quarter trillion dollars in the United States’ healthcare system (Sahni et al., 2021). Now, what impact would it have if we eliminate it? Well, administration is always needed within a system. Not eliminating but cutting down on administrative expenses would help reduce the costs of healthcare in our country; costs that are already very high. As a result, we would see improved access to healthcare, more equity as well as lesser medical error rates due to improved patient outcomes and timely access to healthcare (Sahni et al., 2021). While administrative simplification may not be on the priority lists when it comes to improving healthcare expenses, the potential save is about two hundred and sixty-five billion dollars (Sahni et al., 2021). That amount is equivalent to $1,300 for each American adult (Sahni et al., 2021).
Sahni, B. R., Mishra, P., Carrus, B., & Cutler, D. M. (2021, October 20). Administrative simplification: How to save a quarter-trillion dollars in US healthcare. McKinsey & Company.
Post #2 – In the article by Muskens et al., it is argued that the overuse of diagnostic testing in healthcare is wasteful. It also potentially exposes patients to unnecessary harm (Muskens, Kool, & Westert, 2022). The top 5 overused diagnostic tests were the use of electrocardiograms, chest X-rays, or pulmonary function tests in low-risk patients having low-risk surgery, imaging for low back pain within the first 6 weeks of symptom onset in the absence of red flags, knee arthroscopy for meniscal derangements; baseline lab tests for low-risk patients receiving low-risk surgery; and knee arthroscopy for osteoarthritis (Muskens, Kool, & Westert, 2022). Using imaging for non-specific and low-risk health problems in certain situations is unnecessary and also puts the patient at risk for radiation exposure. Using imaging for low-risk and non-specific health problems doesn’t always provide the answer to the problem. These tests can also result in false positives requiring further unnecessary testing and resulting in more spending. If spending on unnecessary imaging is minimized, imaging will be ordered more carefully. Realistically, diagnostic tests will not be completely eliminated as it is definitely necessary for certain cases. I believe there needs to be increased training on when to use certain diagnostic tests to decrease spending.
M Müskens, L. J., Kool, R. B., & Westert, G. P. (2022). Overuse of diagnostic testing in healthcare: A systematic review. BMJ Quality & Safety, 31(1), 54-63. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2020-012576
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