While I am not much of a blogger, I will give it a shot periodically on current topics that I see from my rocking chair on the porch.....
As many had expected, the healthcare arena and climate is going through many adjusts and readjusts as the rules of the game have change. While as healthcare clinicians, our primary goal has always been to serve as an expert and advocate for the patient with cardiopulmonary disease. While some of these changes have set the stage for a positive impact on patients, while in the same light many of these changes have placed obstacles and challenges to providing the care we believe is right for patients.
So what are the 5 "hot" trends that currently are taking place in the healthcare literature that are having a direct impact on the respiratory care department? My biased opinion is the following:
1. A 10-20% decrease in hospital admissions
2. Profit margins in most hospitals shrinking or being negative--Hospital Closures and Mergers
3. 48% of acute care facilities revenues coming from surgical admissions
4. Interest and expansion of alternative or extended care facilities
5. External hospital consultants being engaged in healthcare to find efficiencies and waste
The perfect storm is brewing for the respiratory care profession, the opportunity to step up to the plate and win the game or to sit in the shadows and "ride the pines". We need to find the spirit, moxey, creativity and motivation of our forefathers that started off 60 odd years ago as oxygen orderlies and over the last 6 decades have brought us to the modern day scope of practice.
Respiratory care managers and staff must worked together to develop best practices and demonstrate their ability to make a difference in patient care and outcomes on a daily basis across the ENTIRE continuum of care or this rapidly evolving healthcare arena will pass us by.
Anyone see things from a different perspective? Opinions are like noses.....everyone has them and they are ALL slightly different. So what is yours?