Health Care Management Drivers

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Identifying top ten determinants of quality in health care may be daunting task since there are multiple factors that can influence one way or another health care management. Sometimes they are identified according to the causal of leading disease or death, others on how they affect life expectancy. Among the top ten determinants/drivers of quality in health care management are environment, behavior and lifestyle, heredity, medical care, healthcare finance/cost management, access to care, technology and research, socioeconomic, quality of care/management and health care delivery

Environment has been identified as a determinate of quality in health care because it can have a direct relation and influences on a variety of diseases and conditions such as asthma, birth defects and some cancers by exposure to chemical and physical hazards in the environment (BCBS of Minnesota Foundation, 2009). The Institute of Medicine not only recognizes that there is a direct link between environment and human health but emphasizes that the environment effects can be as broad as the conditions created in the house, communities and work places to the agricultural and natural resources in the environment (Institute of Medicine, 2009). Its report brief on BioWatch and Public Health Surveillance (December, 2009) states that the "differences in capabilities across local and state health departments contribute to inefficiencies and to the potential for disease surveillance gaps" (p. 3.). It further saw room for improvement to be cost effective and recommended to the Department of Health and Human Services to "develop and evaluate new opportunities in... disease surveillance and detection and decision support for clinical case recognition and reporting by health care providers; improve information sharing and situational awareness, and build and sustain capacity to detect and respond to health emergencies" (p. 3). General education on the creation of common hazardous situations in the house, communities and work places like the presence of lead, use and disposal of chemical can positively influence health management by prevention of diseases and cost reduction of health care.

Behavior and Lifestyles have been also identified as accounting for 40% of premature death (Schroeder, 2007). Obesity and physical inactivity combined along with smoking are considered the top two behavioral causes of premature death (Mokdad, Marks, Stroup & Gerberding, 2000). Empowering educational campaign can help modify potential dangerous behaviors but a proactive intervention may be needed to influence external forces like social interactions (including peer pressure) that influence behavior and lifestyles. Healthy People 2010, an initiative managed by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is implementing strategies at community, local and state level that can increase individual health statues and improve health management by modifying behavior and lifestyles affecting physical activity, overweight and obesity, tobacco use, substance abuse, responsible sexual behavior, injury and violence among others.

Heredity can be considered a determinant since it predisposes to certain diseases. It is known that there is a predisposition for certain types of cancer, diabetes and other illness and conditions in certain families. But beyond heredity are the racial and ethnic components that determine and influence the health status and health management of individuals and communities. The Office of Minority Health statistical data on health status has identified that ...