Healthcare System in Australia - Assignment Example

Hеаlth Саrе System in Аustrаliа Report Name: Course: Tutor: Institution: Date: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 Strengths 3 2.1 Universal Healthcare Coverage 3 2.2 Legal Framework Support 4 3.0 Weakness 5 3.1 Rural Areas Doctors’ Deficiency 5 3.2 Healthcare Access Inequality 5 3.3 Remuneration Challenges 5 4.0 Opportunities 6 4.1 Bulk Billing System 6 4.2 Electronic Documentation 6 4.3 Health Insurance 7 5.0 Threats 7 6.0 Conclusion 8 Appendices 9 Appendix 1: SWOT Analysis 9 References 10 1.0 Introduction The global healthcare industry is increasingly growing. In this regard, the market has increased. This is because of increasing social cultural patterns in the global societal structures. However, the global industry faces increased technology and market changes. In particular, the Australian healthcare is on the rise. Statistics indicate that the industry performance is on the rise and is bound to increase in the future (“Australia Institute Health Welfare”, 2014). In order to develop strategic decisions and approaches in management, this report conducts a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities and threats) analysis on the Australian healthcare industry. 2.0 Strengths 2.1 Universal Healthcare Coverage The Australian healthcare industry and system has been increasingly performing in the global market. This is alluded to a range of appropriate fitting services and operations in the system. In this regard, the system has diverse application structures allowing for increased involvement in the market. Gallego and Harris (2010) conducted a study to evaluate and establish the critical factors behind the success and increased growth in the Australian healthcare industry. In the study, the authors sought to establish the critical success factors in the industry. It argued that market success by the Australian healthcare industry was hedged on a number of critical success factors. In its analysis, the study established that the healthcare industry universal health coverage and pharmaceutical benefit scheme formed the two key critical success factors. On one hand, the Australian healthcare system has a universal healthcare coverage funded by the government. A universal health coverage system is a process through which the costs of acquiring healthcare services are subsidised. The Australian universal health coverage is divided into three respective segments. The first is the medical benefits schedule that provides access to medical and diagnostic services. The second one is the pharmaceuticals benefits schemes that provide access to medical drugs. Finally, the government offers the Australian healthcare agreements (AHCA’s) that comprises of agreements and partnership with the respective States and territories. The availability and extent of these programs allow for increased healthcare quality in the economy. Healthcare organisations success is hedged and based on the availability of sufficient funds to fund their operations as well as enable the development of appropriate infrastructure. The reliance of funding from the patients’ is an unreliable source as their funds are minimal and often insufficient. However, through reliance on government compensation the Australian healthcare industry is assured of consistent and reliable funding (Callender & Grasman, 2010). Consequently, this has enhanced the development and establishment of stable and modern healthcare facilities infrastructure, enhancing increased services quality. This serves as a major strength in the Australian healthcare industry allowing for increased performance in the market. 2.2 Legal Framework Support The Australian healthcare system has an elaborate supporting legal framework for the execution of the industrial requirements and responsibilities. In this case, the industry is managed and governed through regulations such as the Australian health Act among other regulations. In this case, the stringent measures enhance increased safety and services quality in the industry. This can be identified as strength in comparison to the argument developed by Steele (2007). The author stated that the Canadian healthcare system faces pharmaceutical drugs administration challenge as a number of unauthenticated professionals engage in the service administration. 3.0 Weakness 3.1 Rural Areas Doctors’ Deficiency Despite the increased government funding in the Australian healthcare industry, the industry faces increased professionals deficiency. In this case, the market lacks sufficient and enough healthcare professionals to provide services across the economy. In particular, the market faces increased doctors’ challenge and deficiency in the rural areas. In this case, despite the existence of the existence of appropriate infrastructure, healthcare facilities and the medical covers, patients in the rural areas face challenges of accessing the healthcare services. The existence of this challenge negates the healthcare industry merits of increased regulations and funding (Thomas & Peter, 2012). 3.2 Healthcare Access Inequality Doctors’ deficiency has resulted to increased healthcare services access inequality in the market, where the urban dwellers have an increased access advantage over the rural dwellers. In order to remedy this challenge, the Australian government instituted the medical rural bonded scheme. Through this approach, the government provides scholarships to medical students. In turn, the students commit to working for six continuous years in the rural areas (“Australia Institute Health Welfare”, 2014). 3.3 Remuneration Challenges Despite the fact that the Australian healthcare industry is developed and among the few global healthcare industries offering quality, it is apparent that the market has increased remuneration challenges. The industry continues to lose its workforce to the developed economy such as the USA due to increased remunerations (“Australia institute health welfare”, 2014). 4.0 Opportunities 4.1 Bulk Billing System With its increased market strengths, the Australian healthcare industry facts increased market opportunities. In this case, the Australian healthcare industry has the opportunity to enhance increased medical healthcare scheme efficiency through the adoption of a better billing system. The billing system adopted in the industry is an imperative approach towards the success of the industry operations. In this regard, the industry can adopt the bulk billing system. In this case, the bulk billing system allows for increased direct billing between the Medicare service providers and the financier, the Australian government (McConchie, Shepheard, Waters, McMillan & Sundararajan, 2009). Through this approach, the service providers would raise their earning frequency and reliability. Consequently, the services quality in the industry will be enhanced. 4.2 Electronic Documentation In addition, the Australian healthcare industry has an increased access and susceptibility to technology changes. The new technological developments have substantially increased access and the usage of the healthcare technology. This can be achieved through the adoption and use of the technological practices such as clinical electronic documentation system. Brooker, Joppe, Michael, Davidson and Marles (2012) argued that through the adoption of this system, the Australian healthcare industry would face increased growth and expansion due to increased quality and services efficiency. With electronic data storage and clinical diagnosis documentation, the Australian healthcare industry will achieve increased accuracy as well as enhance the adoption of evidence-based practice in its operations. Through the adoption and incorporation of these two industry opportunities, the Australian healthcare industry is bound to expand and succeed in the market. 4.3 Health Insurance The industry has an opportunity to incorporate an expansion strategy through the adoption and incorporation of a healthcare insurance program. In this case, the industries can enhance the incorporation of the private sector into enhancing health services expansion. In this regard, the healthcare industry can incorporate the private sector through the introduction of health insurance covers for employees funded by their respective employers. Consequently, the adoption of such an approach will enhance increased industry funding (McConchie, Shepheard, Waters, McMillan & Sundararajan, 2009). 5.0 Threats As established under the weaknesses analysis, The Australian healthcare faces a risk of inequality in healthcare services provision in both the rural and urban areas. In this regard, the industry faces increased inequality threats. The inability to comprehensively resolve the challenge reveals that the market is facing inequality in health services provision. Consequently, a review on the healthcare industry revels that the market faces an increased healthcare services for the urban dwellers as opposed to the rural population that forms a majority in the population. Consequently, the adopted healthcare strategies, such as increased funding are negated (“Australia institute health welfare”, 2014). Consequently, the healthcare faces the treat and risk of failure due to its discriminatory and segregation approach based on the patients geographical locations. In addition, a comparison of the industry growth rate with that of the USA and Canada reveals an increased market demand for the healthcare professionals. Unlike Australia, the USA economy remunerates its health professionals relatively high. Consequently, the Australian market is at risk of increased loss of qualified healthcare professionals (Perrott, 2011). In this case, the USA healthcare market has an increased access to the industry qualified human resource. Consequently, the Australian market faces increased risk of professional and experts’ loss to the developed economies healthcare industries such as the USA and UK markets. This presents an industry stagnation risk in the market. 6.0 Conclusion This report presents an analysis of the Australian healthcare industry. In this case, the evaluated both the internal and external environmental analysis. In this case, the report adopts a SWOT analysis. On one hand, a strength analysis on the industry reveals that the market faces increased market success due o its adoption of the universal health care plan that facilitates increased funding and affordable access on the offered healthcare services. However, increased rural areas doctors shortage presents a key weakness into the systems functioning. Moreover, the report analysis on the opportunities available both in the present and in the future in the industry, establishes that bulk billing and technology incorporation are key among the current and future success factors for the industry. Finally, an analysis on the industry weaknesses reveals that the industry faces increased workforce challenge due to brain drain to developed economies such as USA and Canada. Based on this analysis, this report argues that based on the above challenges and strength analysis, the Australian government should increase its healthcare professionals remuneration. Consequently, this will reduce brain drain cases. Moreover, it should develop increased allowances for professionals working in the rural areas in order to make the areas attractive. Appendices Appendix 1: SWOT Analysis References Australia institute health welfare, 2014. Australia's health 2012. Retrieved from Brooker, E., Joppe, M., Michael C.G. Davidson, & Marles, K. (2012). Innovation within the Australian outdoor hospitality parks industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 24(5), 682-700. Callender, C., & Grasman, S. E. (2010). Barriers and best practices for material management in the healthcare sector. Engineering Management Journal, 22(4), 11-19. Gallego, G., & Harris, A. (2010). Evaluation in a disconnected healthcare system: Problems and suggested solutions from the Australian HTA review. Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research, 10(6), 615-7. McConchie, S., Shepheard, J., Waters, S., McMillan, A. J., & Sundararajan, V. (2009). The AusPSIs: The Australian version of the agency of healthcare research and quality patient safety indicators. Australian Health Review, 33(2), 334-41. Perrott, B. E. (2011). Strategic issue management as change catalyst. Strategy & Leadership, 39(5), 20-29. Steele, S. K., A.M. (2010). The Australian healthcare and hospitals association celebrates 60 years. excerpts from an historical review by selby steele. Australian Health Review, 31(4), 489-97 Thomas, Peter E, BSc, M.A., PhD. (2012). Reflections on the role of less-than-comprehensive (exclusionary) private health insurance hospital products in the Australian healthcare system. Australian Health Review, 36(3), 273-6 Read More