Health
Care Providers
Patients have traditionally been seen by physicians in office or
hospital environments.
Today physicians also see patients in a variety of settings including
the following:
- Surgicenters provide a site for outpatient surgery where
general anesthesia
must be used, but a patient does not need to stay overnight.
- Urgent
care centers see patients often without an appointment during the
daytime, as well as evening and weekend hours.
- Skilled nursing facilities
provide medical care for patients who no longer require hospitalization
but cannot yet care for themselves at home.
- Home health care is also provided by nurses and others
for patients ready to be at home but who cannot yet fully provide
for all of their own needs.
The traditional broad health coverage provided by insurance plans
provides
little incentive for efficient, cost-effective health care delivery.
Managed care
imposes controls on the use of health care services, the providers
of health
care services, and the amount charged for these services, usually
through
health maintenance organizations (HMOs) or preferred provider organizations
(PPOs).
