Company Environment - Assignment Example

Home Healthcare Services Industry I have chosen to examine the environment of the home healthcare services industry which has an NAICS code of 621610. This industry includes home nursing services and home physiotherapy services such as physical therapy, occupational and vocational therapy (NAICS, n.pag.). Technological advancements have allowed the improvement of efficiency and have enabled organizations to reduce their costs for patients as well as the home healthcare staff. Many old and disabled patients can now receive medical care at the convenience of their homes.

Nurses and other medical assistants are now able to conduct complicated treatments at home. Such treatments usually involve the administration of several drugs. Some organizations operating under the industry are Lincare Holdings, Apria Healthcare Group, Gentiva Health Services, AMEDYSIS, VNAA (Visiting Nurse Associations of America), American Association for Home Care, TAHC (Texas Association for Home Care), AHHIF (Associated Home Health Industries of Florida), and MAHC (Mississippi Association for Home Care).

The home healthcare staff including the skilled registered nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physician assistants, and other technicians makes up the internal environment of the industry. The population has a longer life expectancy and that has resulted in a surge in the demands for better healthcare systems. As a result, the home healthcare staff is also in demand which means that home health services agencies are giving attractive salaries and flexing working conditions in order to provide incentives for technicians and nurses.

The staff is certified and they go through intense practical training before they are employed. While the physicians supervise their assistants can administer medicine to the patients. The other element of the home healthcare industry is the services provided. The medical and nursing services mainly include medication services, therapeutic, and psychosocial services, and so on (Hoovers, n.pag.). Their customers include patients who require short term treatment as well as those that require long term treatments.

Many patients are discharged from hospitals and need home healthcare services or the patients are suffering from a chronic disease that requires them to take numerous medicines and hence the management of drug administration is done by the healthcare staff. A majority of patients receiving home care services are over 65 years of age. The home care service industry is also a highly competitive industry due to the rapid advances in technology and the development of new drugs. There is a continuous need for research in order to stay up to date and to provide better services as this gives a competitive advantage to healthcare agencies.

While marketing and promotions are being used as an important tool in the generation of revenues by healthcare firms (Hoovers, n.pag.), it is important to note that technology has improved the quality of services e.g. by reducing or eliminating human errors, helping in drug scheduling, etc. While larger organizations are focusing on reducing costs through an increase in their services, small organizations are delivering to the regional market (Hoovers, n.pag.). Hence, like any other industry the environment surrounding the home healthcare industry involves many players that can either be beneficial or detrimental for the organizations operating within it.

By improving their services and using effective marketing they can survive in the highly competitive environment. Works Cited Hoovers. "Home Health Care Services." Hoovers: A D&B Company. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. . NAICS. " NAICS Code Description." NAICS Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. .