The Future Direction of Healthcare

The future of healthcare is taking drastic changes over the last few years. With the many bills that are bringing about changes in the sector, it is tough to keep up with all of the changes. Some of these challenges include:

1. Pay for Performance

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The healthcare sector all over the world has recently been criticized as many practitioners prefer payments made on treatments rather than helping the affected people survive the illnesses. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has intervened, this remains a challenge that needs urgent addressing. Middle and low-class citizens who cannot afford payments for treatment are left on the side while those with adequate finances are given special care and procedures in both public and private hospitals.

The theories surrounding payment for treatments can be traced from long ago, but in the last few years, it has increased and is termed as the higher you pay for your services, the higher the quality of the health services you will receive. The efficiency of care, patient satisfaction, and management of chronic diseases all depend on the payments made including bonuses.

1. Maintaining a skilled workforce

The human asset is the ultimate foundation of a well-performing health care sector from all departments. This has been compromised, however, where underqualified individuals are employed in health care centers. They don’t have the required skills to handle patients or run other services provided in hospitals such as accounting and finance of medical records and case management. Underqualified doctors and nurses are also a challenge due to weak education systems that do not put as much effort as required when training them as needed for the educational curriculum.

1. Proposed Healthcare Reforms and Legislation

In an attempt to improve the health care system, there has been the introduction of many Acts and legislation that have affected the running and management of these health centers. Many of these bills are not concerned with how best to improve the quality of health services but instead focus more on ways of cost control. Although the costs will be significantly reduced, they do not offer any solutions for the many emerging killing diseases in society.

1. Public entities in controlling the demand aspects of health services.

There has been public sector involvement in health care for so long. Many industrialized countries have adopted health care systems that put in a high level of public sector involvement in the running of these sectors. This involvement has resulted in decreased quality of services rendered to the public. Every industry wants to control how healthcare is run at all times. Individuals who are not equally afflicted by the changes in the industry are ranked high in the health department. This has resulted in looting and misuse of funds that could have been used to benefit and improve health facilities.

1. Access to health care includes the uninsured and those at the poverty levels.

Accessibility and affordability have been a real challenge to the poor and the homeless. Despite the involvement of the government and other organizations to try and make these health services to all, it is still a big challenge to many who cannot afford to pay for their insurance cards. Despite the many gains in coverage issues in the health sector, access and affordability continue to persist.

The premiums and rates provided do not meet or cover the poor who struggle to meet their other needs. This has made it hard as many people living below the cost prefer meeting other basic needs and do not put health as a priority. These low and medium-income people also have difficulties in meeting doctor’s appointments when needed. Their localities have limited health care services, and therefore they are forced to move long distances in search of the services. Those uninsured do not make any efforts whatsoever the find healthcare systems. This has led to many unmet health needs of the poor and homeless people all over the world.

The recent performance of the health care sector has affected the running of organizations as they all relate to and influence each other relatively. The healthcare sector is one of the fast-growing industries, and it is not surprising at all how it is quickly turning to the broader business world for help and inspiration too. Businesses have adopted new strategies to address some of these issues facing the health sector. Some of these methodologies include:

• Creation of good governance that focuses on establishing accountability with respect to the roles and responsibilities at all levels of their management process.
• Enhancing the human capital of the organization is essential for the effective implementation of a real healthcare sector. Without the skills and knowledge of human resources, improvements in business processes cannot be achieved.
• Creating a culture that favors all the members of the health sector which will motivate them and increase their performance and help deal with the upcoming challenges in the industry.

References

Lawrence R. Jacobs and Theda Skocpol. Health Care Reform and American Politics: What Everyone Needs

to Know. (New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Updated and Revised Third Edition, 2015).