Continuum Of Nursing Care

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The current practice of nursing is expected to evolve as the ways in which patient care is delivered continues to develop. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) has inspired new models of care that improve accessibility, continuity of care, cost efficiencies, and the accountability of health care systems. Concepts, such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), Primary Care Medical Homes (PCMH), and Nurse-Managed Health Clinics (NHMC) are necessary to support the initiatives of health care reform, which includes developing methods of advancing approaches in the continuum of care to improve patient outcomes. Considering recent initiatives, it is crucial that the role of registered nurses evolves to meet the changing demands …show more content…

These organizations are aligned with a collective network of providers, hospitals, and various other specialties who are responsible, as a group, for management of patient care and outcomes (O’Hara, 2014). The IT infrastructure of an ACO allows for the exchange of patient information between providers, thereby improving transparency. Subsequently, this fosters the continuum of care across providers by promoting appropriate prevention and treatment measures, while decreasing redundancies in care. Therefore, this concept not only serves to promote continuity of care and patient outcomes, it also serves to promote cost savings. ACOs have a unique opportunity to share in the savings that are realized by their organization through Medicare’s Shared Savings Program. After a pre-determined term, Medicare assesses the actual cost savings and distributes a percentage back to the organization as a reward for delivering responsible, efficient, quality …show more content…

In this model, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, specifically nurse practitioners, are a fundamental resource for providing primary care. Grants provide the funding that enables both PCMH and NMHC models to improve access to underserved populations, allowing each to focus their efforts on prevention, coordination, the management of chronic disease and information (ANA, 2010). NMHCs also serve as critical access points to reducing hospital admissions and preventable visits to the emergency room, which equate to millions of dollars in savings each year (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN],

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