The healthcare is influenced by different forces and thus consists of a well-defined set of roles. The public and private sectors have all played a major part in influencing the healthcare system. The government influences the healthcare system in a couple of ways. The legislative branch for example has influenced the system by determining what services the government is ready to pay for. It further determines which members of the society will be catered for or will be paid for by the government (Huber, 2013). The legislative branch is also responsible for licensing of the workers and the approval for drugs and devices. It also regulates the use of controlled substances and these policies are done at national, state and local levels. The judicial branch interprets laws that are relating to the healthcare. It further determines when the healthcare is using illegal practices in the delivery of their services. The third branch of the government which is the executive or administrative branch is responsible for developing rules and regulations that oversee the implementation of the programs involved in the healthcare department (Kleinman, 2003).
The legal issues affecting the industry include the music licensing, management operating agreements and employment. The operating agreement is responsible in defining the business owner’s responsibilities and the entity selected to operate it. It is created when the owner of a hospitality facility allows someone else to conduct the operations of the facility. It is also known as the management contract and sets the period that the agreement will be in effect, the terms of payment, various legal and operation processes and the responsibilities of each party. Several measures are being enacted to provide protection to the victims of bullying at work. The laws influence the operation of the business. It is therefore important for anyone running a healthcare facility to clearly understand the laws so as to avoid legal troubles (Huber, 2013).
The economic factors influence the nature and type of competition that a business faces and how it affects the performance of the business. The inflation and interest rates, amount of labor supply, labor costs, impact of globalization, are all various types of economic factors that affect the healthcare system (Yoder-Wise, 2014). Technology is also another factor that plays a major role in defining how the system works. This is because with every change of the technological advancement, the healthcare system may be forced to change in order to give the best services. These technologies include the internet, reduction in communication costs, emerging healthcare technologies and also the increased remote working (Kleinman, 2003).
The social factors affecting the healthcare system include the population growth, the age of the population, the education and social mobility, employment patterns in the region and lifestyle choices. The culture of the people greatly affects the health sector i.e. the beliefs of the family and the community (Kleinman, 2003). Education also affects the system with low education levels mostly being linked with poor health and lower self-confidence. More education influences an individual’s view on the choices to make when it comes to the healthcare plan. Poor housing exposes those living in the area at the risk of injury and exposure to various health hazards. Other social factors include the type of work that one is doing and other early childhood experiences (Huber, 2013).
The organizational factors affecting the healthcare system are the population age, racial diversity and cultural and religious differences. With aging population, the healthcare workforce would be too small and ill equipped to meet the needs. Hospitals should assess the racial makeup of the community in order to accommodate its specific needs since different races have different health issues (Yoder-Wise, 2014). In some cultures, female patients cannot be treated by a male physician and vice versa. Therefore, healthcare professionals must recognize the different religious and cultural beliefs of the people when setting up a healthcare facility. Strategic planning can be defined as a systematic and organized process that documents how an organization plans to progress from current position to the desired situation. A facility can be set up therefore to cater for given needs of a certain organization definition (Yoder-Wise, 2014).
References
Huber, D. (2013). Leadership and nursing care management. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Kleinman, C. S. (2003). Leadership roles, competencies, and education: How prepared are our nurse managers?. Journal of Nursing Administration, 33(9), 451-455.
Yoder-Wise, P. S. (2014). Leading and managing in nursing. Elsevier Health Sciences.
