Final answer:
The common element among different types of nursing care team structures is accountability by a nurse for a patient's care. Fee-for-service systems and HMOs determine how healthcare providers are reimbursed. Rising nurse salaries can lead to a complex mix of employer responses, from hiring fewer nurses to investing in alternative solutions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The common element in different kinds of nursing care team structures is a nurse accountable for the patient's nursing care. This accountability is crucial as it ensures that there is a designated professional responsible for overseeing and coordinating the patient's nursing needs. It is the nurse who typically performs this role, not the doctor, who has more authority in medical settings but does not usually perform nursing tasks.
In terms of healthcare economics, the fee-for-service model and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) offer different approaches to reimbursement and resource allocation in healthcare. In a fee-for-service system, providers are reimbursed based on the services they provide, whereas in an HMO, the reimbursement is based on patient headcount and the allocation of resources amongst them is managed by the providers. Moreover, adverse selection is a concern in insurance markets, where asymmetry of information between insurance buyers and the insurance company can lead to high-risk individuals being more attracted to the insurance offerings.
Employer responses to the rising price of nursing labor can be both simple and complex, involving either a reduction in the number of nurses hired or an investment in physical equipment and the use of lower-paid health care aides to offset the higher nursing salaries.