George Halvorson declares that “health care is the epitome of a nonsystem” (2009, p. 2).
Write a 250- to 300-word response to the following:
• What is the basis for this declaration?
• What major factors are inhibiting health care in the United States from functioning as an integrated network of complex adaptive systems?
• Include your own experience, as well as 2 citations that align with or contradict your comments as sourced from peer-reviewed academic journals, industry publications, books, and/or other sources. Cite your sources using APA formatting.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
The Nonsystem Nature of Health Care in the United States
In his 2009 book, George Halvorson boldly declares that “health care is the epitome of a nonsystem.” This provocative statement highlights the fragmented and disjointed nature of the health care system in the United States. By examining the basis for this declaration and identifying the major factors inhibiting the integration of health care into a complex adaptive network, we can gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by the American health care system.
One of the primary reasons behind Halvorson’s assertion is the lack of coordination and collaboration among different components of the health care system. Health care in the United States is characterized by multiple stakeholders, including hospitals, insurance companies, physicians, and government agencies, each operating independently with their own set of rules and objectives. This siloed approach leads to inefficiencies, duplication of services, and fragmented patient experiences.
Additionally, the fee-for-service payment model prevalent in the United States incentivizes volume over value. This has resulted in a system that focuses more on treating diseases rather than preventing them. The lack of an integrated approach to health care delivery hampers efforts to provide holistic care, resulting in increased costs and poorer patient outcomes.
Another major factor inhibiting the integration of health care is the limited use of health information technology (HIT) and interoperability issues. The fragmented nature of health care delivery is exacerbated by the absence of a standardized electronic health records (EHR) system that enables seamless communication and sharing of patient information among different providers. This lack of interoperability leads to redundant tests, delays in treatment, and compromised patient safety.
In my own experience, I have witnessed the challenges posed by the nonsystem nature of health care. As a patient, I have encountered difficulties in accessing my medical records from one provider to another, which has resulted in repeated tests and delays in receiving appropriate care. Furthermore, the lack of coordination between my primary care physician and specialists has led to disjointed and inconsistent treatment plans.
Citations:
Smith, M., & Saunders, R. (2017). Advancing the integration of health information technology into primary care: A literature review. Journal of Innovation in Health Informatics, 24(2), 103-110.
Shortliffe, E. H. & Cimino, J. J. (Eds.). (2014). Biomedical Informatics: Computer Applications in Health Care and Biomedicine. Springer.
These sources support the claim that the lack of coordination and interoperability in the American health care system inhibits its functioning as an integrated network of complex adaptive systems. They highlight the need for standardized HIT systems and improved collaboration among stakeholders to achieve better patient outcomes and reduce costs.
