Health Care Systems

Analyzing Systems in Health Care

Directions: Analyze the following scenario by identifying the components of the system theory. (Refer to
your notes)

Health Care Scenario

During the past few weeks, Julia noticed that her vision is fuzzy. It has been almost a year since she
visited the eye doctor, so she decides to call for an appointment with Dr. Watson. After a routine check-
up, Dr. Watson determines that the prescription of her glasses needs to be increased. With the new
prescription in hand, she selects a new pair of glasses. Julia pays the receptionist, and the receptionist
informs her that the glasses will be ready in a few days.
Two days later, Julia returns to the eye doctor's office to pick up her new glasses. Her vision seems a little
blurred, but she assumes that her eyes need time to adjust to the new lenses. After a week, Julia is still not
pleased with the glasses. In fact, she gets a headache whenever she wears them.
Julia calls Dr. Watson to make a follow-up appointment. He agrees to meet with her right away. After an
examination, Dr. Watson prepares a new prescription. He instructs the receptionist to order new lenses for
her glasses. He also tells Julia that the new lenses and the follow-up appointment will be free of charge.
Julia is pleased with the service. She verbally thanks Dr. Watson, and she even recommends the doctor to
several of her friends.
The Components
To determine if the system at Dr. Watson's office is working, first identify the components of the system
theory.
• Input : _____________________________________________________________________
• Throughput :_________________________________________________________________
• Output : _____________________________________________________________________
• Feedback Loop : ______________________________________________________________
• Controls : ____________________________________________________________________
• Environment : ________________________________________________________________

Goals and Mission

The next step to evaluating Dr. Watson's office is to determine the goals and the mission. The mission
of the office is "To provide excellent eye care to the community." Several goals must also be written
to support the mission. The goals at Dr. Watson's office are:
• To maintain accurate and thorough records.
• To use advanced technology and equipment.
• To provide friendly and timely service at a fair price.

On the next page evaluate the system of Dr. Watson’s office. Remember that you are determining if
the mission was fulfilled. (see the example below for Half Pipe Park’s evaluation)
Health Care Systems
Analyzing Systems in Health Care

Evaluation Example
Consider the mission of Half-Pipe Park: "To provide a safe and enjoyable environment for
snowboarders, both experienced and novice, to polish their skills." If Stephen had used the faulty
equipment, his snowboarding experience would not have been safe or enjoyable. Therefore,
Half-Pipe Park's mission would not be fulfilled.
But suppose that Betty decides to use an equipment safety checklist. The mission at Half-Pipe
Park is more likely to be fulfilled when only safe equipment is used.

Instructions: Complete your evaluation of Dr. Watson’s office in the scenario on the first page

Evaluate:
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