Peer 1
In comparing the UK healthcare system to that of the US, UK seems to be doing better based on different objective indicators. The United Kingdom has shown great interest in learning from the US healthcare system, and this shows different healthcare ideas can be adopted through partnership and simply not through copying (Ham, 2005). Comparing the access to healthcare between these two, In the United States, there have been different barriers that have led to a challenge in accessing healthcare. The fact that the United States does not provide healthcare to the entire population affects the homeless and low-income earners. Checking on the insurance rate, the UK has its entire population Insured while in the US, 11.90% of the whole population are insured (Childers, 2016). This is a challenge to the US healthcare system that has failed to address the need for insurance cover to achieve better healthcare outcomes, especially to the low-income earners. Healthcare achievement in the US is very different from that of the UK even though healthcare delivery in the United States has shown clinical excellence and high responsive care to insured patients (Ham, 2005).
Secondly, checking on the issue of Private and Public services, it has been observed that the United States healthcare system is comprised of private services and this includes insurers and practitioners. The US federal government manages some of the healthcare facilities through collaborative arrangements and programs, and it is due to this that most of the public, private and non-profit organizations have together been able to improve healthcare outcomes (Himmelstein et al., 2014).In contrast, the UK has adopted a healthcare system that assures all its citizens can access through government sponsorship. In the UK, access to healthcare is considered a human right and most of the healthcare centers are under the government and even though there are Private healthcare facilities, they are few in number as compared to those under government control.
There are various challenges in resource allocation that affect the healthcare environment. Among the challenges are such as workforce shortages, lack of advanced technology, decrees from regulatory agencies to improve healthcare quality and patient safety and also the changes in patient population (Benne, et al., 2010). These forces provide an opportunity for advanced Nursing Professionals to design effective policies that would ensure service to all. Among these opportunities is to call for employment of enough healthcare providers, greater voice of nursing in healthcare policy and finally improving the image for nurses and their profession (Benne et al., 2010).
Peer 2
The healthcare system of the United States and the United Kingdom closely represent the extremes, the former has the largest private sector system, while the latter has one of the largest public-sector systems. The United States spends more on health care than any other nation while England is in the bottom among industrial countries. England has made major investments in its health care system, raising the total expenditure to 8.4% of the GDP in 2017, as compared with 16% in the United States (Kahn, Ketel & Rosenbloom, 2015). Healthcare in the U.S. is delivered almost exclusively by private sector providers. Hospitals are either owned by profit companies and by non-profit and charitable organizations. About 84 percent of the population has access to health care through the combination of private health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid programs (Kahn, Ketel & Rosenbloom, 2015). The remaining 16 percent of the population (mostly working poor and their families) must depend on their own financial resources or charity care to pay for needed medical care (Kahn, Ketel & Rosenbloom, 2015). While both systems have world-class health outcomes, the U.K. health care system has far less variation in health outcomes across its population than does the U.S. In terms of financial fairness, the UK is also ranked higher than the U.S. (Kahn, Ketel & Rosenbloom, 2015).
This outcome is a direct result of the UK national tax-based system versus the private risk-based financing in the U.S. system. In addition, the U.K. system is the very low cost when compared both to other developed nations’ systems and to the extremely prohibitive cost U.S. system. The U.S. healthcare system ranks number one on responsiveness in the same WHO survey (Smith, Cuello, Zhang & Bruera, 2016). While the financially unconstrained U.S. system is quite responsive to its citizens “needs” and “wants”, the financially constrained U.K. system is much less responsive. In the UK system, tight control of funding and health resources have resulted in the intangible “wants” being constrained resulting in waiting lists for non-essential medical care and low marks from WHO for responsiveness.
Registered nurses can impact public policy through advocacy from a unique vantage point. Clinical experiences provide real-life examples illustrating the needs of patients and the outcomes of public policy on patient morbidity and mortality. Nurses should not underestimate their ability to influence access to appropriate, efficient, and effective quality care (Kahn, Ketel & Rosenbloom, 2015). They are in excellent positions to share with various constituencies the importance of appropriate healthcare services available to all United States (U.S.) citizens and residents. Advocacy involves the process of persuading someone to at least consider one’s point of view. The role of the nurse as an advocate in healthcare policy is not a new one. Providing information to elected officials can be a source of considerable influence and reward. As a member of the nursing profession involved in the policy development process, the nurse has the opportunity and the responsibility to provide accurate and up-to-date information (Smith, Cuello, Zhang & Bruera, 2016).
This opportunity requires that the nurse be prepared to discuss the issues factually, that information is based on credible research, and that facts be double checked and presented in a succinct manner using easily understandable language. The approach must be cordial and given in a spirit of cooperation with the hope of achieving the desired outcome or at least an acceptable compromise. The first step in the legislative process is for an individual to desire to address a certain issue or problem. The issue may be as simple as a desire to give public recognition to a person or event or else an issue of a more complex nature. That desire or idea needs to be communicated to a legislator or staff member who believes the idea or issue is worth addressing through the legislative process and who will work with legal counsel to develop a bill. Once the bill is developed, the legislator will approach colleagues to garner support for its introduction (Smith, Cuello, Zhang & Bruera, 2016). A bill is usually introduced only after some support for the proposed piece of legislation has been secured. An elected official who is well respected and who sits on a key committee can carry significant weight in this process and can best facilitate the bill’s advancement.
I need a respond for these 2 classmates. Response posts must be minimum 150 words eaach. Double space. References must be cited in APA format (6th)
This is the original exercise if you needed to see what is about
Review both resources provided below in addition to the assigned readings for this week and reflect on 2 key differences between the UK and US Health systems. What are key opportunities related to advocacy and politics interventions that can be taken by advanced practice nurses to improve our current health system?
Please refer to the resources identified below for details regarding UK Health System.
1. US and UK Health System Comparison- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4Y0TKiwNgo
2. Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker- https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/quality-u-s-healthcare-system-compare-countries/#item-post-op-clots-better-u-s-comparable-countries
3. Summary of the American Health Care Act.pdf