Health care delivery and the organizations that provide, manage, and reimburse for it are growing at an explosive rate. As part of this trend, the allied health job sector is the largest employment sector, with job growth projections in the 14% plus range for the period 2018-2028 (according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018).
Expansive growth is a response to current and predicted need for services, and while encouraging, sustained and rapid growth will inevitably affect safety, risk management, and quality provision on scales not yet seen by health care organizations.
In an essay of 1,250-1,500 words, provide your assessment, with recommendations, for how the United States, as a country, can best manage quality assurance in the health care workplace going into the future.
Questions to consider include:
· How best can the United States, as a country, manage this growth in the allied health sector? What role does the 2008 Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), accrediting body requirements for workplace safety, risk management, and quality care, play in this effort? Provide examples.
· Analyze the core safety, risk management factors, and quality management tools in the health care industry through accreditation that assist in the decision-making process for implementation in allied health care.
· Describe the decision-making process for safety, risk management, and quality management in allied health care.
· What steps might the United States take, from the global to the organizational level, to maintain high standards for providing outstanding care-based services?
· Describe the core safety, risk management, and quality management tools in the health care industry.
· What are two or more performance-based trends in patient safety, risk management, and quality management in health care organizations currently being followed to meet this goal?
Sample Solution
Managing Quality Assurance in the Rapidly Expanding Allied Health Sector
The United States healthcare landscape is currently experiencing an era of unprecedented growth. Driven by an aging "Baby Boomer" population, advancements in medical technology, and a shift toward outpatient and preventive care, the allied health job sector—comprising professionals such as physical therapists, radiologic technologists, and medical assistants—has emerged as the largest employment engine in the industry. Projections indicate a growth rate exceeding 14%, a figure that far outpaces most other economic sectors. However, this explosive expansion presents a paradox: while it increases access to care, it simultaneously stresses the infrastructure designed to ensure patient safety and organizational quality.
To navigate this transition, the United States must adopt a proactive, multi-layered approach to quality assurance. This strategy requires leveraging existing legislative frameworks like the 2008 Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), refining the decision-making processes for risk management, and embracing modern, performance-based trends in patient safety.
The Role of MIPPA and Accrediting Bodies in Managing Growth
Managing rapid growth in the allied health sector requires more than just hiring additional staff; it necessitates a robust regulatory and accreditation framework that evolves alongside the workforce. The Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) serves as a critical historical and functional cornerstone in this effort.
While MIPPA is often associated with Medicare beneficiary outreach, its impact on quality and safety is profound. One of its most significant contributions was the mandate for accreditation for providers of advanced diagnostic imaging services (such as MRI, CT, and PET scans). By requiring these providers to be accredited by bodies like The Joint Commission (TJC) or the American College of Radiology (ACR) to receive Medicare reimbursement, MIPPA established a high baseline for quality and safety.
Workplace Safety & Risk Management: MIPPA-certified accrediting bodies require organizations to implement rigorous safety protocols. For example, in radiology, this includes mandatory radiation safety officer (RSO) oversight and standardized equipment calibration.
Quality Care Examples: MIPPA incentivized the transition to electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) and quality reporting. For an allied health professional, such as a pharmacy technician, this reduces the risk of manual entry errors, directly linking federal reimbursement to the adoption of safer, tech-driven workflows.
Moving forward, the U.S. can manage growth by expanding MIPPA-like accreditation requirements to other fast-growing allied health specialties, ensuring that federal funding is always contingent upon meeting rigorous, evidence-based safety standards.
Core Safety, Risk Management Factors, and Quality Tools
To assist in the decision-making process for allied health implementation, organizations must utilize specialized quality management tools. These tools are often mandated or encouraged by accreditation standards and serve as the "early warning systems" for healthcare organizations.