HEALTH MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT
DISCUSSION FORUM: (250 words) 3 references
Health services around the world are under-resourced. In New Zealand and many other countries, healthcare is a significant part of government and household expenditure, and is a major political issue. Funding, or lack of funding also impacts on the health of the population, and the ability of healthcare organisations to deliver services to the population.
Find an article on the funding of healthcare (newspaper, video, or journal) in New Zealand or another country and critically discuss how it presents information on the effects of funding on a healthcare organisation. Briefly summarise the content in a few sentences. Do you agree or disagree with the article? Is more funding the only answer to improving health services? Why or why not? Think like a manager!
Provide a link to the article.
For practice, also provide a reference for your article in APA style. The Library has a guide on how to prepare references.
Feel free to comment politely and critically on other forum discussions posts.
DISCUSSION POST - 250 words and 3 references
Health managers have to deal with many challenges. What do you think some of the major challenges are?
If you chose one of these challenges for Assessment 1, which one would it be and why?
Which managerial roles or functions will need to be applied to help meet this challenge?
You will find Chapter 1 and Chapter 15 of your textbook very helpful for this discussion.
DISCUSSION: 250 words and 3 references
This week we will look at the ideas and processes behind strategic management within healthcare.
Think of the organisation and the challenge that you have chosen for Assessment 1.
In what ways can the challenge be linked to the organisation's strategy or to the strategic management process?
For example, is the challenge something that requires a change in organisational strategy as it is major and requires a long-term strategic response? Challenges like this can include increased competition, changes in health policy or law, major demographic changes, or changes in economic conditions.
Read through the lecture slides and Chapter 10 of your textbook to help you with this.
DISCUSSION: 250 words and 3 references
In many industries, quality and productivity need to be balanced. Focussing too much on one can effect the other, sometimes in unexpected ways.
What do you think is most important in healthcare, improving productivity or improving quality? Why? Remember how difficult it is to balance the 'Iron Triangle' and the additional need to improve access to healthcare.
If any of you are thinking of looking at productivity or quality issues for your managerial challenge, you can comment on that and the managerial functions needed to balance these two important factors.