The Business of Health Care - Essay Example

This paper seeks to determine the extent to what the health care can be a business, and seek evidence that may suggest the cost and quality improvement of the health care. The business aspect of health care encompasses the entire system, from financial analysis to personnel management. Similar to other businesses, the health care providers need qualified individuals for the management of resources, finance, database and computer systems, and other aspects of the health care administration. Those concerned with health care management essential deal with the ‘business side’ of the health care system, which include budget and staff needs, databases, accountability, and organizational systems.

These personnel prepare reports on funds or resources allocation, focus on improving efficiency by ensuring that patients enjoy timely access to health care services, and engage in reorganization of departments through streamlining processes as well as assisting employees to achieve their best productivity (Greener, 2007:258). Small physicians and private practice groups may only require the services of a single administrator or a few staff members, but large organizations with a relatively higher number of physician, nurses, and surgeons may require an entire department to keep operations running smoothly.

In recent times, the debate over the increasing costs of the health care system has sparked different opinions and proposals from scholars and experts in the field. Additionally, studies and research show that the health care system is less than ideal. These two factors constitute a significant problem to the system. There are numerous possible causes of these deficiencies, including the rapid development of technology, poorly informed customers, difficulties in measuring the performance of providers, resistance by providers to embrace information technologies and other potentially quality-improvement techniques.

Turnover of workers and enrolees among employers and insurers, administered prices, and delayed impact of investment in health promotion. A portion of health services researchers argue that National Health Service, a United Kingdom health care system, should lead the way in effort to promote quality healthcare in the UK and the rest of the world (Department of Health, 2008:6). There are many key stakeholders in the health care system, including the government, consumers, health plans, providers, hospitals, health insurers, and pharmacy-benefit managers, although the private sector is also an important catalyst for improving the health care.

This is so because, first, more than 160 million non-elderly employees receive health insurance from their employers. Second, employers provide a substantial amount of compensation to employees in form of health insurance. Third, a section of employers is leading initiative to assess the quality of health care and hold providers accountable. Fourth, private employers may move focus to the public sector after conviction that investing in the programs that seek to improve the quality of the health care services is profitable.

There are two important points worth noting in this context. One, improving the quality of he