Essay Example on U.S. Health Care Systems for Small Populations

Introduction

Adventist Health operates the current health facility in Tehachapi. As of 2017, the Tehachapi Valley Health District had a 25-bed capacity hospital with three rural healthcare facilities in Mojave, Tehachapi, and California City. To systematically address the community needs, aspects like health behaviors, risks, health system, physical environment, and social element of society remains important (Browne et al., 2016). Each factor impacts immediate and future healthcare plans and communal engagements to enhance the healthcare sector, especially for the vulnerable in society.

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Some of the pressing needs of the people in Tehachapi Valley includes local access to community health and welfare activities with a focus on education, prevention, early detection, and treatment of chronic disorders, such as cancer, stroke, heart disease, and diabetes for its small population (Browne et al., 2016). Also, Tehachapi healthcare needs include access to low-cost screening. The purpose of this paper involves an examination of the United States health care systems for small populations, especially the populace living in Tehachapi Valley.

Current State of the Health Care System in Tehachapi Valley

Developing a healthy community calls for multiple shareholders to operate together with a common objective. The Tehachapi Valley community exists in the mountains of the Eastern Kern County, California. Presently, apart from the global pandemic of COVID-19, other health care concerns involve the prevalence of chronic diseases, reproductive health and children’s health, behavioral health, and substance abuse (Batalden et al., 2016). The community requires access to local health care services, health education, and health promotion to managing the above-identified healthcare needs properly. The absence of extra primary healthcare workers results in several people using the emergency room for minor or serious healthcare matters instead of seeking an appointment with their primary caregiver.

There exist a shortage of specialty healthcare services that badly influences patients seeking treatment in the emergency unit. Such shortages make patients get transferred or referred to other facilities in different locations, for those Tehachapi Valley residents suffering from chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Hepatitis C, and pulmonary disease show poor compliance to health screenings and adherence to treatment plans given by the caregiver creating more health problems within the community (Batalden et al., 2016). Some of the identified considerable health needs and barriers to quality health in the region consist of transportation challenges, poverty, personal responsibility, healthcare resources, geographic isolation, and prescription medication.

The effect of poverty remains a major barrier to quality health service in several ways that restrict access to health care (Batalden et al., 2016). Besides, poverty results in the inability and absence of insight into prioritizing healthcare needs, like making an appointment to seek advice on preventive care from a care provider. There exist an inadequate transport option to access primary healthcare facilities and observe health-associated appointments (Batalden et al., 2016). Moreover, the costs and convenience of the transport system within the area remains a challenge to most people. Healthcare resources refer to barriers that affect low-income and a minority of Tehachapi residents since it influence how they utilize the healthcare resources available (Browne et al., 2016). These include not comprehending how to navigate the system, how to apply for healthcare insurance, how to select health personnel, and how to use the insurance cover appropriately.

Another component that poses a challenge to the accessibility of healthcare services includes lack of answerability for individual healthcare like observing follow-through and adherence with health screenings to manage chronic disorders. The scarcity of money to pay for transport and prescriptions remains a problem for the Tehachapi Valley populace (Batalden et al., 2016). Furthermore, healthcare challenges associated with not using prescription medication involve exacerbation of sickness and poor health effects on a broad-spectrum. Regions with occupants secluded from extended relatives or societal support networks and limited access to cheap food also pose a threat to quality health within Tehachapi Valley (Browne et al., 2016). The current global outbreak of coronavirus has overstretched the healthcare system within Tehachapi Valley regarding the needed equipment, healthcare providers, and financial support to manage and contain the pandemic.

New or Improved Health Care Service to Introduce into the Community

A new or improved healthcare service that needs an introduction in Tehachapi Valley entails a Virtual Caregiving that encompasses a user-friendly, safe, and effective health care service. Such a health care service can reduce the money spent on in-home services (Batalden et al., 2016). The rapidly increasing number of the aging population in Tehachapi Valley raises concern over distant and isolated families and social support networks that can result in little or no support to these elderly in the society (Wiederhold, 2018). General health issues that affect the elderly remain a health care challenge to the community, and with suitable alternatives, these problems can be resolved appropriately. The emergent issue of COVID-19 requires that the elderly in the community understand the major signs and management of the pandemic when affected or infected.

Since these older adults suffer from various chronic illnesses, they need to know how to prevent, manage, and treat them (Wiederhold, 2018). Besides, this segment of the population must know how to make an appointment with a nurse, physician, or doctor (Batalden et al., 2016). Also, they need to take their medications properly without faulting. Moreover, these older people need to know when their medication, food, and other stock runs out. The coronavirus epidemic has exposed some weaknesses in healthcare systems across the globe, overwhelming most facilities (Wiederhold, 2018). Most private-duty agencies continue to send away patients needing in-home services due to shortages in personal protection equipment (PPE).

In contrast, patients decline visits to facilities, fearing the care providers may transmit the disease to them on their visit. Connecting Homes to Virtual Caregiving can address most of these concerns. The people of Tehachapi Valley can use the Virtual Caregiving system since it remains easy to set up and use after getting installed (Wiederhold, 2018). The Virtual Caregiving system incorporates a phone consultation and mobile application platform that helps users receive treatments virtually without contact with the healthcare provider. The new or enhanced healthcare service will reduce the cost of in-home services while tracking the treatment plan of patients, especially the elderly and the vulnerable in society.

Designing a New Health Care Facility

Modern technology can make virtual caregiving much easier. To create virtual caregiving, one needs to install a video chat service, such as Skype or Zoom, on their loved one’s digital device like laptop, smartphone, or tablet that allows them to have a face-to-face chat. Caregiving applications then offer an easy means of managing the senior’s scheduled appointments and medication plan (Khosravi & Ghapanchi, 2016). Some of the caregiving applications include Carezone, CaringBridge, and AARP Caregiver. Then, one needs to discuss online login and payment of bills to ensure accessibility in the event of an emergency.

Conclusion

A healthcare system refers to the organization of individuals, resources, and facilities that provide healthcare services to address the health requirements of target populations. There exist several health care systems across the globe developed and designed to meet the primary and public needs of certain communities. Most healthcare structures signify the culture, history, and economics of that population through which the progress.

References

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), 509-517. www.qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/25/7/509.short

Browne, A. J., Varcoe, C., Lavoie, J., Smye, V., Wong, S. T., Krause, M., & Fridkin, A. (2016). Enhancing health care equity with Indigenous populations: evidence-based strategies from an ethnographic study. BMC Health Services Research, 16(1), 544. www.link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-016-1707-9

Khosravi, P., & Ghapanchi, A. H. (2016). Investigating the effectiveness of technologies applied to assist seniors: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 85(1), 17-26. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1386505615300034

Wiederhold, B. K. (2018). Virtual reality enhances seniors' health and well-being. www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/cyber.2018.29132.bkw