The Impact of DRGs on Health Care Workers and Their Clients

Translation of hospital systems into an equation of dollars and\npathology by basing reimbursement on diagnosis related groups (DRGs) forces a\nreversal of professional priorities that places cost containment first,\nraising dilemmas of cutting care and inadequate community resources for\nproviders and clients. The impact of cost containment systems on health care\nprofessionals, particularly on social workers and nurses, includes the\nbenefits of better documentation on hospital charts and greater awareness of\nthe use of equipment and supplies, as well as the drawbacks of reduced\nlong-term services for low income groups and increased stress on social\nworkers and nurses pressured to provide optimal care for patients in a shorter\namount of time. As patients requiring high tech medical interventions and\npatients needing seven-day-per-week nursing care are discharged, the need will\narise for nurses trained at a higher level than ever before to function in an\noutpatient setting. (KIE abstract)

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