Question 1.
The medical care in Camden had a problem with its health care system which had inefficient and high-cost care. The hospital took care of thousands of patients, with complex health issues issuing high medical bills yet providing poor patient care ( Gawande, 2011). Brenner found that the patients whose medical cost was highest at most times received the worst treatment care.
Question 2
His first idea was to help all those patients who frequently visited the hospital yet received inadequate health care. He also wanted a model that would account for the crime patterns in Camden. Therefore, he joined a commission to reform the Camden police department and created a database of emergency department visit as well as analyzed patient’s addresses ( Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2014). He also wanted to improve the hospital management by using insurance claims to map health care. He felt that by helping them, he would lower the cost statistics of the hospital and would reduce hospital visits.
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Question 3
He modified his original idea because he found only 1% of the patients accounted for 30% of the hospital's costs. He also found that majority of patients were visiting the emergency department due to minor illnesses like colds, viral infections, and sore throats.
Question 4.
Describe the problem he ultimately attacked and the innovative approach he used to make a change
Brenner handled the case of Frank Hendricks in a professional manner. Hendricks suffered from severe chronic illness and had spent most of his years in and out of the hospital. Brenner intervened and figured out on what he could do to assist him. He followed Hendricks carefully with the help of a nurse and together they helped him to stay healthy as well as find sources of stability and value in his life ( Gawande, 2011).
5. Was his project successful?
It is evident that his project was a success because though his purpose was to improve care; his model has continued to reduce costs focusing on the hot spots of medicine, emergency room visits have reduced, and the federal and state government has witnessed reduced Medicare and Medicaid spending. Furthermore, Brenner has received full recognition due to the use of hospital records (Goodman, 2011).
6. Could an approach like his make a difference in health care generally?
Brenner’s approach could be used to guide targeted intervention and better follow-up to patients. Furthermore, the approach would improve care quality and reduce costs. Through hot spotting, Northwest Florida could have efficient solutions to their healthcare problems.
7. Did Dr. Brenner use the IMAGINE model of planning for change?
Dr. Brenner used IMAGINE model to initiate and implement change in Camden.The acronym IMAGINE represents Idea, muster support, Assets identification, Goals, Implement plan, neutralize opposition and Evaluate progress ( Burnham, Drawdy & Pierson, 2005) . First, he had ideas on how to change the health care system. Brenner sought information and support from nurse practitioners and social workers who helped him achieve his set goals. He was able to implement his plans as well as evaluate the progress at Camden.
Camden hospital lacked proper database for patient’s records, and Brenner had to take a lot of his time figuring out how to sort the mixed patient’s information. The hospital did not have policies to help guide its activities, and Brenner was the one who tried to push for the policies. The hospital did not have proper health care policies, and patients were not treated efficiently ( Gawande, 2011) .Brenner worked hard to achieve his objectives of improving the health care system in Camden, as well as change the lifestyle of the community.
References
Gawande, A. (2011). Finding Medicine’s Hot Spots . The New Yorker . Retrieved on 20 March 2017, from http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/01/24/the-hot-spotters.
Goodman, J. (2011, March 9). Hot spots . National Center for policy Analysis . Retrieved on 20 March 2017, from http://healthblog.ncpa.org/hot-spots/#sthash.9DgPGIVQ.dpbs.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2014). A Revolutionary Approach to Improving Health Care Delivery . RWJF . Retrieved on 20 March 2017, from http://www.rwjf.org/en/library/articles-and-news/2014/02/improving-management-of-health-care-superutilizers.html.
Burnham, J. P., Drawdy, L. & Pierson, E. (2005). Helping rural communities identify resources for the terminally Ill. Michigan : Grand Rapids.
