INTRODUCTION TO HEALTHCARE

• Show the video “Healthcare–Where Are We Headed?” from Novartis.
• Discuss the future of health care with an emphasis on the need for leaders and many types of medical professionals.

Have the speaker address these topics:

• Typical health care services
• Clinical and nonclinical health care roles
• Overview of profession of health care administration and leadership
• Educational requirements, including recommendations for high school and college preparation
• A typical day for the role the speaker has at the health care facility; as applicable, discuss challenges of regulatory bodies, financing, government, The Joint Commission, and ensuring quality of care
• Break up into small group and have participants brainstorm all the various roles it takes to manage a health care organization.

• Show and discuss the video “Quality Improvement in Healthcare” from DocMikeEvans.

• Show and discuss the video “Your Rights Under HIPAA” from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Be sure to address why privacy is critical, including legal, ethical, and moral concerns.

• Provide a safety briefing about protection of self and others (hand washing, personal protective equipment, signage, what to do in an emergency, etc.) and how to behave on a tour of the hospital or health care facility (do’s and don’ts)
• Show “Healthcare Worker Hand Hygiene Educational Training Video” from McGuckin Methods International or “Infection Control: Break the Chain” from University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.

Conduct a group scavenger hunt during the tour of the facility. Remain in public areas at all times. Tell participants before the tour of the health care facility to observe the hospital environment, safety features, and different types of hospital employees. Encourage the students to look for hand washing stations, fire extinguishers, etc. Allow participants to take notes during the tour if needed.

After the tour, lead a discussion with participants about things they saw, which may include:

• Hand washing stations
• Emergency exits
• Fire extinguishers
• Name badges of employees
• Different types of uniforms indicating different roles
• Computer stations
• Personal patient information
• Cleanliness of hallways
• Signs

Say to participants: In the 20th and 21st centuries, medicine has made great strides in improving health care including (consider having the participants try to guess or brainstorm some of these before telling them):

• Antibiotics for bacterial diseases
• Improved life expectancy
• Organ transplants
• Healthier hearts (reduced smoking, better diets)
• Dentistry without pain
• Noninvasive diagnosis with computers (CAT scan, MRI)
• End of smallpox
• Childhood immunizations

Ask: How would your life be different if we did not have these advancements in medicine?

Lead a discussion about different types of facilities and agencies that provide medical care. These include:

• General hospitals do not specialize in any one type of medical treatment; they provide a wide range of diagnostic, medical, surgical, and emergency care services.

• Specialty hospitals provide inpatient continuity of care for clients with persistent, recurring diseases or complex medical conditions that require long-term stays (often over a month) in an acute care environment.

• Convalescent care facilities (e.g., nursing home, long-term care home) generally engage in geriatric care—care for elderly people needing nursing services and assistance with personal care and daily living activities.

• Extended care facilities are designed to care for those who need assistance with activities of daily living or with medical needs.

• For older individuals with an active lifestyle, independent living offers the opportunity to remain independent in a home of their own that’s typically located on a campus with health care professionals on staff and facilities and activities designed specifically for older individuals.

• Assisted living bridges the gap between independent living and extended care or nursing homes.

• Ambulatory care clinics offer medical care—including diagnosis, observation, treatment, and rehabilitation—that does not require an overnight admission to a hospital or other health care facility.

• Physician and dental facilities provide care that promotes wellness and diagnosis of illness.

• Rehabilitation centers provide outpatient care for clients who require physical or occupational therapy, recreational therapy, hydrotherapy, and other therapies (such as speech or hearing therapy) for loss of function in mobility or the activities of daily living.

• Senior day care provides for elderly people who are able to live at home with their families but need care when the family is away.

• Hospices provide end-of-life care to those patients expected to live six months or less.