Why one- third of hospitals will close by 2. For centuries, hospitals have served as a cornerstone of the U. S. During various touch points in life, Americans connect with a hospital during their most intimate and extraordinary circumstances. Most Americans are born in hospitals. Hospitals provide care after serious injuries and during episodes of severe sickness or disease. During various touch points in life, Americans connect with a.Hospitals are predominately where our loved ones go to die. Across the nation, hospitals have become embedded into the sacred fabric of communities. According to the American Hospital Association, in 2.
U. S., housing 9. More than 1 in 1. Americans were admitted to a hospital last year. Hospitals make a substantial imprint on local economies. In many communities, hospitals represent one of the largest employers and economic drivers. Of the total annual American health care dollars spent, hospitals are responsible for more than $7. Despite a history of strength and stature in America, the hospital institution is in the midst of massive and disruptive change. Such change will be so transformational that by 2. Several significant forces and factors are driving this inevitable and historical shift. First, America must bring down its crippling health care costs. The average American worker costs their employer $1. Federal and state budgets are getting crushed by the costs of health care entitlement programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid. Given this cost problem, hospitals are vulnerable as they are generally regarded as the most expensive part of the delivery system for health care in America. Second, statistically speaking hospitals are just about the most dangerous places to be in the United States. Three times as many people die every year due to medical errors in hospitals as die on our highways — 1. The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that nearly 1. Of this group, 8. Given the above number of admissions that means that 1 out of every 3. So hospitals are very dangerous places. It would take about 2. Imagine the American outcry if one 7. U. S. The airlines would stand before the nation and the world in disgrace. Currently in our non- transparent health care delivery system, Americans have no way of knowing which hospitals are the most dangerous. Topic areas marked "new" were not included in Healthy People 2010. Whenever possible, objectives and data include a link to the related information in Healthy People. Do you feel like you can't keep up with the latest nutrition news because it's always changing? While it's true that what is known about nutrition and diet is. We simply take uninformed chances with our lives at stake. Third, hospital customer care is abysmal. Recent studies reveal that the average wait time in American hospital emergency rooms is approximately 4 hours. Name one other business where Americans would tolerate this low level of value and service. Fourth, health care reform will make connectivity, electronic medical records, and transparency commonplace in health care. This means that in several years, and certainly before 2. American considering a hospital stay will simply go on- line to compare hospitals relative to infection rates, degrees of surgical success, and many other metrics. Isn’t this what we do in America, comparison shop? Our health is our greatest and most important asset. Would we not want to compare performance relative to any health and medical care the way we compare roofers or carpet installers? Inevitably when we are able to do this, hospitals will be driven by quality, service, and cost — all of which will be necessary to compete. What hospitals are about to enter is the place Americans, particularly conservative Americans cherish: the open competitive market. We know what happens in this environment. There are winners and losers. A third of hospitals now in existence in the United States will not cross the 2. David Houle is a futurist, advisor and speaker and Jonathan Fleece is a health care attorney, advisor, and speaker. They are the authors of The New Health Age: The Future of Health Care in America. Image credit: Shutterstock.
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