Reference no: EM132284391

Please answer the following questions:

1. How does involving physicians in the strategic planning process help a hospital reach its goals?

2. Why is clinical integration important in the current health care environment?

3. Choose one of the models for hospital-physician integration discussed in chapter 9 and list the advantages and disadvantages for hospitals and physicians under this model.

4. Respond to at least two posts from two different classmates.

Student 1:

1. Involving the physicians in the strategic plan allows for the perspective of physicians who are directly involved in the patients who are coming to the hospital for their services. This information can be utilized to ensure that patients needs are being met and if the policies currently in place are helping the facility run efficiently. The physicians are the voice of the patients to the administration which can help to facilitate a discussion over grievance that otherwise would have gone unheard.

2. Clinical integration plays a large role in the healthcare market seeing as thought it rewards providers and health systems that manage the health of populations rather than reactively treating the patients when they are sick. Clinical Integration occurs when the coordination of care from varying providers and settings to be able to provide care that is patient centered, effective, and safe.

3. I chose to look at the Hospital-Owned Group Practice:

a. Advantages: The management is ran by educated business professionals, have fellow department heads to help offer support, career advancement opportunities.

b. Disadvantages: terminology and process for charges and billing is bogged down and difficult to understand, less autonomy and more regulations involved.

Student 2:

Involving a physician in the strategic planning process will help the hospital meet it's certain goals they have within the organization. Physicians would be there to ensure the quality of care is equally given to each patient and they will keep the hospital update to date on new or changing policy standards within their field. They would be a great asset to bring to the whole process because they can advocate for their patients and share new ideas regarding them.

2. Clinical integration is the coordination of patient care between hospitals and physicians across the healthcare continuum. It is necessary to delivering high quality, affordable care in the current environment. Clinical integration facilities access to expensive medical technology, allows for greater economies of scale, and enables subsidization of unprofitable services.

3. I chose the Hospital-Owned Group Practice. Some advantages are primary care practices were the first type of physician group that hospitals sought to purchase and hospitals that purchase medical groups can improve integration, expand patients' access to care, and foster long-term relationships with their patients and physicians. Some disadvantages would be medical groups might wish to sell their practices as a result of the growing complexity of medical group management and increasing operating costs.