334 Part 3. Organizing CASE APPLICATION #1 T Rx: Teamwork Topic: Team-based model The health care industry is the fastest growing rector of together to make sure that no patient concem, need, prevention the US economy, with annual revenues projected ction, or matter was missed or overlooked." As one over $1.6 million (that's 12 remot. And health care victual described, staffers often literally chased patients has surpassed manufacturing and retail as the largest were of hallways to get them to schedule needed screenings Ball jobs in the United States, now employing more than 18 mil- cum approach is working. After a number of years using lion workers. Many challenges face the health care industry, model research on Kaiser's team model showed significa including changing laws/regulations, changing technologies, gains in patient medical across a wide range of standart an aging population and increase in chronic disease, and la- ixed measures. Getting to that outcome wan't easy, how bor shortages (physicians and nurses). But the goal is still the Departments that were accustomed to working on their can same efficiently and effectively provide quality appropri now had to work together. Instead of focusing on their own ate and timely) bealth care to patients. Given the challenges, specialties, a team of specialists now worked together to health-care organizations are looking for better ways to do this. provide patients with a well-rounded health-care experience And one way is through using a team-based care approach, Pliysicians had to be retrained to view themselves as on which research studies have of a team, supported by other shown can improve patient professionals such as mune outcomes and reduce costs TEAMING UP for better assistants, and other statt. A Many hospitals, clinics. outcomes the health-care environment and medical practices have continues to be challenging adopted this team-based care teamwork the Rx? approach. What does that entail? A patient receives care from a team of medical professionals who divide up responsibilities Discussion Questions for performing tasks that traditionally would have been done by 10-14 What challenges are managers of health-care organization a person's primary physician. Although supervising physicians facing? still manage (oversee) patient care, tasks such as completing 10-15 How would the way health care organization managersma prescription refill requests, adjusting medication dosages, help- age be different in a team-based model? ing manage chronic diseases (c.g., teaching someone diagnosed 10-16 Explain how roles, norms, status systems, and group the with diabetes how to take blood sugar counts and to administer Siveness might influence the success of a team-based model insulin), and other routine tasks are now done by a team of 10-17 What are some reasons you think a team-based models health care providers. For instance, at Kaiser Permanente, one led to improved patient outcomes and reduced costs? of the largest not-for-profit managed health-care companies in the United States, a new program model called "complete 10-18 In the chapter, we brought up the idea of teams sharing 100 much information. Would this be a more serious ethical issue care" was designed to enable health-care staffers to work for teams in health-care organizations? Why or why not