ep 1 Read the scenario. While we would like to think that everyone has equal access to health care, as nurses it is important to consider the reality of how health care is distributed. Identification of distribution patterns contributes to an understanding of barriers to accessing health care that include geographic realities (urban vs. rural) and socio-economic inequities (insured vs. uninsured). Distribution of Healthcare within the Healthcare Delivery System Distribution of Healthcare within the Healthcare Delivery System Step 2 Post a response to the discussion board. In your post, address the following prompts: Discuss the meaning of the distribution of healthcare within the healthcare delivery system. Discuss how the distribution of health care affects access to care. Step 3 Read and respond to two other students’ posts by Friday at 11:59 pm MT. Read other students’ posts and respond to at least two of them. Use your personal experience, if it’s relevant, to help support or
Distribution of Healthcare within the Healthcare Delivery System
The distribution of healthcare within the healthcare delivery system pertains to how healthcare resources and services are allocated and made available to various geographic regions and populations. It encompasses allocating healthcare infrastructure, professionals, medical devices, medications, and health insurance. The allocation of healthcare services is subject to various influences, encompassing economic, geographic, and social factors.
The allocation of healthcare resources has a profound impact on the availability of healthcare services. Geographical disparities significantly influence healthcare accessibility (Moturi et al., 2022). Rural areas face a disparity in healthcare resources and providers compared to urban areas, posing difficulties for residents accessing medical services. This disparity may contribute to the occurrence of delayed or inadequate medical treatment, ultimately resulting in inferior health results.
Consistently, socio-economic factors exert considerable influence on the distribution of healthcare. Individuals with health insurance coverage frequently enjoy enhanced accessibility to healthcare services due to the ability of insurance to promote affordability and mitigate financial obstacles (Healthy People 2030, 2020). The uninsured or underinsured individuals may postpone seeking essential medical attention due to financial constraints, thereby worsening their health conditions. Moreover, allocating healthcare resources can contribute to the persistence of health inequalities across diverse racial and ethnic populations. Minority populations face limited access to quality healthcare services due to historical, economic, and social factors, leading to health outcome disparities.
In order to rectify these disparities, healthcare delivery systems must strive for a more equitable allocation of resources and services. This objective can be accomplished by implementing policies that prioritize the fair allocation of healthcare resources and professionals, expanding the reach of health insurance, and ensuring that healthcare services are tailored to the specific requirements of diverse communities (Love-Koh et al., 2020). By mitigating distribution disparities, we can make substantial progress in establishing a fair and inclusive healthcare system that caters to everyone.
References
Healthy People 2030. (2020). Access to Health Services. Health.gov. https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health/literature-summaries/access-health-services
Love-Koh, J., Griffin, S., Kataika, E., Revill, P., Sibandze, S., & Walker, S. (2020). Methods to promote equity in health resource allocation in low- and middle-income countries: an overview. Globalization and Health, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-019-0537-z
Moturi, A. K., Suiyanka, L., Mumo, E., Snow, R. W., Okiro, E. A., & Macharia, P. M. (2022). Geographic accessibility to public and private health facilities in Kenya in 2021: An updated geocoded inventory and spatial analysis. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/