The Biggest Problem in the Health System - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages Burnout and stress are a dangerous combination in health care because they can compromise the quality of care delivered to patients. It also exposes the patients to the increased risk of medical errors.

The nursing and doctor shortage problem can also cause dissatisfaction in the workforce, and it can often prompt these medical professionals to opt for other careers – one which would not be too stressful. I believe that this nursing and doctor shortage is a major problem in the health care system because it will continue to affect the quality of health care in the years to come. Enrollees for the nursing and medical degree have not increased significantly in the past few years and they do not appear to be increasing in the next few years as well.

As the paper highlights another major problem in the health care system is the increasing number of uninsured individuals. In the hospitals and health clinics, I have often encountered individuals who come for consults and medical care but who do not have health insurance. Many of them cannot afford medical insurance because of their low income. Since they do not have medical insurance, they seldom seek medical care and consult for their illnesses and diseases. I believe that this is a major problem in health care because the cost of health care is increasing with each year. Such costs are often shouldered by the uninsured and it can sometimes cause them major financial problems – driving them into indebtedness and even bankruptcy. 

This problem adversely affects our healthcare system because uninsured patients often do not seek medical care as often or as early as possible. Since they know that they cannot afford to seek medical help or attention for their ailments, they would often postpone medical consults until the very last minute or sometimes when their symptoms have become worse. This negates the principles of early detection and prevention of diseases. More often than not, their disease may already have gotten worse and medical interventions can sometimes only do so much for them. This worsens patient outcomes and increases morbidity and mortality rates in general. ...Download file to see next pages Read More