It is a topic now at the forefront in health care. It is a topic on the minds not just of the providers and payers but also the consumer. Systems of coverage and payment are rapidly changing and everyone is directly affected by these changes. The articles in this posting examine many factors of this complex issue. In the first article, Sochalski and Patrician examine spending patterns in the United States tracing trends of the past half century.
Figures show health care spending relative to the nation's overall spending pattern.
Quite informatively, the authors relate health care spending trends and nursing service and suggest opportunities for nursing to identify its cost and value. Harris then advances the notion that if advanced practice nurses are to successfully compete in the market place with an over supply of physicians, competitive pricing will be a necessary factor. That cost effectiveness and quality are not incompatible is a conclusion that definitely needs to be examined. Her premise is that the product, not the provider, should constitute the base for establishing the unit price. Stimulating, provocative and thoughtful input should occur by you, the reader, as you examine the various issues, arguments, and viewpoints here provided.