The Health and Social care system is essential for society. And the management of the services it provides can make or break the system. The Health and Social Care industry on the whole has gone through some major changes due to better technology, new disease patterns, advances in research, etc.[i]
So the question is, what steps has management taken to adjust to these developments? Well, here is a look at the top 3 aspects in which Health and Social Care Management has changed in the last 5 years:
1. Patients are now Customers
Currently, there is a growing trend of consumerization of healthcare[ii]. With that, the role of management has shifted; it is now responsible for creating policies and directives to offer excellent patient experience while keeping costs down and maintaining quality.
Since Health and Social Care Management involves the business side of this industry, we are seeing changes in how these managers are utilising the patient flow to increase revenue while also creating new for-profit approaches such as premium hospital rooms and remote pharmacies.
2. Technology and Privacy
A few years ago hospitals started using technology such as software, apps, and tablets to offer transparent and swift patient care services.[iii]. This increased use of technology has generated some privacy issues for the management to handle.
Computer hacks and data breaches were not major issues for Health and Social Care Management teams some 5 years ago[iv]. Now managers’ job description entails maintaining a sophisticated IT security department and safeguarding the information of patients.
3. Do More with Less
For Health and Social Care Management professionals in the public sector, a challenge has been to provide quality services with limited government funding which is significantly inadequate compared to the needs of the population[v].
Although funding has been an issue for a long time, in the last 5 years the number of people who require the services has increased[vi]. Hence, a notable change in management has been the formation of new strategies for managing limited assets while maintaining service standards.
What does this mean?
Change is inevitable. The world is advancing at a fast pace and all industries are making adjustments to adapt. Health and Social Care Management today looks very different from 10 years ago[vii]. This is due to clinical innovations, more patient expectations from service providers, and the rise of technology in Health and Social Care Management, etc.
It should be interesting to look back 5 years from now and see how the industry changed due to the pandemic and new advancements.
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Citations:
[i] https://www.healthcareguys.com/2016/02/25/biggest-ways-healthcare-changed-last-century/
[ii] https://www.ubs.com/global/en/investment-bank/in-focus/covid-19/2020/consumerization-of-healthcare.html
[iii] https://www.labsexplorer.com/c/technology-in-healthcare-how-software-improves-medical-practice_216
[iv] https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20191210.216658/full/
[v] https://uk.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/79114_Chapter_1.pdf
[vi] https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/05/09/527453473/old-people-get-very-little-health-care-in-the-developing-world
[vii] https://streamlinehealth.net/HIM-blog/healthcare-analytics-changed-10-years/