Let’s take a look at the mental health issues in Australia alongside other challenges faced by the Australian healthcare sector.
The Australian health care system is one of the highly respected systems worldwide, with an average person having a high life expectancy and low child mortality.
However, recent health issues in Australia brought about by factors such as the aging population and chronic illness have continued to issue a significant threat to the outstanding mark the system has ever made.
Introduction to mental health issues in Australia
Despite the considerable investment by the Government towards the provision of quality healthcare to all Australians, about 47% of people have suffered from one or more chronic conditions, and 4.8 million Australians had mental or behavioral conditions in 2018, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
These figures are a big reason to worry about for the Government, stakeholders, and every Australian.
In this piece, we’ll be talking about some of the major setbacks of Australia’s Health Care System.
Ready to learn more? Kindly read along!
List of top health issues in Australia
Below is the list of the healthcare issues facing the Australian government;
Mental Issues in Australia
According to World Health Organization, mental health is a critical component of a person’s overall health and well-being.
If anything compromises this, then the overall well-being of that person is jeopardized. Sadly, a recent report from the Nation Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing revealed that an estimated 1 in 5 Australians aged 16-85 experienced a mental disorder in 2008.
Judging from the above statistics, this is pretty much as this affects the individual and the families taking care of the victim. The prevalence of this illness is always around mid-to-late adolescence, which is around 18 to 24 years old compared to the other age group.
Common mental health issues in Australia include anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and substance use disorders.
One major setback in caring for the victims is that many do not access any treatment and keep it themselves. Some victims are delayed with regard to treatment due to serious problems in the proper diagnosis of the illness.
The good news is that the primary health care services are doing a great job addressing signs of mental disorders in children and young people. The Government is doing its best to rescue the situation as it budgeted about $511 million on mental health-related subsidized prescriptions under the pharmaceutical benefits. However, there’s a need for continuous provisions of assistance to make the efforts sustainable.
Cost of Innovative Technology
It’s a great thing to have new technology that will improve the efficiency with which doctors work in delivering the best healthcare services to the people, but the technology’s cost is always a setback considering it’s skyrocketing prices.
Listing such innovative technologies for subsidy through Medicare won’t arrest the situation but rather increase their availability and use.
No doubt, Australia is one of the developed countries with an amazing record in assessing a new pharmaceutical product, judging from the principles of cost-effectiveness.
However the assessment of these new interventions isn’t comprehensive and lacks the rigor applied to these new pharmaceutical products and vaccines.
There are a couple of criteria in Australia in determining access to new technology, and these things are different across public and private hospitals. For instance, expensive cancer drugs aren’t yet available.
Changing Healthcare demography
The aging population in the nation challenges the health system’s capacity to maintain wellness and overall health.
The life expectancy of an average Australian is 73 years, but this is always accompanied by increasing disability from severe illness and makes this group of people vulnerable and need constant medical attention.
Furthermore, the Federal Treasury’s intergeneration report revealed that the aging of the population has little effect on spending.
This means the aging population isn’t a major element of rising health costs. But diseases associated with old age pose a greater medical challenge.
The preventive initiatives meant to get to those at risk aren’t reaching as it is always concentrated in the acute care sector with few links to community care.
Present days Health Workforce
Another health issue in Australia is the preference of health professionals on how to practice. The present day’s doctors don’t want to work for extended hours compared to what was obtainable in the past years.
Also, the number of female health professionals continued to surge, unlike their male counterparts.
The increase in the number of female doctors highlights the issue of balancing work with family life, which is one of the setbacks to the quality of healthcare delivery nowadays.
Decisions on where to live and practice can be pretty difficult to meet outside the metropolis, which has affected the supply and distribution of healthcare professionals.
The truth is, there are severe healthcare shortages in professions such as general practitioners, nurses, dentists, and various key allied healthcare professionals.
These shortages are more pronounced in rural and remote regions as many healthcare workers wouldn’t want to serve in such localities.
Presently, overseas-trained health professionals make up more than 25% of the total medical workforce compared to what we had in the last decade.
Health Inequality
The improvements in the average life expectancy of an average Australian in recent decades have been remarkable, but health gains have been unequally shared across genders in recent times.
Women do better than men, and the educated population living within the metropolis does better than people living in rural areas.
The continued disparity in access to quality healthcare services among people is a big subject of discussion, which needs to be streamlined and fairly defined. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that if all people experience the same death rates as the disadvantaged population, thousands of fewer deaths will be experienced annually.
Conclusion
There are many health issues in Australia, which, regardless of race, gender, and social class, must drive a sustainable search for effective and lasting solutions to these challenges.
Yes, the willingness of the Federal Government to invest in public hospitals is pertinent but not enough to drive the needed improvement in the sector.
In the 21 century, the solutions to these issues must recognize the fact that innovative approaches to prevention, and primary and acute care will be required to tackle these problems sustainably.
The focus should be on the root causes, not the peripheral aspect of the nation’s challenges.
We are open to suggestions, and commendations. Kindly air your view in the comment box below.
The health care issues in Canada, call for serious concern since health care is one of the pillars of development in every nation.
When Canada is compared with other highly industrialized countries, it devotes a high percentage of its gross domestic product to its health sector.
Canada’s healthcare system is a point of Canadian pride. We hold it up as a defining national characteristic and an example of what makes us different from Americans.
Introduction to healthcare issues in Canada
In Canada, a historical debate has taken place about the healthcare system’s sustainability; since the beginning, this debate has mostly been public and has become intertwined with opposing ideological positions on how the system should be financed.
Canada’s healthcare system has gained great support in the country, but at the same time has faced many healthcare challenges. However, in this article, we discuss the health care issues in Canada currently.
There is no doubt that Canada is highly regarded, although Canada’s healthcare system is expensive and faces several challenges.
Health care issues in Canada
High cost of health care services
Chronic/communicable diseases
Aging population
Longer wait time
Geographical disparity
Lack of pharmacare/medicare drug plan
Access to a personal doctor
Shortage of medical technology
Lack of access to new drugs
Health policies and ethics
High cost of healthcare services is a challenge in the Canadian healthcare
Over the past 10 years, total annual healthcare spending in Canada has increased by more than $10 billion. It reached $172 billion in 2008, or $5,170 per person, outpacing inflation and population growth annually. Canada’s universal health care system is perceived as threatened by rising costs.
This popular and successful program has largely kept costs under control while maintaining quality and ensuring equity.
However, its success demonstrates the limits of medical care; remaining health problems are less amenable to improvement by merely improving access to traditional services. A widening view of health implies a larger health role in other policy arenas, and a larger group of legitimate participants; coordinating an evolving and expanding system becomes increasingly difficult.
The Canadian government has expressed concern over funding increases allocated to healthcare that have failed to result in a measurable improvement in health status.
As a consequence of this concern, across federal and provincial jurisdictions, we’ve seen growing interest in performance accountability not just in healthcare but across the public sector as a whole.
Chronic/communicable diseases fall among the health care issues in Canada
Medical care offered in homes can be more efficient and comfortable than hospital visits. Today, however, the healthcare landscape is increasingly one of the chronic diseases. Diabetes, dementia, heart failure, chronic lung disease, and other chronic conditions characterize the health-care profiles of many Canadian seniors.
Hospitals are still needed, to be sure but increasingly, the population needs community-based solutions.
Another major challenge for Canadian health care is the narrow scope of services covered by provincial insurance plans.
In the same vein, communicable diseases pose a great threat to the health care system in Canada.
Communicable as well as contagious disease is a disease transmitted from person to person(s), or from animal to person and is also considered as one of the common health issues in the present world community.
These diseases are classified considering some factors like the caustic agent, mode of transmission, the duration of infestation, and others.
Aging population among the health care issues in Canada
As one advances in age, the tendencies of deteriorated health become pronounced because of the decreased immune system.
We can foresee that healthcare sector expenses as a percentage of GDP will continue to increase for the next few decades. This is because the Canadian population is aging, and changes in public policies will be needed as a result.
This aging trend is due to decreasing fertility rates and increasing life expectancy. In 1971, only 8 percent of the population was made up of people over 65; this figure increased to 14 percent in 2011, and it is still expected to increase up to 36 percent by 2036.
The employer-employee contributions rate increased from 3.6 percent in 1986 to 9.9 percent in 2003.
In 2011, people over 65 accounted for 14 percent of the population, but they were assigned around 44 percent of annual healthcare expenditures, both federal and provincial.
Federal and provincial government expenditures together have grown faster than the economy, increasing from 5 percent of GDP in 1975 to 7 percent in 2010.
Longer wait time among the health issues in Canada
There is a great dissatisfaction over the wait times which has been recurrent during the last decade.
In 2006, Dr Brian Day was quoted in a New York Times article, saying, “This is a country where dogs can access a hip replacement in one week, but humans must wait between two and three years” (Krauss, 2006).
In April 2007, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that the provinces and territories would have their wait times guaranteed by 2010 for some areas, which would be prioritized by the provinces.
For the last few years, provincial Ministries of Health have published the wait times for receiving care in emergency rooms and by specialists on their website.
For instance, Ontario’s Ministry of Health offers web surfers a list of wait times for emergency rooms, surgeries, magnetic resonance imaging, and computing tomography.
In two and a half years, wait times had remained almost the same, but they were still high. Moreover, they continue to be higher than the projected target.
Likewise, according to 2013 data from the Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey, Canada had the longest wait times for seeing a family doctor of the 11 developed countries in the OECD: Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Geographical disparity as among the health care issues in Canada
Though Canadians have fewer financial barriers to access to care, this does not guarantee equality in actual usage.
Aboriginal peoples in Canada, those in isolated areas, and the poor receive less adequate or appropriate care than the less isolated and those higher in SES, but nevertheless, health care is more equally provided and accessible than in the United States, and more equitably provided than before Medicare.
In Canada, the implicit rationing is due to constraints on available personnel and equipment; in the United States, it is rationing by income
Lack of pharmacare/medicare drug plan among the health care issues in Canada
Canadians have long been proud of their universal health insurance system, which publicly funds the cost of physician visits and hospitalizations at the point of care.
Canadians have long been proud of their universal health insurance system, “Canadian Medicare” as it is affectionately known.
This system of public health insurance, coordinated between the provinces and the federal government through the Canada Health Act, keeps Canadians comforted in the knowledge that medically necessary physician visits, diagnostic tests, and hospitalizations will be “taken care of” as a matter of course regardless of their age, income, or province of residence.
Access to a personal doctor
Easy and timely access to health care services is important for the health of Canadians.
Difficulty accessing services could result in: delays seeking and obtaining treatment, underuse or a lack of awareness of preventive health care or services, increased risk of complications if a diagnosis is delayed, increased financial burden on the health care system.
Shortage of medical technology among the health care issues in Canada
Canada is facing a serious health human resource (HHR) shortage of medical laboratory professionals, specifically medical laboratory technologists (MLTs).
In 2010, the Canadian Institute for Health Information identified that approximately half of all MLTs would be eligible to retire within 10 years, with the greatest impact felt in Canada’s rural and remote communities.
This period of time has closed in on the professional community across all provinces and territories, resulting in a dramatic impact on organizations and employees.
Lack of access to new drugs
Canadians have long been proud of their universal health insurance system, which publicly funds the cost of physician visits and hospitalizations at the point of care.
Prescription drugs however have been subject to a patchwork of public and private coverage, which is frequently inefficient and creates access barriers to necessary medicine for many Canadians.
Health policies and ethics are among the health care issues in Canada
Canadian health policy is increasingly failing patients and taxpayers.
Canadians spend a lot on healthcare relative to comparable countries, yet the high relative level of spending does not buy Canadians as many healthcare resources as patients in other countries enjoy.
Shortages of medical resources, as well as improper economic incentives within the Canadian health system, have resulted in growing waits for access to publicly funded, medically necessary goods and services.
This has resulted in health care consuming ever greater shares of the revenue available to governments, leaving proportionally less available for other public responsibilities and obligations.
Economic research and international experience suggest that economically liberal policy alternatives could dramatically improve the financial sustainability and the value of money spent in the Canadian health system.
Considering the health care issue in Canada measures have been taken by the Canadian government to alleviate these issues and make their citizens cruise in ideal health.
Conclusion on the Top 10 health care issues in Canada
As earlier stated, the Canadian healthcare system is among their top priorities. It operates a Universal, cheap, and accessible, Canadians have shown that their health care is on par with the nations around the world to truly take care of their own.
Furthermore, not considering these problems faced by the health care system in Canada, they implore different ways to make sure they remain on the edge of success above these challenges.
A good healthcare system is everyone’s desire that’s why every nation strives to uphold an effective and efficient healthcare system
we are open to suggestions and recommendations, kindly air your view in the comment box below.
The types of Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are ill-health conditions passed from one person to another through sexual activities.
You can contract an STD by having unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected person.
An STD has also been labeled a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or venereal disease (VD). Depending on the specific STD, infections may also be transmitted through other routes asides from sexual activities like breastfeeding and an unhygienic environment.
HIV has other routes of transmission. For example, this STI can spread through the use of unsterilized drug needles.
Some STIs are benign, but others can lead to severe complications if the infected person does not seek treatment.
Introduction to the types of sexually transmitted diseases
Anyone can contract an STI, regardless of his or her sexual orientation and hygiene standards. Many STIs can transmit through non-penetrative sexual activity.
If you have one STI, it can often increase your chances of contracting another. Some STIs can also lead to severe consequences if left untreated. In rare cases, untreated STDs may even be fatal.
Fortunately, most STDs can be treated and be cured totally. Is essential to note that early and effective treatment can help relieve symptoms, lower your risk of complications, and protect sexual partners.
Symptoms of types of sexually transmitted diseases
Headaches
Difficulty swallowing
Discharge
Fever
Night sweats
Fatigue/weakness
Appetite loss
Weight loss
Chronic diarrhea
Nausea/vomiting
Itchy, rashy skin/skin lesions
Chronic coughing
Restlessness
Confusion/delirium
Difficulty breathing
Is essential to note that different sexually transmitted infections present different symptoms and there may be variations in gender
Syphilis is among the types of sexually transmitted diseases however, it is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum which slips into the bloodstream and is eventually sent to organs outside the reproductive tract. It often goes unnoticed in its early stages.
The first symptom to appear is a small round sore, known as a chancre. Since syphilis chancres aren’t painful and typically heal within four to six weeks, most boys don’t see a doctor. They assume the mysterious sore is gone for good, but one-third of men and women exposed to primary syphilis progress to a secondary infection
This sexually transmitted disease can develop on your genitals, anus, or mouth. It’s painless but very infectious.
Later symptoms of syphilis can include:
rash
fatigue
fever
headaches
joint pain
weight loss
hair loss
If left untreated, late-stage syphilis can lead to:
loss of vision
loss of hearing
loss of memory
mental illness
infections of the brain or spinal cord
heart disease
death
Fortunately, if caught early enough, syphilis is easily treated with antibiotics. However, syphilis infection in a newborn can be fatal. That’s why it’s important for all pregnant women to be screened for syphilis.
The earlier syphilis is diagnosed and treated, the less damage it does.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
HIV can damage the immune system and raise the risk of contracting other viruses or bacteria and certain cancers. If left untreated, it can lead to stage 3 HIV, known as AIDS. But with today’s treatment, many people living with HIV don’t ever develop AIDS when proper medications are taken.
AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is spread through unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person or through using a contaminated needle to inject drugs. It is also among the known different types of sexually transmitted diseases.
It can also be spread through intravenous drug use and much less commonly, blood, blood products, needles, or other sharp instruments contaminated with infected body fluids or blood.
In the early or acute stages, it’s easy to mistake the symptoms of HIV with those of the flu. For example, the early symptoms can include:
fever
chills
aches and pains
swollen lymph nodes
sore throat
headache
nausea
rashes
These initial symptoms are typically clear within a month or so. From that point onward, a person can carry HIV without developing serious or persistent symptoms for many years. Other people may develop nonspecific symptoms, such as:
recurrent fatigue
fevers
headaches
stomach issues
HIV is one of the deadliest sexually transmitted diseases because there’s no cure for it yet. Although, treatment options are available to manage it. Early and effective treatment can help people with HIV live as long as those without HIV.
Proper treatment can also lower your chances of transmitting HIV to a sexual partner. In fact, treatment can potentially lower the amount of HIV in your body to undetectable levels.
With recent advancements in testing and treatment, it’s possible to live a long and healthy life with HIV.
Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea usually begins in the urethra (bladder opening) or the cervix. However, the rapidly proliferating Neisseria gonorrhoea bacterium is the pathogen that causes gonorrhea. It can migrate to the uterus and the fallopian tubes, giving rise to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The infection, like chlamydia, may also involve the rectum. It is also known as “the clap.”
Many people with gonorrhea develop no symptoms. But when present, symptoms may include:
a white, yellow, beige, or green-colored discharge from the penis or vagina
pain or discomfort during sex or urination
more frequent urination than usual
itching around the genitals
sore throat
If left untreated, gonorrhea can lead to:
infections of the urethra, prostate gland, or testicles
pelvic inflammatory disease
infertility
Symptoms typically occur two to ten days after exposure.
Men:
Penile discharge
Mild to a severe burning sensation when urinating
Can progress to epididymitis
Women:
Painful or burning sensation when urinating and/or yellow or bloody vaginal discharge
Abdominal pain
Bleeding between menstrual periods
Vomiting
Fever
Progression to pelvic inflammatory disease
Rectal Infection:
Anal discharge
Anal itching
Painful bowel movements
It’s possible for a mother to pass gonorrhea onto a newborn during childbirth. When that happens, gonorrhea can cause serious health problems in the baby. That’s why many doctors encourage pregnant women to get tested and treated for potential STDs.
Herpes
Among the types of sexually transmitted diseases is Genital herpes. It is also commonly called “herpes,” is a viral infection by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). It is transmitted through intimate contact with the mucous-covered linings of the mouth or the vagina or the genital skin.
The virus enters the linings or skin through microscopic tears. Once inside, the virus travels to the nerve roots near the spinal cord and settles there permanently.
When an infected person has a herpes outbreak, the virus travels down the nerve fibers to the site of the original infection. When it reaches the skin, the typical redness and blisters occur. After the initial outbreak, subsequent outbreaks tend to be sporadic. They may occur weekly or even years apart.
Two types of herpes viruses are associated with genital lesions: herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2).
HSV-1 more often causes blisters of the mouth area while HSV-2 more often causes genital sores or lesions in the area around the anus.
The outbreak of herpes is closely related to the functioning of the immune system. Women who have suppressed immune systems, because of stress, infection, or medications, have more frequent and longer-lasting outbreaks.
Genital herpes is spread only by direct person-to-person contact. It is believed that a majority of sexually active adults carry the herpes virus.
Symptoms of genital herpes
Once exposed to the virus, there is an incubation period that generally lasts 3 to 7 days before a lesion develops. During this time, there are no symptoms and the virus cannot be transmitted to others. An outbreak usually begins within two weeks of initial infection and manifests as an itching or tingling sensation followed by redness of the skin.
Finally, a blister forms. The blisters and subsequent ulcers that form when the blisters break are usually very painful to touch and may last from 7 days to 2 weeks.
HPV (human papillomavirus)
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that can be passed from one person to another through intimate skin-to-skin or sexual contact. There are many different strains of the virus. Some are more dangerous than others. Nearly every sexually active person will have HPV at some point.
Most types of HPV have no symptoms and cause no harm, and your body gets rid of them on its own. But some of them cause genital warts.
Others infect the mouth and throat. Still, others can cause cancer of the cervix, penis, mouth, or throat.
The CDC recommends young women and men ages 11 to 26 get vaccinated for HPV. Since there’s no treatment for HPV.
A Pap smear can show most cervical cancers caused by HPV early on. HPV is also among the types of sexually transmitted diseases.
Chlamydia
Chlamydia results from an infection with Chlamydia trachomatis. It is a common infection that can spread through anal, vaginal, and oral sex. A pregnant woman can also transmit it to the baby during delivery.
It can infect the urethra (bladder opening) and cervix (uterus opening). It is common in youngsters aged fifteen to nineteen. It is known to be the most prevalent bacterial STI in the United States.
chlamydia does not usually produce symptoms, but it can result in infertility and other complications if a person does not receive treatment for it. The disease is easily treated, but like other sexually transmitted infections, chlamydia tends to be silent and therefore go undiagnosed until it becomes more serious than in its early stages
If symptoms do occur, they may include a change in vaginal discharge and burning pain during urination.
Chlamydia which is among the types of sexually transmitted diseases, can also affect the rectum, if the infection occurs as a result of anal sex or if the infection spreads from another area. This can lead to:
rectal pain
rectal bleeding
rectal discharge
In those who do develop symptoms, these will usually appear 7–21 days after exposure to the bacterium.
Scabies among the types of sexually transmitted diseases
Oftentimes people of all races and backgrounds are affected by the infestation of sarcoptes scabiei mite, as well as the human itch mite worldwide, this infestation is generally known as scabies.
Sarcoptes scabiei, falls under the class of Arachnida and infect both human and animal at varying degrees.
In humans, the availability of mites will determine how contagious the infestation will be.
for instance, incrusted or Norwegian scabies {because it was first analyzed in Norway} is highly contagious due to thousands of these microscopic mites present. The availability of these mites is because of a compromised immune system like in the case of HIV/AIDS.
Crabs, or pubic lice
Pediculosis pubis is an infection of the genital area caused by the crab louse (Phthirus pubis).
The lice (commonly called crabs) are small bugs that are visible to the naked eye without the aid of a magnifying glass or microscope. Crabs, or pubic lice, usually attach to pubic hair. Sometimes, however, they can affect the hair in the armpits, mustache, beard, eyelashes, or eyebrows.
The treatment for pubic lice is usually with a 1% cream rinse of permethrin that is applied to the affected area and washed off after 10 minutes.
The first stage in the life cycle will be the appearance of the eggs, which lasts 6–10 days. After hatching, the lice will look like tiny crabs. They need blood to survive and will live for around 2–3 weeks. In the last day or two, the females will lay more eggs, and the cycle will continue.
Pubic lice can spread from person to person during close physical contact, including sexual contact. They can also transmit via shared towels or bed linen like in the case of scabies.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It is among the types of sexually transmitted diseases rated as a major global health problem. It can cause chronic infection and puts people at high risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer.
A safe and effective vaccine that offers 98-100% protection against hepatitis B is available. Preventing hepatitis B infection averts the development of complications including the development of chronic disease and liver cancer.
Once a person has the virus, it can remain in their semen, blood, and other bodily fluids.
Transmission is possible through:
sexual contact
using nonsterile equipment for injections
puncturing the skin with a sharp object where the virus is present
it can also be congenital although, as long as the nipples are not cracked, the risk of transmitting the virus through breast milk is negligible, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Trichomoniasis
Trichomoniasis, or trich, is caused by Trichomonas vaginalis it can affect both males and females, but females are more likely to experience symptoms
More women than men get trichomoniasis, which is caused by this tiny parasite.
Men and women can give it to each other through penis-vagina contact. Women can give it to each other when their genital areas touch.
In females, it is most likely to affect the vagina. In males, the infection can develop in the urethra.
Symptoms of trichomoniasis may include itching, burning, or sore genitals. You might also see a smelly, clear, white, yellowish, or greenish discharge. Others may include
pain during urination
pain during ejaculation
pain or discomfort during sex
Trich can also lead to pregnancy complications and increase the risk of both contracting and transmitting HIV.
These types of Sexually transmitted diseases are not to be neglected. If you think you have been exposed do well to see a physician.
Different pathogens bring about different types of sexually transmitted diseases is ideal you always take preventive and precautionary measures.
Hospital problems and solutions are to be explained in this article. Have you ever wondered about the difficulties faced by these healthcare institutions?
Hospitals face many challenges from within and outside of the health sector which indirectly affect the patients and staff.
In this article on hospital problems and solutions, we give a breakdown of the major hospital problems and solutions.
Introduction on hospital problems and solutions
The top hospital problems and solutions were extracted from data gotten from experts and general reviews and questionnaires, these problems are what most hospitals face daily and make the operation of the health institutions unbearable.
However, the good news is amidst these problems lies a solution kindly read through for possible solutions which are the way forward.
Challenges often present opportunities to do things differently and better. To find out more about current hospital problems and solutions we compile this article for easy digestion and as an opinion other than a suggestion.
10 hospital problems and solutions
Below is the list of 10 hospital problems and solutions everyone is expected to know:
Lack of internal communication
Financial instability
Deficiency of health workers
Government policy
Population management issue
Technological issues
Staff to a staff issue
Work overload
Inadequate facilities
Security
Ineffective internal communication
Internal communication is an essential factor in every organization, once there is a delay or lack of active media in conveying relevant information to the audience there is usually a breach of information which will be about the decapitation of any organization.
Ineffective internal communication is not limited within the hospital settings, for instance, how to communicate with patients outside the hospital environment is a clever approach.
Financial instability
Most problems hospitals face lie in financial issues, which are not limited to budget cuts from government funding, medicare reimbursement delays, increase or the attempt to decrease operational costs, insufficient funds to improve the facilities, and competition from other healthcare facilities offering the same services.
Deficiency of health workers
In this article on hospital problems and solutions, the deficiency of health workers in the hospital should be of utmost consideration. This problem in most hospitals had been there without anyone considering it. When there is a lack of health workers automatically, the patients suffer the impact.
equipment and medical devices in a modern operating room
This will be bringing about increased wait time, overstress of the few available workers, lack of specialization, and other detrimental impacts on the health system at large.
Unfavorable Government policy
Good policy by the governing bodies will lead to massive improvement of the health care system. When the policies are not favorable, the health system equally suffers the impact. Government policies like increased taxation on the hospital will in turn affect the operation of growing hospitals struggling with finances.
Population management issue
How a hospital manages the population it faces on daily basis becomes a big issue when the hospital fails to recognize the fact that a good management system will go a long way for the hospital’s growth.
An inadequate population management system will affect the authenticity of data compilation of the hospital.
Technological issues
With the advancement in technology, many health issues are curbed seamlessly however, when a hospital lacks technological standing it becomes an issue for such a hospital. Technology helps in so many sectors in the hospital from management, diagnoses to treatment.
Another issue relating to technology is the exposure of patient’s data, when all data are in a system it can be hacked once there is a breach in the security of the hospital.
Staff to a staff issue
In this article on hospital problems and solutions, staff issue is recognized here as an issue because when the health workers are not on good terms, the entire system becomes chaos. Issues that are meant to be discussed and deliberated upon by health workers for better evaluation and solution become very difficult to tackle because the staff-to-staff relation is unhealthy.
Work overload
This can be seen in hospitals without good management and sufficient staff. Work that for 10 persons is reserved for 5 making it difficult to deliver an efficient service. Work overload affects the total of the hospital operation.
Inadequate facilities
This issue is mostly caused by financial issues, as listed in this article of hospital problems and solutions, inadequate facilities are not limited to hospital equipment, it includes the structure of the hospital and the level of information communication technology.
Security
This is an issue in most hospitals, when the security architecture is faulty, the entire hospital suffers the impact.
Data security is also an essential tool that affects most hospitals, when the security is vulnerable the patients and entire staff of the hospital is vulnerable too.
Solutions to the above hospital problems
In this article on hospital problems and solutions, we point out the major issues hospitals face generally and the possible solutions to curb these problems.
Unity among health workers:
When health workers are united, they help in solving problems the hospital faces from time to time. The cardinal concern is how this unity could be achieved? When individuals with a common goal work together, get a better result.
Health workers should be evaluated properly to know they are fit for medical works keeping their differences behind in order to achieve excellence in their place.
Hospital policies to guide the actions of health workers are also an essential tool in achieving unity among health workers.
This will also go a long way in tackling government policies that are not favorable to the health care system.
High standard security architecture:
An outstanding security system can be achieved with proper management of the hospital also hospitals should consider trustworthy organizations in building up their security database and handpicking security personals in the course of employment.
High-security technologies should be made a priority in securing data and the entire hospital.
Fund sourcing:
Since the financial issue is one of the major challenges faced by hospitals, it is of utmost importance hospitals source a fund from other organizations, NGO,s and individuals. Hospitals should also consider going into partnership with higher organizations for financial relief.
The creation of monetary channels to finance a hospital is also a clever approach in curbing these problems hospitals face.
Adequate management body:
A hospital should make provision for assessment of the entire hospital’s growth looking into the managerial affairs of the hospital.
There should be no autonomy in the management of the hospital as such everything about a hospital can be accounted for. This will make individuals more responsible for their actions.
Specialization encouragement:
Specialization in every organization brings about the effectiveness of action. In the hospital, there is no exemption. Specialization can be encouraged by employing enough staff in the hospital which will be about the division of labor and will reduce work overload on the staff of the hospitals both clinical and non-clinical workers.
This is an essential approach in solving most of the problems faced by different hospitals globally.
Online doctors’ collaboration:
When hospitals collaborate to work with some firms that provide digital health services ranging from consultation to treatment and management, it will help reduce hospital time wait and work overload as such helping to solve some of these hospital problems.
Healthcare management problems and solutions
Let’s take a brief look at healthcare management problems and solutions. Healthcare management problems can be seen among the general hospital problems and solutions.
Healthcare management problems
The increased cost of management in the healthcare system
Inadequate healthcare management facilities
Few devoted personnel in the healthcare management sector
Vulnerability of data of the healthcare system
The increased cost of management in the healthcare system
A 2019 study by Deloitte showed that healthcare expenditure globally would rise to 10 trillion US dollars from 7.7 by 2022. This increasing cost of management in the healthcare system is the result of the increasing aging population globally.
When there is an increased financial need in the management system of any healthcare and there is not enough fund for these needs it becomes a great problem faced in managing the healthcare.
Inadequate healthcare management facilities
This is a healthcare management issue that needs urgent attention. Most healthcare lacks the standard facilities for management.
This also might lead to displacement and loss of data and information in the management system. However, one ought to know that healthcare management is a versatile one and requires advanced technologies and setups for effective operation although that will be seen in the solutions to these problems below.
Few devoted personnel in the healthcare management sector
When people in the management system are not devoted to their services, the whole system becomes faulty. Having the right people on board is key to better management in the healthcare system.
Vulnerability of data of the healthcare system
Most healthcare facilities are faced with the problem of being prone to attackers either cyber or other related attacks. Vulnerable healthcare is faced with many setbacks in its management.
Solutions to healthcare management problems
Below are some of the top solutions to hospital problems;
Firm support of the healthcare system
Considering the above-listed problems, different approaches for different problems is of our opinion to say that every healthcare should be supported in all ramifications both financially and otherwise by NGOs and other caring interested organizations.
Healthcare should also seek partnerships with other helpful organizations for effective management and running of the health care system.
Management data protection
In the same vein, information about the health system should be protected at all costs using advanced technologies and having the right security organizations working directly under health care management.
Let people’s opinions count
Healthcare management should be open to reviews and other necessary ways to monitor the advancement of and process of management. When you know that people that depend on you are watching you give your best in your services.
Healthcare managers
Division of labour
Division of labour should be encouraged in the healthcare management system at all courses and the qualified persons selected in the employment process. Healthcare managers are also to be thoroughly checked and deem fit for the service.
Conclusion on the 10 hospital problems and solutions
There are many hospital problems and solutions however, we selected the most trending ones different hospitals face globally.
It is also important to note that this article on hospital problems and solutions is for reference purposes and the solutions are not to be considered as adaptable except otherwise well researched considering your location and hospital.
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