Answer the questions in Bold Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Answer the questions in Bold - Essay Example However, the deterrence of illness and injury, no matter how advanced, is unlikely to result in the total elimination of the need for further care. Where prevention is unsuccessful or not possible, the second step in the continuum is primary care. This is perhaps the most utilized part of the system, perhaps even overused, as people seek counsel at local doctors offices, and through other first-contact medical providers in their community. A large number of interactions at this level result in the satiation of the patients immediate healthcare concerns, eliminating the need to seek further types of care. When further treatment is required, secondary care services act as the next level in the continuum of care. Acute hospital services like emergency room visits, as well as appointments with specialists (that often require referrals from a primary provider) such as psychiatrists, and cardiologists. Tertiary care takes place when specialists and/or special hospitals (burn centers for example) are involved with inpatient care. Intensive rehabilitation services, and long-term inpatient care represent the next two continuum levels, respectively. The final stage in the continuum of care is comprised of end-of-life services such as hospices and palliative care treatments. As would be expected, comfort of the patient is the primary focus at the end of the healthcare continuum. Like any service, the success of delivering healthcare with consistently high quality across the continuum does not come without challenges. One of the most impactful determinants of care effectiveness is the geographic location of the population under study. As is the case with most industries, central hubs of operations tend to be placed in most populated areas (now commonly in the form of cities). While this approach is reasonable from a statistical perspective, the fact remains that this trend threatens rural populations with the unavailability