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Essay on Health Policy Issue Analysis
The public health policy has come to the national attention in the United States of America as the administration continues in its attempts to reform healthcare as well as social welfare. On the one hand the administration appears unhappy with the budget deficits, but on the other hand something has to be done to provide adequate healthcare to the American citizen who has seen hard times coupled with cuts in welfare and health related spending. Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has been touted as an effective series of mechanisms not only for improving health care quality, but also for reducing medical errors precipitated in part by clinical practice variation. Evidence – based medicine attempts to address the persistent problem of clinical practice variation with the help of tools such as standardized practice guidelines.
Hence, a study of evidence – based medicine can provide inputs into the costs associated with procedures and the quality of health care being provided as a result of these standardized treatments for medical problems. With such an input, it may be better possible to reasonably quantify the spending that must be incurred in order to provide adequate health care and hence evidence – based medicine can have beneficial inputs into the development of a national health policy for the nation.
Although critics have mentioned that evidence – based medicine may result in “cookbook” medicine, at least some level of standardization and estimation may be possible as a result of the evidence – based approach. Doctors too do not appreciate being told what standard treatments they should prescribe and prefer to be the clinical decision makers, however, evidence - based medicine has the capability to improve clinical practice. Healthcare insurers can also benefit from the inputs of evidence – based medicine (Stefan, 2005).The problem that can be faced by policy makers in a scenario where progress in medicine is producing better......
