PHS- Chapter 3 Careers in Healthcare

What % of American workforce are in healthcare?

~13% of workforce, LARGEST employer

What is driving the growth of the healthcare industry?

Population growth, aging population, and increased life expectancy

Where are most healthcare jobs located?

Hospitals 

Define Demographic

Statistical study of human population 

What is the Affordable Care Act?

Expanded insurance and aimed to provide health coverage to all Americans and prevent healthcare costs

What does the ACA emphasize?

Prevention and primary care

What are examples of chronic diseases?

Heart diseases, stroke, lung disease, cancer, digestive, and ischemic

What are examples of acute diseases?

Pneumonia, diarrhoeal, neonatal, tuberculosis, HIV, malaria, and maternal

What is the role of physicians?

To evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients

How are physicians licensed?

MD (allopathic) or DO (osteopathic)

What is Allopathic medicine?

A system of medical practices that emphasize diagnosing and treating (ex. conventional method, drugs and surgery)

What is Osteopathic medicine?

Holistic and comprehensive approach and utilizes musculoskeletal manipulation

What does NBME stand for?

National Board of Medical Examiners

What does NBOME stand for?

National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners 

How are internships and residencies?

These are AFTER medical school and is about 2-6 years

What do MD’s focus on?

Disease

What do DO’s focus on?

Musculoskeletal 

Who are more likely to be generalists?

DOs are more likely to be generalists

What are examples of generalists?

Family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics

How do referrals work?

1) Starts with PCP consulting patient,

2) Referred to specialists

3) PCP creates referral request,

4) Transmits request to a specialist,

5) Specialists receive request,

6) Patients books appointment and consults with specialist

7) Specialist sends report to PCP,

8) Staff receives report and upload,

9) PCP gets notified

10) PCP reviews report and takes further actions

What does PCP mean?

Primary Care Provider 

What do hospitalists focus on?

Impatient medicine and hospital-based care

What are the roles of hospitalists?

Manage care during hospitalization, improve cost efficiency, and length of stay

How are hospitalists trained?

Internal medicine, family practice, or pediatrics 

What is gatekeeping?

Primary care controls access to specialty care (esp. in managed care)

What does longitudinal mean?

Involving the repeated observation over time 

What does episodic mean?

Occur at irregular intervals

What do primary doctors focus on?

Whole patient and comorbidities

What do specialists focus on?

Disease or organ systems 

What does comorbidity mean?

Exists simultaneously with another illness

What are the different work settings for physicians?

Hospitals, public sectors, private practice, and ambulatory visits

What does public sector mean?

Part of the economy controlled by government 

What are ambulatory visits?

To be able to walk around: Family practice, internal medicine, and pediatrics

How are physicians maldistributed?

Most cluster in metro/suburban areas, rural and inner cities underserved, also lifestyle, income, tech access, wealthier insured areas

What does maldistribution mean?

Undesirable inequality 

Where do most doctors cluster?

Metro/suburban areas

Why does the U.S have more specialists than primary care providers? (causes)

Tech advances, higher reimbursement (to pay some back), prestige, and work-life balance

What are the consequences of having more specialists than primary care providers?

Higher costs, invasive services, less effective care without primary screening, and underserved populations most affected

What does reiumbursment mean?

To pay some back

What are underserved populations?

Less resourced populations 

What are orthodonics?

Speciality doctor that does braces

What is periodontics?

Diseases of gum and teeth

What are prosthodontics?

Replace missing teeth 

What are endodontics?

Disease of dental pulp

What does pathology mean?

Field of medicine with laboratory observation and the paths and how medicine works

What is the role of a pharmacist?

To dispense medications

What type of education do pharmacists need?

PharmD (6 years) and a licensure exam

What are nuclear pharmacists?

They’re specialized pharmacists that make radioactive drugs used in diagnostic imaging for cancers, thyroid diseases, etc.

Where do pharmacists work?

Retail (largest), hospitals, internet/wholesale, and physician offices 

How is the traditional role of pharmacists expanding?

Drug education, drug interactions, prescribing authority (in some states)

What are optometrists?

They do vision exams and OD degree

What are physiologists?

Mental health and PhD/PsyD

What are podiatrists?

Foot conditions and DPM

What are chiropractors?

Manual manipulation and DC degree

What is the largest group of healthcare workers?

Nurses (largest group of health professioanals) 

What is the role of nurses?

Physical, emotional, mental patient care

What are the two types of nurses?

Nursing Practitioner and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)

What is a physician assistant?

Supervised by MD/DO perform exams, treat, and prescribe

What is a nurse practitioner?

Expanded RN role, focus on education and prevention (similar to PA)

What is a certified nurse midwife?

Maternal/obstetric care

What are the values of midwives?

Improve access in underserved areas, high patient satisfaction, and cost-effective

What are some barriers to being a midwife?

Legal restrictions, reimbursement issues, and physician oversight 

What percentage of the health care workforce are allied health professionals?

~60% of health workforce

What are the two categories of allied health proffesionals?

Technicians/assistants and technologists/therapists

What are technologists and therapists?

Advance training, evaluation, and planning (ex. PTs, OTs, and dietitians, audiologists, speech therapists, and social workers)

What are technicians and therapists?

Less than 2 year education and supervised (ex. PT assistants, lab techs, and radiology techs

What are the focus of public health professionals?

Community focus (NOT individual)

What areas do public health officials focus on?

Biostatistics, epidemiology, health services admin, health education, and environmental health

What is biostatistics?

Statistics in regarding to health 

What is epidemiology?

Study of public health and disease

Who employs public health officials?

Schools of public health, government agencies, and NGOs

What are NGOs

Non Governmental Organization

What are health services administrators?

IT, finance, board runs, and CEO

What are top-level health service administrators?

Strategic leadership and long term success

What are mid-level health service administrators?

Manage major service centers/departments

What are entry-level health service administrators?

Support and assist managers