Reply To: Exercise 2: 5 Unsolved Problems
5 Problems and Solutions:
1. Problem: I often feel anxious while waiting for my appointment in the waiting room. This nervousness causes my blood pressure to spike, leading to an inaccurate reading when the nurse first measures it. As a result, they usually need to take my blood pressure again after the visit to get a more accurate measurement, which leads to rework and prolongs the appointment.
Solution: Creating a calming waiting room environment can significantly benefit patients as they prepare for their appointments. Providing soothing music, comfortable seating, and soft lighting can help alleviate anxiety and promote relaxation.
2. Problem:Individuals who cannot drive or lack access to reliable transportation often experience frustration and anxiety over their inability to attend medical appointments. This barrier can lead to delayed healthcare treatments, negatively impacting their overall health and well-being.
Solution: The healthcare systems partner with shuttle companies to arrange rides for patients.
3. Problem: People often get lost or feel confused when navigating their health insurance plans and coverage. As a result, they may not know what is covered, leading to unexpectedly large medical bills for treatments that are not included in their coverage.
Solution:Create a platform that explains health insurance terminology. Incorporate analysis tools to evaluate healthcare bills, the insurance-covered portion, and the patient’s responsibilities
4. Problem: People feel overwhelmed accessing their medical records, especially the medical records from different providers across various healthcare systems and networks. The information is often incomplete, and patients must navigate through multiple platforms to retrieve the data.
Solution: Enable different healthcare system platforms to exchange and integrate data accurately and securely between providers and patients
5. Problem: After receiving care, patients often feel uncertain about their next steps. They may not know where to turn get support and guidance they need to improve their health, leaving them feeling anxious about their recovery journey
Solution: Educate patients with healthcare resources, including preventative care and nurseline. Ask patient care team to follow up and check on the patients after discharge or their appointments
Reflection:
Everyone needs healthcare, and there are numerous problems within the healthcare system. Therefore, it was relatively easy to list the problems experienced by most people. However, it was challenging to prioritize and select which problems to include in my list, given that I could only choose five.
My goal is to improve and transform the healthcare system to make it more efficient and patient-friendly. I also had difficulty outlining the problems I wanted to share. Initially, I considered listing one primary problem and then subdividing it into five smaller ones. For example, lack of transportation to access care could be the primary problem, with subcategories including elderly individuals who lack transportation, people without a driver’s license, and those with mobility issues, among others. Later, I decided to select five distinct problems and explore which ones are more feasible for implementing solutions.
Recognizing the problems from the perspective of those they affect was relatively easy for me, as I have experienced these challenges firsthand. This personal experience allows me to empathize deeply with others facing similar issues and to understand the downstream impacts these problems can have.
The process of identifying problems becomes easier with practice, especially after numerous observations and experiences. However, finding solutions can be more challenging, depending on the complexity of the problems and the level of expertise required.
I believe some of the problems and solutions I outlined could become viable projects due to the high demand for improving healthcare access, particularly in terms of reaching doctor appointments and enhancing the overall patient experience. Even if these ideas do not become viable projects, taking small steps to make improvements is still valuable, as everyone can benefit from such changes.