Concepts Related to Social Policy and Health Care - Essay Example

Introduction The different concepts that are related to social policy and health care have a direct influence on responses within the community and mechanics which are used among management. Examining the different styles and theories while understanding how each of these relate to the development and management of health care creates a deeper knowledge of what is needed within the health care system. The creation of various social policies that relate to health care are then able to build distinctions with the service user involvement and participation as well as the increasing interest that is within society. Defining the contemporary approaches which are used as well as how these develop into alternative needs within health care then create a stronger understanding of how management theories and styles create a direct relationship to other needs. Management Theories and Styles The management theories and styles is the first concept which relates to the health care and policies that are intertwined with the various concepts of the system. There are a variety of styles which are portrayed and used for the development of a specific system. The first is the scientific methodology, introduced by Frederick Taylor. The approach which is taken with this is to develop a scientific and practical approach to the management styles to maintain and control the health care systems that are used. The scientific term is developed specifically with the ideology of favoring factual information over psychological information and knowledge that is used within society. The approaches as well as the policy development that is created is then based on creating factual information related to what is needed within the health care systems and not creating alternative responses or styles which may interfere with the expectations from a scientific viewpoint. The nature of this policy development is able to mainstream policies without interference with the complications which sometimes occur with health, specifically in terms of psychological and personal relationships that may be developed (Simpson, Connor, 2011: 25). The second way in which management is developed within health care is developed by Weber and is based on bureaucratic development with the policies. The initiation which is taken with bureaucratic policies is based on finding the legal and governmental approaches to the management styles. Decision making, policies and daily needs within health care are available specifically through the ideology of the political system. This is created with terms of offering fair health care, justifying the different approaches to the care and making decisions which are equal to all those that are in need of the care. With this particular set of policies, there are legal groundings that justify the decisions and management that is made in each instance. Similar to the scientific approach, psychological components are taken outside of the policies which are coined with the health care while the decision making styles alter according to the legal controls and expectations that are within society (Glasby, 2007: 15). Another component which has been looked into in terms of policies and expectations is the administrative features of policies. This particular association with policies is based on the ideologies of Fayol and the approaches toward health care that combined the scientific and bureaucratic with the health decisions which were done. The ideologies and policies which were created developed a different sense of approaches depending on the information needed from an administrative sense. Having the right information, corresponding this to the known facts of a given situation and responding according to this information is the main management approach taken. This particular factor has similarities to the scientific and bureaucratic approaches, specifically because it works with factual information provided to a health care system. Instead of working with the psychological elements of health care, the policies are dependent on health records and information which is available, allowing this to determine the effective policies and decisions which need to be a part of the health care system (Pyper, Massey, 2005: 72). The different approaches to management and health care have altered with the contemporary setting that is used for those that are involved. This combines the scientific, administrative and bureaucratic elements with the policies which are reflected in the expected care. However, management and decision making also has other conceptual challenges which are now being met, specifically in terms of having the health policies as a practical need which is met among patients. In the contemporary understanding of health care, it is noted that complex issues and changes are required, leading to alternative management and decision making needs. The need to understand situations, respond with the psychological needs and to combine this with more known facts is becoming associated with contemporary styles of management. The result is the ability to understand the different perspectives within health care and the ways in which this can influence various individuals. This is referred to with the agendas that are in various health care systems. Specialized health care, needs to meet various types of patients and the expansion into alternative systems is leading to specific practices that need to have practical needs met within the system (Walt, Shiffman, Schneider, 2008: 57). Service User Involvement and Participation To further the health policies and strategies are specific areas of service user involvement and participation which are used. The first is the communist approach that is used with service participation. The main component which is associated with this is to create a sense of stewardship that is a part of the participation, specifically in which each individual becomes responsible for those that are a part of the health care system. In this order, there is a combination of management systems, specifically to develop a community oriented system that is able to create and alter the service user involvement. The leadership is valued among each individual and intervention programs and responses are specific to both policies and the management of each individual. Within this system is the ability to develop and create a deeper response to managing and responding to health care needs while ensuring that each individual working under the system carries the same sense of responsibility that is a part of the involvement and creation within the system (Saltman, 2000: 5). The second format which is used with management is the democratic sense of involvement and participation. The policies which are developed take the democratic value of the majority rules decision. In this instance, the policies which are created and the actions which develop in response are based on what the majority believes works in any given instance. The decision making which is made is then able to develop specifically to participation by the community as well as majority decisions which seem to be in best interest of the health care system. This particular strategy is one which is further developed with the need to have information, processing and alternative perspectives that are offered with the management and democracy. The particular values which are developed are created specifically with information that is available, past policies which are associated with the health care system and the current functioning that is used. As this is developed, other attributes and relationships are created and determine the end values that are associated with the management and health care policies which are used (Daniels, Bryant, Castano, 2000). The third strategy which is commonly used among health care providers and management of policy systems is learning options. The policies that are provided in this instance are continuously changing and evolving, specific to the current health policy reforms and the needs within the health care system. These are furthered with the priorities in health care that are currently a part of the system, including policies and expectations from the external environment. The use of policies and management of the system then takes place specifically with the understanding that relationships to the management and the changes made within the society create a continuous evolution of what is needed within the health care system. This continues with learning which occurs from partnerships, those providing various forms of care and lessons which have been learned in other health care reform policies. The integration and development that is related to this then creates a deeper understanding of the needs for current policies while expecting these to link to the knowledge and changes which are occurring among management and those which are working in health care (Ham, 1998: 219). Increasing Interest The various management approaches toward policy and development have led into current trends that are based on finding an increased interest for the reforms and management. The goal which is now being based on the policies is created with the term of value and how this is provided among management and within health care systems. The practices which are reflective with management and other provisions are requiring a new spotlight to be implemented in terms of the care that is managed and provided. The question of whether the democratic, communist or learning approaches work is the first area which is being examined. This is furthered with the question of whether the management systems that are developed by specific policies are working efficiently. The area which is being looked into and questioned is based on the understanding that multidimensional areas of interest are required in management, decision making and policies that are a part of the health care system. Without understanding these layers, there is the inability to develop and understand the correct choices which are needed in offering health care to individuals (Ryan, Gerard, 2003: 812). The increased interest that is occurring within health care is furthered with the implications of the assessment and accountability which needs to be used within the system. The approaches to management and policies which were used in the past created an understanding of the basic needs and provisions to maintain the health care system which was available. However, these implications have continued to expand and change. This is based on alternative cases which arise, problems with management that require other policies and expectations and demands which are now a part of the external environment. The response is based on assessing what has already been developed within the health care system. This is furthered with new ways that management and policies can be accountable for the changes and alterations which are required within the system. Moving into various cases and finding different options for handling and developing the policies is then able to create more information and expectations which can be used in the hospital. This is leading to a learning approach within the environment that is helping to reform and change the health care system. This is also providing alterations that are able to increase and change the interest of those within the environment, specifically in terms of the management and policies that are being developed (Relman, 1988: 312). The results and changes which are being made with increased interest are further dividing into specific needs with the social contracts that are now being made. The external environment is creating new demands with health care systems and reforms that are required. This is specific to the understanding of the health care expectations with information and demands as well as other reforms which are required in terms of justifying the policies which are in place. Providing equality in health care, linking to specific needs with the care and developing alternative approaches to the information provided is one that is able to establish and change the performance and initiatives that are within the system. The performance which is developed then is able to increase and change the roles of health care, specifically because new social contracts are being developed. As this increases, there is a different level of demand and alternatives that are associated with the needs of health care and the expectations to provide the proper management and demand within the system (Bloom, Standing, 2008: 32). The various levels that are a part of the increased interest are not only causing re-examination from the social contracts which have been developed. There is also a direct association with different formats of health care which is required. The demand is now based on the need to have equal health care provided to all. This is not only based on the basics of policies and management. There is also the development of different formats of health care being available. This is inclusive of preventative care as well as the more complex areas which require specialized and continuous care for individuals. With this particular demand is also an increase in the expectations and demands for health care policies. The management which is associated with this is based on re-examining the current policies and looking at the increased interest in various formats. The objective that is now prevailing among those providing health care is to have a sense of equality with the health care that is provided (Epstein, 2004: 81). Conclusion The concept of health care and the policies which are associated with this are providing different approaches to the management of policies. The objectives which were maintained with policies were based on the different approaches toward creating the policies, including scientific, bureaucratic and administrative policies. These particular formats combined into a contemporary approach, which offers a format that combines each of these policies. To further these objectives are different ways in which the policies are offered, such as the communist, democratic and learning approaches. Each of these objectives is able to administer and create different approaches to the management and policies of health care. However, there are also new expectations and demands that are a part of the health care policies. The increased interest is leading into contemporary styles that are needed in terms of developing the right health care and alternative styles. The policies are inclusive of changing health care in terms of the social interest and the new demands which have arisen from scenarios and expectations. The result is a set of new expectations and terms which are driving forward the health care policies and the management which is associated with the health care system. References Bloom, G, H Standing. 2008. “Markets, Information Assymetry and Health Care: Towards New Social Contracts.” Social Science and Medicine 71 (3). Daniels, N, J Bryant, RA Castano. 2000. “Benchmarks of Fairness for Health Care Reform: A Policy Tool for Developing Countries.” Department of World Health. Epstein, AM. 2004. “Health Care in America – Still Too Separate, Not Yet Equal.” New England Journal of Medicine 46 (9). Glasby, Jon. 2007. Understanding Health and Social Care. Michigan: University of Michigan. Ham, C. 1998. “Health Care Reform: Learning from International Experience.” Journal of Interprofessional Care. 72 (1). Pyper, Robert, Andrew Massey. 2005. Public Management and Modernisation in Britain. UK: Palgrave Macmillan. Relman, AS. 1988. “Assessment and Accountability.” New England Journal of Medicine58 (2). Ryan, M, K Gerard. 2003. “Using Discrete Choice Experiments to Value Health Care Programs: Current Practice and Future Research Reflections.” Health Economics and Health Policy37 (1). Saltman, RB. 2000. “The Concept of Stewardship in Health Policy.” Department of World Health 53 (8). Simpson, Graeme, Stuart Connor. 2011. Social Policy for Social Welfare Professionals. UK: The Policy Press. Walt, G, J Shiffman, H Schneider. 2008. Doing Health Policy Analysis: Methodological and Conceptual Reflections and Challenges. UK: Oxford University Press. Read More