This question is for a healthcare management class answer to

This question is for a healthcare management class, answer to be in paragraph format: Discuss the implications of underuse, overuse, and misuse for both quality and cost.

Solution

Ans;

There are numerous implications of underuse , overuse and misuse of healthcare services with regard to both cost and services. We can discuss each situation one by one to undestand the problem.

Underuse of healthcare happens when the population do not use the healthcare suggested for fatal diseases or Doctors do not use due diligence in prescribing medicines as per symptoms.

For example , ovarian cancer and breast cancer are two prevalent types of cancer for women and regular check-ups are required for early detection which is the only cure. Still there is huge apathy among women to undergo the test as preventive measure. Similarly vaccinantion doses for Hepatitis or Pneumonia for children can save the children from those dreadly diseses , but due lack of awarness of parents, many children are not given that in time.

Similarly Doctors also sometimes fail to detect symptoms of Cardiac arrest to give timely medication to save lives.

These are examples of underuse of healthcare which results in poor performance of health care facilities which are maintained at a huge cost and also cannot save valuable lives which are avoidable. The total cost cost and the effect of qulaity of life expectancy is huge.

Similarly , overuse of healthare servcie where not required may cuase big impact on cost and qulaity of healthcare services. Unnecessary prescription of antibiotics cause incresed resistance of germs in body and other complications, excess use of painkillers cause liver damage. Unwanted suggestion to use MRI or X ray or Scan cause no benefit to patient when the detection can be based on other symptoms. In this way extra expenditure does not always result in better outcome for healthcare and in the opposite may cause various health problems apart from the increased cost of these treatment.

Misuse of healthcare happens when the treatment causes avaidable mistakes. This mostly happen due to the mistake during treatment like failing to recognize the high bllod sugar level while doing surgery or forgetting to recognize the allergic nature of the patient. This may result in messed up treatment , poor response to treatment and increased follow up. These results in poorer healtcare quality and increased cost for the patient.

In short all the examples of overuse , misuse and underuse of helalthcare results in poor outcome of treatment , huge cost escalations , increased follow up , relapse of problem and evenually healthcare service gets a bed name.