can you tell me what direction to take with this?
My essay:
During the last century, the average life span of Americans nearly doubled, from 49 years in 1900 to nearly 80 years in 2000. Increased life expectancy and advances in U.S. healthcare means that Americans now live longer, but with increased chronic illness at the end of life. More than one-third of the population is uninsured, unstably insured, or underinsured. Forgoing preventive or timely care can exacerbate health problems and lead to preventable suffering or even death—and much more expensive treatment down the road. The prolonged and escalating cost of treating illness at the end of life raises an issue that few Americans have been willing to confront: The value of giving expensive new treatments to people whose life expectancy is drastically limited, even with the treatment. Prolonging life in these situations presents a moral and ethical dilemma for the medical profession and the family of the afflicted individual. How is this addressed, and by whom? Gaps in coverage and high out-of-pocket costs hinder patients' access to care. Americans are much more likely than residents of other nations to forgo doctors' visits, fail to fill prescriptions, or skip recommended follow-up care due to cost. Inefficiencies, such as duplication and use of unnecessary services, are costly and compromise the quality of care. There are also significant lapses in safety, with as many as 98,000 Americans dying from medical errors each year.
Innovative ways to improve health care system performance are being explored which include:
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In order to provide direction for your essay, let's start by identifying the main themes and key points in your essay:
1. Increase in life expectancy and the presence of chronic illnesses at the end of life.
2. Issues with healthcare access, including insurance coverage and high costs.
3. Moral and ethical dilemmas surrounding end-of-life treatments.
4. Inefficiencies and lapses in safety within the healthcare system.
5. Exploration of innovative ways to improve healthcare system performance.
Now, with this information in mind, you can consider different directions to take with your essay:
1. Analyze the impact of increased life expectancy and chronic illnesses: You can delve deeper into the reasons behind the increase in life expectancy, the implications of living longer with chronic illnesses, and the challenges it poses for individuals, families, and the healthcare system.
2. Discuss the issues with healthcare access and coverage: Explore the reasons why a significant portion of the population remains uninsured, unstably insured, or underinsured. Analyze the consequences of forgoing preventive or timely care, the financial burden on individuals, and the overall impact on the healthcare system.
3. Examine the moral and ethical dilemmas surrounding end-of-life treatment: Discuss the complexities of providing expensive new treatments to individuals with limited life expectancy. Analyze the roles of the medical profession and the family in making decisions, and consider the ethical considerations and conflicting perspectives that arise in these situations.
4. Analyze inefficiencies and lapses in safety within the healthcare system: Explore the negative consequences of inefficiencies, such as cost, compromised care quality, and even medical errors leading to preventable deaths. Discuss potential solutions or improvements that can address these issues.
5. Explore innovative solutions to improve healthcare system performance: Analyze the various innovative approaches being explored to enhance the performance of the healthcare system. This can include topics like telemedicine, electronic health records, preventive care programs, and initiatives aimed at improving patient safety.
Consider choosing one or a combination of these directions based on your interest and the focus you want to give to your essay. Remember to support your ideas with evidence, data, and examples to make your points more compelling and persuasive.