Which of the following best describes the principal factor behind ongoing legislation on the federal level related to health care?

Question

a. Change is needed to reflect differences in health needs today.
b. Efforts must be put in place to control constantly increasing costs.
c. There is a need to focus on the population as a whole.
d. Technological breakthroughs should be expanded.

Answer 1

ANS: B
With the rapid growth of technology and increased demands on the private and public health care subsystems, health care costs have become prohibitive. Cost-effectiveness and cost containment have become critical driving forces as health care delivery system changes are made; however, cost-effectiveness often conflicts with the provision of quality care. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report Best Care at Lower Costs: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America "presents a vision of what is possible if the nation applies the resources and tools at hand by marshaling science, information technology, incentives, and care culture to transform the effectiveness and efficiency of careâ€"to produce high-quality health care that continuously learns to be better" (2012, p. ix). Since 1999, the IOM has completed many extensive reports examining the status of health care in the United States. Some improvement has been seen in the delivery system, but much more needs to be done. This report addresses these critical concerns again.