External Barriers In Health Care

Barriers to healthcare include factors that restrict or hinder people from receiving adequate and quality health care service. Health care disparities are those differences that negatively affects less advantaged group (Mehta, 2014). Health care barriers play a significant role in comprehending causes of disparities. This paper will discuss the obstacles and disparities that exist and affects healthcare.

In order to successfully and effectively implement change all of the employees should have a good understanding of how the changes will benefit the organization, their positions, and how it might impact their routines. To many employees the implementation of change is not always properly communicated, and the process of change on paper as it is being implemented can be threatening as well as confusing. Also, the people behind the scenes making the changes may not have taken specific details into consideration regarding effective changes that perhaps the employees

Once the plans are put in motion interventions are designed to gain the necessary compliance. The manager needs to provide information by doing so he can change an individual’s perception, attitudes and values this is a plus for the manager. Training the employees to the new way will give them information and skill practice it show them how to perform in a system not how to change it. When possible the manager should use groups to discuss issues that are perceived as important and make relevant, binding decisions based on these discussions. Individual and group implementation can be combined so whatever methods are used participants should feel their input is valued and should be rewarded for their efforts. In some cases people are not always persuaded before beneficial change is implemented, sometimes behavior changes first and attitudes are modified later to fit the behavior (Sullivan & Decker, 2009, p. 71).

According to Sullivan and Decker (2009), “Emphasis is placed on the assessment phase of change for two reasons. Without data collection and analysis, planned change will not proceed past the “wouldn’t it be a good idea if” stage” (Sullivan & Decker, 2009, "Chapter 5, Initiating and Implementing Change, The Change Process"). Change does not have to come from only a problem, it can also come from an opportunity. Once the problem or opportunity has been properly identified, internal and external data can be collected. Many factors will have to be examined, like who would benefit from the changes and the costs associated with the changes. Once all the data has been collected, it is imperative that it gets analyzed. A statistical analysis could prove even more beneficial especially if it is presented visually, with either graphs or charts. Once a direction has been established, the next part in the process can begin. In the planning stage, the who, when, and how of the change are determined and the target area is decided. Those in the target are should be actively involved with the planning stage. Doing so will hopefully lessen the chances of resistance later on. In the next stage, which is implementation, the plan is put into motion. There are two different methods for change; changing an individual and changing a group. Information giving is the most common method used in changing an individuals’ attitudes and values. According

Implementing change in an organization is complicated. It is important that a manager understands their role and responsibilities for which could very well be the success or failure of an organization. A manager should know how to handle staff resistance, and the areas that require change. There are processes that help management with assisting their staff members with adjusting to change and concentrate on the areas of importance. This process includes planning, assessment, implementation, and evaluation. The difference between a failed organization and a successful manager is when the manager has the ability to implement change with little disruption to

Overall the activity was harder than I expected because it took a long time to convince all the works to embrace the change. For me as a worker the key to motivation was incentive and for managers it seemed to be to accomplish the task within the time frame.

| One of the main learning points that I read was that communication needed to be thorough and maintained through the course of the changes to ensure that complacency didn’t set in or any regression in the implementation of the changes. Another is that consideration should be given to the concerns of the individuals that will be directly affected.  It is important to note these because these are sometimes the breaking points for an unsuccessful implementation. Especially considering the individuals affected, it so simple just a little extra time understanding how and what the change will affect will ease the process in the

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to summarize several change theories and assumptions about the nature of change. The author shows how successful change can be encouraged and facilitated for long-term success. The article compares the characteristics of Lewin’s Three-Step Change Theory, Lippitt’s Phases of Change Theory, Prochaska and DiClemente’s Change Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, and the Theory of Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior to one another. Leading industry experts will need to continually review and

Barriers in health care can lead to disparities in meeting health needs and receiving appropriate care, including preventive services and the prevention of unnecessary hospitalizations (HealthyPeople.gov, 2012). In their 2008 annual report, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality lists several disparities’ in health care. They report that racial and ethnic minorities in the United States

The second step in the change theory is the transition stage. Once people are unfrozen, the problem now shifts to how to keep them going. This is now the actual change process a stage that is characterized by confusion as people try to change from the old to new ways. This stage is further characterized by fear because people tend to be unsure and is the hardest step in the whole process (Schein, 1995). During transition, new behaviors are developed, values and attitudes. It is achieved through development techniques and change in existing organizational structures. People undergoing this stage need to be given ample time to adapt to new ways. Of uttermost importance during this stage is support. Support is offered in terms of coaching and training as well as acceptance that mistakes will be part of the transition process (Smith, 2001).

Health promotion has been defined as the process of enabling people to increase control over their health and to improve it. This process requires personal participation and supportive environments. For people with disabilities, however, personal participation is often limited by non-supportive environments. Lack of knowledge on how to modify programs to meet specific needs, poor attitudes, and unfriendly environments often creates insurmountable barriers to participation for many people with disabilities. While innovative medical technology has increased the life span of individuals with disabilities, little attention has focused on improving their health span. The reportedly high incidence of chronic secondary conditions seen in persons

As there are many different professions within the health industry, there are many contributions that it makes to the society and community. Through different occupations, such as psychologist, people within the community are able to target specific help for different requirements. This could be for diseases, physical and mental health (1).

The more active the participants are in the planning, the less resistance there will be later (Sullivan & Decker). If staff does not trust leadership, does not share the organization's vision, does not buy into the reason for change, and aren't included in the planning, there will be no successful change, regardless of how brilliant the strategy (Goman, 2000). How people react to change is important to understand. Change takes an emotional toll on people, some more than others. It is important not to underestimate that toll and understand who will have a harder time adapting to change. Fear of change has many roots. Those roots can be a lack of trust, fear of failure, fear of loss of income or a belief that the change is unnecessary (Sullivan & Decker). By understanding the reason for the resistance a manager can help the employee overcome his or her fear and become a supporter of the change. The last two steps are to provide feedback mechanisms to keep everyone informed of the progress of change and evaluate the effectiveness of change (Sullivan & Decker). People need to be kept informed of the change process to minimize anxiety. Sometimes there are unexpected consequences to the change, and it is important to have a system in place for those consequences to be discussed and if needed more changes made in order to accommodate those consequences.

Kurt Lewin developed a model of the change process that has stood the test of time and continues to influence the way organizations manage planned change. Lewin’s change model is a three-step process. The process begins with unfreezing, which is a critical first obstacle in the change process. Unfreezing involves encouraging individuals to shed old behaviors by changing the status quo. The second step in the change process is moving. In the moving stage, new attitudes, values, and behaviors are substituted for old ones. Organizations accomplish moving by initiating new options and explaining the rationale for the change, as well as by providing training to help employees develop the new skills they need. The last step in the change process is Refreezing. In this step, new attitudes, values, and behaviors are established as the new normal. The new ways of operating are concrete and reinforced. Managers should ensure

2. What barriers (either with access to care or how these might contribute to patient health issues) might you encounter in your specific community and why is this a barrier. You must specifically discuss topography, climate, transportation, employment, and pollution. You may also discuss other barriers that you are aware of.