WGU D391 OA Revision
Worksheet Feb 15, 2025
Prof. Wren
D391 Course of Study Worksheet
Section 1:
Lesson 1: Healthcare Ecosystem Overview
1. Identify the components of the healthcare ecosystem and their
relationships to the needs of patients.
The components of the healthcare ecosystem include providers,
producers, funders, regulators, and patients. Providers and
producers support client health, funders provide financial support,
regulators ensure compliance and quality, and patients receive
care.
2. Identify types of providers and producers in the healthcare
ecosystem who support client health and well-being. Providers are
medical professionals like Drs, nurses, therapists, etc. And
institutions that offer healthcare services like hospitals and clinics.
Producers are entities that develop pharmaceuticals, medical
devices, and other healthcare-related products.
3. Identify core funders and regulators of U.S. healthcare, including
the federal government and 3rd party payors. Funders are
organizations and individuals that finance healthcare services,
including government bodies and insurance companies such as
Medicaid and Medicare and employee sponsored insurance.
Regulators are government agencies and bodies that ensure
compliance with healthcare standards to ensure quality and safety,
for example the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
,4. Describe the healthcare ecosystem. The healthcare ecosystem is
everything involved in patient care. Providers, producers,
professional administrators, policyholders, payers.
5. Who are the stakeholders that participate in the ecosystem?
Everyone involved in the patients care includes patients, providers
such as doctors and nurses, producers like hospitals and clinics as
well as government agencies, insurance companies.
6. An example of an advanced practice professional is a physician’s
assistant.
7. Identify the five P’s of the US healthcare ecosystem. Patients,
providers, professional administrators, policymakers, and payers
8. How do the elements of the healthcare ecosystem work together?
Providers and producers support client health (doctors, nurses,
hospitals, clinics), funders provide financial support (government
bodies, insurance, etc.), regulators ensure compliance and quality
(FDA,HHS, etc.) and patients receive care.
9. What is the primary goal of the healthcare ecosystem?
The primary goal of the healthcare ecosystem is to raise the
standard of healthcare offered to members of society.
10. Low service quality and wasted resources cause harm to
patients/clients.
11. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services manages
Americans’ health issues and concerns and leads programs to
advance medical research and public health.
12. List the key components of quality improvement in healthcare.
A key component of quality improvement in healthcare is
monitoring, evaluating, and raising standards for high-quality
treatment.
13. What roles do Health and Human services workers have within
the US healthcare ecosystem?
Health and human services include a wide range of professions
that support people. All of these different vocations have in
common that they all aim to help those in need, whether because
of a crisis or a chronic illness. Roles include care coordinator,
social worker, patient care advocate, healthcare administrator, etc.
14. What is a healthcare system?
, The healthcare system is an organization of individuals,
institutions, and resources that deliver services to clients
Lesson 3: Healthcare Providers
1. What roles do health providers play in the healthcare
ecosystem.
Health providers deliver direct patient care
2. A healthcare provider may include.
doctors, nurses, or therapists.
3. What are institutional providers?
Facilities that provide coordinated care such as hospitals and
clinics.
4. Why are institutional providers necessary in the healthcare
ecosystem?
They ensure the delivery of quality healthcare services to the
population with specialized care and accessibility. They also
contribute to the advancement of medical science and the
training of future healthcare professionals.
5. What is a healthcare delivery system?
A facility or organization that provides healthcare. (hospitals,
medical offices, labs)
6. What are the 3 main components of a healthcare delivery
system?
Consumer: patient needing care, Staff: to administer services,
and Payment: for services provided.
7. Describe acute care. Give an example.
A level of healthcare where a patient is treated for a brief but
serious illness, for conditions that are caused by a disease or
trauma, or recovery from a surgery. A hospital.
8. Describe ambulatory care. Give an example.
Ambulatory care or outpatient care is not at a hospital. Examples
include medical offices, like dentists, family care doctor and eye
doctor.
9. Describe behavioral health care. Give an example.
Behavioral healthcare is a branch of healthcare that focuses on
the connection between behaviors and the health and well-being
of the body, mind, and spirit. This includes services for mental
Worksheet Feb 15, 2025
Prof. Wren
D391 Course of Study Worksheet
Section 1:
Lesson 1: Healthcare Ecosystem Overview
1. Identify the components of the healthcare ecosystem and their
relationships to the needs of patients.
The components of the healthcare ecosystem include providers,
producers, funders, regulators, and patients. Providers and
producers support client health, funders provide financial support,
regulators ensure compliance and quality, and patients receive
care.
2. Identify types of providers and producers in the healthcare
ecosystem who support client health and well-being. Providers are
medical professionals like Drs, nurses, therapists, etc. And
institutions that offer healthcare services like hospitals and clinics.
Producers are entities that develop pharmaceuticals, medical
devices, and other healthcare-related products.
3. Identify core funders and regulators of U.S. healthcare, including
the federal government and 3rd party payors. Funders are
organizations and individuals that finance healthcare services,
including government bodies and insurance companies such as
Medicaid and Medicare and employee sponsored insurance.
Regulators are government agencies and bodies that ensure
compliance with healthcare standards to ensure quality and safety,
for example the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
,4. Describe the healthcare ecosystem. The healthcare ecosystem is
everything involved in patient care. Providers, producers,
professional administrators, policyholders, payers.
5. Who are the stakeholders that participate in the ecosystem?
Everyone involved in the patients care includes patients, providers
such as doctors and nurses, producers like hospitals and clinics as
well as government agencies, insurance companies.
6. An example of an advanced practice professional is a physician’s
assistant.
7. Identify the five P’s of the US healthcare ecosystem. Patients,
providers, professional administrators, policymakers, and payers
8. How do the elements of the healthcare ecosystem work together?
Providers and producers support client health (doctors, nurses,
hospitals, clinics), funders provide financial support (government
bodies, insurance, etc.), regulators ensure compliance and quality
(FDA,HHS, etc.) and patients receive care.
9. What is the primary goal of the healthcare ecosystem?
The primary goal of the healthcare ecosystem is to raise the
standard of healthcare offered to members of society.
10. Low service quality and wasted resources cause harm to
patients/clients.
11. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services manages
Americans’ health issues and concerns and leads programs to
advance medical research and public health.
12. List the key components of quality improvement in healthcare.
A key component of quality improvement in healthcare is
monitoring, evaluating, and raising standards for high-quality
treatment.
13. What roles do Health and Human services workers have within
the US healthcare ecosystem?
Health and human services include a wide range of professions
that support people. All of these different vocations have in
common that they all aim to help those in need, whether because
of a crisis or a chronic illness. Roles include care coordinator,
social worker, patient care advocate, healthcare administrator, etc.
14. What is a healthcare system?
, The healthcare system is an organization of individuals,
institutions, and resources that deliver services to clients
Lesson 3: Healthcare Providers
1. What roles do health providers play in the healthcare
ecosystem.
Health providers deliver direct patient care
2. A healthcare provider may include.
doctors, nurses, or therapists.
3. What are institutional providers?
Facilities that provide coordinated care such as hospitals and
clinics.
4. Why are institutional providers necessary in the healthcare
ecosystem?
They ensure the delivery of quality healthcare services to the
population with specialized care and accessibility. They also
contribute to the advancement of medical science and the
training of future healthcare professionals.
5. What is a healthcare delivery system?
A facility or organization that provides healthcare. (hospitals,
medical offices, labs)
6. What are the 3 main components of a healthcare delivery
system?
Consumer: patient needing care, Staff: to administer services,
and Payment: for services provided.
7. Describe acute care. Give an example.
A level of healthcare where a patient is treated for a brief but
serious illness, for conditions that are caused by a disease or
trauma, or recovery from a surgery. A hospital.
8. Describe ambulatory care. Give an example.
Ambulatory care or outpatient care is not at a hospital. Examples
include medical offices, like dentists, family care doctor and eye
doctor.
9. Describe behavioral health care. Give an example.
Behavioral healthcare is a branch of healthcare that focuses on
the connection between behaviors and the health and well-being
of the body, mind, and spirit. This includes services for mental
