esult from a combination of factors including increasing costs of health care, changes in societal values, advances in treatment therapies, technological-innovation, changing demographics, and many other factors. Many proposed changes are politically controversial (e.g., prescription drug coverage, access issues, legal accountability, funding and provider reimbursement, privacy issues, and so forth). Thus, while preciseness in relation to the eventual structure of the health care environment remains elusive, participants in the industry, nevertheless, must develop strategies that will enable them to continue as viable players (Kocakulah, McGuire, & Klueh, 2001).
Health care organizations are implementing new patient care delivery models in the hope that such changes will improve costs, care quality, and patient satisfaction (Schweikart, 1996). Some of these changes include the redefinition of the roles of many caregiver classifications, such as the transfer of some treatment functions from physicians to non-physician health care professionals such as advanced practice nurses, physician assistants, and other advanced clinical specialists.
Researcher Interest and Qualifications
The researcher's position in the health care delivery sector in Ohio is the source of the researcher's interest in the problem studied in this project. Similarly, the researcher's position also confers the qualifications necessary to conduct the research required to study the problem.
Basic Issue: Statement of the Problem
Newer models of patient care delivery attempt to fit the delivery system to an organization's unique market, physician relationships, employee base, and other competitive strengths. To accomplish the objectives of cost-containment and patient care quality, health care institutions must manage all of their resources ù financial, human, and physical ù more effectively. One approach to improved resource management in acute care...