5 Pathways

Health Care Pathways
Health care is divided into 5 main pathways these help to organize a wide range of roles in the healthcare industry.

 

• Therapeutic Services

• Diagnostic Services

• Health Informatics

• Support Services

• Biotechnology Research and Development

Therapeutic Services

• Therapeutic Services careers are all about making a real impact on people's lives. These professionals work directly with patients, helping them recover, improve, and maintain their health over time. 

Examples: Nurses, Physical Therapists, Psychologists, and Physicians.

Open Ended

A patient urgently needs a life-saving surgery, but their religious beliefs prohibit the procedure.

As a physician, should you ever challenge or attempt to persuade the patient to reconsider, even if it goes against the patient’s autonomy? Why or why not?

Poll

A psychologist suspects that a patient’s untreated mental health condition could lead to them harming themselves or others. Should they break confidentiality and report the risk?

• Yes, protecting lives is more important than confidentiality.

• No, trust and confidentiality are essential in therapy.

• Only if the risk is immediate and severe.

• Psychologists are required by law to keep patient information confidential, but they must break confidentiality if there’s an imminent threat to the patient or others.

• This requirement aligns with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which protects patient privacy. HIPAA allows for exceptions to confidentiality when disclosure is necessary to prevent serious harm, balancing patient privacy with public safety.

Diagnostic Services

• Diagnostic services are the heart of modern medicine. They help identify illnesses, conditions, and the causes of symptoms. Common diagnostic services include imaging tests, laboratory tests, and procedures.

  Examples: Geneticist, Phlebotomist, Nuclear Medicine Technologist, and Medical Lab Technologist

Imaging Tests

• Imaging Tests (MRI): These are often the first step in detecting tumors and other abnormalities. MRI and CT scans provide detailed images of internal organs and tissues, helping to identify cancerous growths.

• Laboratory Tests (Blood, Biopsy): While these tests are crucial for confirming the presence of cancer and understanding its type, they usually come after imaging tests suggest a possible issue.

• Genetic Testing: This is more predictive, identifying individuals at risk of developing certain cancers based on their genetic makeup. It’s less about detecting existing cancer and more about assessing risk.

Poll

Which diagnostic service do you think is most reliable for detecting cancer in its early stages?

• Imaging Tests (MRI)

• Laboratory Tests (Blood, Biopsy)

• Genetic Testing

Multiple Choice

Genetic testing has been criticized for potentially leading to discrimination in insurance and employment.

• True

• False

Health Informatics

• Health informatics is all about managing patient data and health information systems. These professionals ensure that data is accurate, secure, and accessible for healthcare decisions. But with great power comes great responsibility...
  
  Examples: Medical coders, Health Information Technicians, Clinical Informatics Specialists

Multiple Choice

What happens when data security fails? Data breaches in health informatics can expose sensitive patient information, leading to identity theft, privacy violations, and trust issues in the healthcare system.

• Data breaches can lead to identity theft, privacy violations, and trust issues in healthcare.
• Data breaches only affect healthcare providers, not patients.
• Data breaches can improve patient trust in healthcare.
• Data breaches have no impact on patient information.

Open Ended

A company wants to buy anonymized patient data to develop new treatments. Should health informatics professionals allow it?

Support Services
The backbone of healthcare

Support services in healthcare provide a safe and efficient environment for patient care. These roles ensure that the healthcare facility runs smoothly, maintaining cleanliness, safety, and proper functioning of equipment.

Examples:

• Central Services Technicians: Responsible for sterilizing and managing medical equipment.

• Environmental Services: Maintain cleanliness and sanitation within the healthcare facility.

• Food Service Workers: Prepare and deliver nutritious meals to patients.

Open Ended

If you had to create the ultimate healthcare "dream team," who would you pick from the support services and direct care roles, and why? How would they work together to provide the best patient care?

(direct care: doctors, Nurses, EMTs, etc)

Biotechnology Research and Development

Imagine being on the frontlines of medical innovation! From creating life-saving treatments to designing futuristic medical devices, this field is where science meets the future. Think you could be the next great inventor?

Examples: Biomedical Engineers, Microbiologists, Research Scientists

Multiple Choice

What’s the primary goal of biotechnology research?

• To enhance traditional farming methods without technology.
• To develop technologies and products that improve health

• To study ancient biological processes.
• Replacing doctors with robots

Multiple Choice

Innovating healthcare is amazing—until we start messing with nature itself. Should we engineer humans to be smarter, stronger, or disease-free? Or are we crossing a line that we can’t uncross?

e.g. Genetic Engineers, Bioethicists

Question: What is a potential ethical concern in biotechnology?

• Making people immortal

• Improved quality of life through genetic modifications.
• Enhanced athletic performance without risks.
• Creating bioweapons

Poll

Innovating healthcare sounds great, but what happens when we start creating life? Is it right to manipulate DNA to "improve" humans?

• Yes, if it eliminates diseases.

• No, it’s playing with nature.

• Only under strict regulations.

• Let’s wait and see where it leads.

Open Ended

You’ve learned about the 5 healthcare pathways and where they can take you. Now, it’s time to think about how you can make an impact in your chosen field. Every career has its unique challenges. What’s the one big challenge you’re excited to tackle?

Prompt: Consider a real-world challenge or issue in your field. How would you approach solving it, and what innovative solutions might you bring to the table?

Options:

1: Tech Integration: How would you use technology to improve patient care or efficiency in your field?

2: Access and Equity: What strategies would you implement to ensure better access to healthcare for underserved populations?

3: Ethical Dilemmas: How would you navigate ethical issues that arise in your professio

4: Future Trends: What emerging trends in healthcare are you excited about, and how do you plan to adapt?

Share your thoughts and strategies. Let’s discuss how you’ll tackle these challenges in your future career!