As an emerging health care leader, the senior management has requested that you independently research and explore one of the economic opportunities that may be available in your care setting. This may be offering a new service line, working to improve a service line already offered, retiring an outdated or unprofitable service line, or any other economic initiative that you believe will be of benefit to your care setting in the short and long term. One example of this is a recently launched partnership with a local bicycle sharing company. Your care setting partners with them to host healthy community events that offer free screenings for early detection of various health issues. This helps fulfill some of your care setting’s preventive and healthy lifestyle initiatives, while also potentially driving referrals to other services provided by your care setting. You have been asked to submit your proposal in the form of a 3-page executive summary that includes your proposed economic initiative, supporting economic data, and an analysis of the proposal’s benefits for your department and for the care setting overall. DirectionsYou have been asked to ensure that your report addresses the following. : The bullet points below correspond to grading criteria in the scoring guide. Be sure your work is, at minimum, addressing each of the bullets below. You may also want to read the scoring guide and the Guiding Questions: Executive Brief: Proposal of New Economic Opportunity document, linked in the Resources, to better understand the performance levels that relate to each grading criterion:Propose an economic initiative that presents an opportunity for your care setting at both the micro (departmental, neighborhood) and macro (organizational, community) levels that you believe will provide ethical and culturally equitable improvements to the quality of care.Analyze the supply and demand for your proposed economic initiative within contexts relevant to your care setting.Explain relevant economic and environmental data that support your proposal and analysis.Communicate your economic proposal in a logically structured and concise manner, writing content clearly with correct use of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.Effectively support your proposal with relevant economic data and scholarly sources, correctly formatting citations and references using current APA style.

Executive Summary

This executive summary presents a proposal for an economic initiative that has the potential to benefit our care setting in both the micro and macro levels. The initiative focuses on offering telehealth services, which can improve the quality of care while also addressing ethical and cultural equity concerns.

Telehealth is the delivery of healthcare services and information through telecommunication technologies. It allows patients to access care remotely, eliminating barriers such as distance, transportation, and time. By implementing telehealth services, our care setting can reach a wider range of patients, particularly those in underserved areas or with limited access to transportation.

The potential demand for telehealth services in our care setting is high. According to a recent study, 88% of healthcare consumers would prefer to have access to virtual visits and remote monitoring options as part of their healthcare experience. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of telehealth across the healthcare industry, with an increase of virtual visits by 154% from March to June 2020.

There is also a strong supply of telehealth technologies and providers in the market. Various telehealth platforms, such as video conferencing software and remote monitoring devices, are readily available and can be easily integrated into our existing infrastructure. Furthermore, many healthcare providers and specialists have already established telehealth capabilities, making it easier to collaborate and provide comprehensive care to our patients.

Implementing telehealth services can lead to several benefits for our care setting. Firstly, it can improve the quality of care by increasing access to healthcare services. Patients who might have difficulty visiting our facilities due to distance or mobility issues can now receive timely care from the comfort of their own homes. Telehealth also enables more frequent monitoring and follow-up, reducing the risk of complications and improving patient outcomes.

In terms of cultural equity, telehealth services can address disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. By eliminating geographical barriers, patients from diverse backgrounds and underserved communities can receive the same level of care as those in more privileged areas. Additionally, telehealth can support language and cultural competency by providing interpreters and culturally sensitive resources.

From an economic perspective, implementing telehealth services can lead to cost savings for our care setting. By reducing the need for in-person visits, we can optimize the use of our facilities and staff resources. Additionally, telehealth can potentially attract new patients, particularly those who prefer the convenience and flexibility of virtual care. This can generate additional revenue for our care setting and potentially offset any initial investment in telehealth technologies.

In conclusion, implementing telehealth services presents an economic opportunity that can benefit our care setting at both the micro and macro levels. It has the potential to improve the quality of care, address ethical and cultural equity concerns, and generate cost savings. The high demand for telehealth services, the availability of telehealth technologies, and the accelerating adoption of telehealth across the healthcare industry make it a viable and timely initiative.

References

American Hospital Association. (2020). Accelerating Telehealth Adoption: Lessons from COVID-19 Pandemic. Retrieved from https://www.aha.org/guidesreports/2020-07-08-accelerating-telehealth-adoption-lessons-covid-19-pandemic

Mosley, J. (2017). Telehealth: A Transformative Technology and Its Impact on the Healthcare Ecosystem. Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). Retrieved from https://www.himss.org/resources/telehealth-transformative-technology-and-its-impact-healthcare-ecosystem