Final answer:
Healthcare downsizing involves a shift towards efficiency through hospital mergers, telemedicine, and implementation of HMOs to reduce costs and improve care quality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Downsizing in healthcare, moving away from inpatient treatment, refers to efficiency and standardization efforts such as hospital mergers, telemedicine, and new types of healthcare professionals. Instead of a fee-for-service model, where providers receive payment per service rendered, there's a shift towards health maintenance organizations (HMOs), where they're paid based on patient numbers and must allocate resources efficiently. This transition aims to address the skyrocketing costs of healthcare, unequal access to medical care, and the challenge of delivering high-quality care.