What is an example of a foreseeable trend in the future of health services delivery?

Rationale:

A. Private long-term care insurance: While private long-term care insurance can help cover the costs of nursing home care for individuals who have purchased policies, it is not the largest source of financing for nursing home care.

B. Medicaid: Medicaid is the largest source of financing for nursing home care in the United States. It provides coverage for low-income individuals who meet eligibility criteria, including coverage for long-term care services such as nursing home care.

C. Medicare: While Medicare provides limited coverage for skilled nursing facility care following a hospital stay, it is not the largest source of financing for nursing home care overall.

D. Private out-of-pocket payments: Private out-of-pocket payments, including payments made by individuals or their families, contribute to financing nursing home care but are typically not as significant as Medicaid.

Rationale:

A. Indicates higher performance and better clinical and health outcomes: Quality in patient care refers to the degree to which healthcare services improve patient outcomes, prevent harm, and achieve desired clinical results. It encompasses aspects such as effectiveness, safety, timeliness, efficiency, equity, and patient-centeredness.

B. Medical practice guidelines: While medical practice guidelines are important tools for guiding clinical decision-making, they are not synonymous with quality in patient care, which involves broader considerations of performance and outcomes.

C. Constitute a plan for managing a clinical problem based on evidence: This describes evidence- based practice, which is an important aspect of delivering high-quality care but does not encompass the entirety of quality in patient care.

D. Provide protocols to guide physicians' clinical decisions: Clinical protocols and guidelines can help standardize care and improve consistency, but they are not the sole determinant of quality in patient care, which encompasses broader dimensions of performance and outcomes.