Health Finance Management
1.0 Title
The working title of this research is initially drafted as Health Finance Management. Health care financial management refers to planning and controlling the activities affairs of the institution so that its health-related mission is achieved at a reasonable cost to the community.
2.0 Background
The healthcare industry is facing significant financial challenges and dilemmas. According to the World Bank, all health financing systems attempt at observing three basic principles of public finance. First focuses raising enough revenue for the purpose of providing individuals with basic packages of essential services and financial protection which can be used against medical expenses caused by illness and injury. Such endeavor should be taken in an equitable, efficient and financially sustainable manner. Second deals with the management of these revenues to pool health risks equitably and efficiently. Third is ensuring the purchase of health services in ways that are allocatively and technically efficient.
In developing countries, the ability to improve health outcomes, provide financial protection to the people and ensure customer satisfaction are the main factors to consider in providing basic health services. However, as Schieber (2006) puts it, there are some dilemmas that the healthcare industry will face. These are the fundamental demographic, epidemiological, economic and political constraints for both the needs base and the present and future economic circumstances in meeting these needs and the current health spending patterns in domestic levels as well as domestic resource mobilisation; risk pooling mechanisms in place including national health service systems, social health insurance, voluntary health insurance, and community-based health insurance; external financial flows; and government policies relating to health issues.
3.0 Statement of the Problem
Today, hospitals and health care providers are facing problematic issues and practical difficulties in keeping the organisation financially feasible. The pressure is on providing health care services while combating extreme cost demands. Despite of all the problems in the developing countries towards achieving a highly sustainable health financing, there are specific predicaments in the institution level. How the institutions could properly manipulate health care resources such as labor, supplies and capital in order to guarantee financial feasibility so that it can meet its immediate and long range objectives is the main problem.
Providing quality treatments for the patient is an outgrowth of organizationally and financially sustainable health institutions. There are external forces that influence the healthcare financial management such as rate regulating agencies, peer review organisation, prevailing charge profile, customary charge profile, preferred provider organisations, certificate of needs regulations, budgeting requirements for medical and technological advances and labor relation problems. These restraints and control of health care costs calls for shared responsibility or management by involvement.
However, the persons responsible could only do their best to control the costs but will not increase the productivity of the institution. How health finances are being managed, by whom and for what purposes is not known. Likewise, how these health care institutions combat the restraints impose by external forces as well as public and governmental critics will be addressed. How the health care delivery system of these institutions is being affected by financial management is also an issue to ponder on.
4.0 Objectives of the Study
The main purpose of the study is to determine how the financial aspect of the healthcare industry is being managed in the developing nations and how this particular subject affects how domestic health institutions deliver the basic health services to the people. In lieu with this, the following specific objectives will be accomplished
§ Analyse how hospitals and health care institutions managed their finances
§ Evaluate the factors that influence the sound health care financial management
§ Discern how healthcare financial management affects the delivery of basic services
§ Assess how the healthcare industry combat the challenges impose by external forces
5.0 Research Methodology
The research strategy that the study will utilize is the descriptive method as it intends to present facts concerning the nature and status of a situation, as it exists at the time of the study and to describe present conditions, events or systems based on the impressions or reactions of the respondents of the research (Creswell, 1994). Descriptive research is also concern with relationships and practices that exist, beliefs and processes that are ongoing, effects that are being felt, or trends that are developing (Best, 1970).
This research is also cross-sectional because of limited time. This research is a study of a particular phenomenon (or phenomena) at a particular time. (Saunders et al, 2003) Accordingly, cross-sectional studies often employ the survey strategy, and they may be seeking to describe the incidence of a phenomenon or to compare factors in different organizations.
In this study, primary and secondary research will be both incorporated. The reason for this is to be able to provide adequate discussion for the readers that will help them understand more about the issue and the different variables that involve with it. The primary data for the study will be represented by the survey results that will be acquired from the respondents. On the other hand, the literature reviews to be presented in the second chapter of the study will represent the secondary data of the study.
1.0 Reference
Best, J.W. (1970). Research in Education, 2nd Ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, Inc.
Creswell, J.W. (1994). Research design. Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.
Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2003). Research Methods for Business Students. 3rd Edition. Prentice Hall.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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