Question

Which primary factor was the trigger that made hospitals limit care to the more acute periods of illness rather than the full course of the disease?

a) Advances in medical technology
b) Cost considerations
c) Increased patient demand
d) Government regulations

Answer 1

The trigger for hospitals to limit care mainly to acute periods of illness was cost considerations. Rising healthcare demand and costs, along with healthcare reforms like the Affordable Care Act, which caps administrative spending and requires electronic medical records, have influenced this shift.

Step-by-step explanation:

The primary factor that triggered hospitals to limit care to the more acute periods of illness rather than the full course of the disease was cost considerations. In the context of health care, high costs have been a persistent challenge in the United States, with increased demand stemming from an aging and less healthy population contributing to this issue. Efforts to control these rising costs have led to measures such as the consolidation of health care providers, the introduction of standardization methods like telemedicine, and the implementation of health care reforms such as the Affordable Care Act. Notably, the introduction of the ACA aimed to control healthcare costs by instituting caps on administrative spending and mandates for providers to switch to electronic medical records (EMRs) to reduce administrative costs.