Medical Practice Strategies:  Systems Based Practice — Business Laws Ethics

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The course consisting of 10 classes utilizes a Framework for Analysis Perspectives approach. This course will help physicians and other healthcare professionals focus on the broader context of patient care within the complexities of a healthcare system. The scope will include: business, economic, legal, ethical and public policies within a systems-based practice. 

Physicians and other providers will be required (through Systems-based practice) to demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of healthcare, including the social determinants of health, along with the ability to call effectively on other resources to provide optimal care. Awareness and effective use of resources along with teamwork skills as members and leaders of interdisciplinary teams is encouraged.

Students will explore the social and economic impact of their decisions on patients and society. They will be reminded to always maintain the primacy of the individual patient needs, yet be sensitive to the overall cost of medical care.

Systems-based practice requires providers to demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of healthcare. This includes the ability to call effectively on other resources in the system to provide optimal care. Providers are expected to:

  • Work effectively in various health care delivery settings and systems relevant to their clinical specialty;
  • Coordinate patient care across the healthcare continuum and beyond as relevant to their clinical specialty;
  • Advocate for quality patient care and optimal patient care systems;
  • Work in inter-professional teams to enhance patient safety and improve patient care quality;
  • Participate in identifying system errors and implement potential system solutions;
  • Incorporate considerations of value, cost, awareness, delivery and payment, and risk-benefit analysis in patient and/or population-based care as appropriate; and
  • Understand health care finances and its impact on individual patients’ health decisions.

How To – Class Guide:

This Systems Based Practice – Business Laws Ethics Class/ Medical Practice Strategies course is divided into ten different modules (“Classes”).

To begin study for this course (after registration), click the button labeled Classes in the menu above on the upper left hand side of this page. After you click, a list of each class will appear.  Click on the class that you want to open.

Each class is based on Key Objectives and Review questions.  For each class the student should begin by reading these Key Objectives and Review questions. After that, the student proceeds by reading the various topic portions within each class.  These topic portions can be accessed through the hyperlinks in the class Objectives page for each class (i.e. Class 1, Class 2, etc.).

Once each of the topics have been read, students are directed to required articles for that class (“Required Readings”), followed by suggested articles for that class (“Suggested Readings”) that interests the student. Required and Suggested Readings are part of this website and can be accessed in the “Resources” page for each class.

At the end of each class, the student should confirm that the objectives have been met and the questions answered.  Once you have completed study each class, click the “classes” button to go to the menu where you can select the next class in this course, or you can proceed to the associated CME test for that class.

To return to the “Home” page, click on the menu button labeled “Home” and located on the upper left hand side of any page.

After you click on the class that you want, that class will appear with a brief description of the class (Class Description) followed by an outline of the contents of the class.  You can either click on the hyperlinks at the top of the Class Description page or the hyperlink in the outline section to get to the contents you may want.

Each class has a hyperlink at the beginning of the Objectives class for “Vocabulary”. Vocabulary provides relevant terms which are a list of definitions of words used for that Class applicable to the managed care industry.  Required Readings consist of articles required to be read for the Class.  Suggested Readings consist of articles recommended to be read for the Class.

At the bottom of each Objectives – Class Description page are listed the three Key Objectives for that class followed by three Review questions, as specified above.  Again, read these before you take the Class so that you know what is expected of you.  Also, after you have read through the Class, answer the Review questions and confirm to your own satisfaction that the objectives for this class have been met.

For Current Events regarding each class:    Each class has a “Current events” section that can be accessed by clicking on the “Current events” link at the top of the Objectives – Class Description page.

For CME Tests – There are a few different ways to access the CME test questions:  (1) click on the menu button on the upper left hand side of any page and scroll down to “CME Tests”; or (2) go to the Objectives – Class Description page and click on the hyperlink “CME Tests” at the top of the page under the Class Objectives.

Upon completion of the course, please take a moment to complete the Course Evaluation. Thank you.