HM 210 Introduction to Health Services

Lecture Hours: 3
Credits: 3

Provides an overview of the nation’s health system. Introduces use of health services, history of the health care system, hospitals and other health services providers and their relationship to the system as a whole. Explores the financial, legal, political and ethical aspects of the health care system in the United States.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Apply current laws, accreditation, licensure, and certification standards related to health information initiatives from the national, state, local, and facility levels.
Differentiate the roles of various providers and disciplines throughout the continuum of healthcare and respond to their information needs.
Discuss the development and evolution of health services in the United States.
Describe the social and cultural influences on disease and behavior.
Analyze the funding sources for health services.
Identify trends in the health care professions.
Compare and contrast the major industrial countries’ health services.
Evaluate and discuss the current efforts of US health care reform.

Content Outline

Overview of the Health Services Systems
- Historical evolution of health services in the United States
- Overview of health services in the United States
Causes and Characteristics of Health Services Use in the United States
- The physiological and psychological bases of health, disease and care seeking
  - Indications and predictors of health services utilization
Providers of Health Services
- Public health services
- Ambulatory health care services
- Hospitals, public and private
- Long term care
- Mental health services
Medical Technology and its Assessment
- Development and utilization
- Appropriate use of technology
- Assessment of current and future technological needs
Health Care Professionals
- Employment trends
- Physicians and nurses
- Other health professionals
- Future issues for health care professionals
Financing Health Services
- Health expenditures
- Private health insurance and public health insurance
- New trends in financing
Planning, Assessing and Regulating the Health Services Industry
- Planning health services
- Regulating health services
- Assessing health services
Health Policy
- Health care policy in the United States
- Health care policy in other industrialized countries
The Politics of Health Care
- History of legislation in the United States
- New directions
Legal Aspects
- Current laws, accreditation, licensure, and certification standards related to health information initiatives from the national, state, local and facility levels.
Future Issues in Health Care