INFLUENCES ON HEALTHCARE

Social, Political and Economic Influences on Healthcare

Social, Political and Economic Influences on Healthcare

Introduction

Social, political and economic influences tend to have significant influences on healthcare. This is mainly because of the fact that healthcare policies, reforms and provisions in a society are heavily reliant on the activities and trends that take place in the social political and economic dimensions of society (Guah, 2011; Thomas, 2003; Tritter, Koivusalo & Ollila, 2010; Whewell, 2010). Considering the magnitude of the recent developments in the fabric of society, modern society is now becoming increasingly complex, leading to the development of a scenario in which the slightest change can be expected to have a major trickle-down effect. This discussion will attempt to highlight the role and relevance of social, political and economic Influences on healthcare. In order to do so, the discussion will choose to give attention to the collective impact of social, political and economic factors on healthcare. It is imperative to highlight at this point that the purpose of this discussion is to place healthcare under the magnifying glass instead of diverting attention to the fluctuations in the society's Social, Political and Economic factors.

Discussion

Economic influences on healthcare are multi-dimensional in nature. This is because of the fact that they influence healthcare from two different ends: the giving end, as well as the receiving end (Guah, 2011; Tritter, Koivusalo & Ollila, 2010). In essence, the economic influences not only influence the standard, availability and quality of healthcare but also influence the extent to which society members choose to make use of healthcare services. However, the unique factor that is present in all healthcare systems around the world, is that consumers (regardless of their economic standing), demand improved healthcare systems (Guah, 2011; Whewell, 2010). Consumers are willing to go the extra mile and go beyond their financial limits to avail high quality healthcare services. In fact, it is common to find cases in which consumers choose to stretch their financial capacities in order to access as high a standard of healthcare as possible (Thomas, 2003; Tritter, Koivusalo & Ollila, 2010). At the other end, economic factors also influence the providers' end of healthcare services. These impacts become visible in the form of changes in healthcare services to consumers (Tritter, Koivusalo & Ollila, 2010; Whewell, 2010).

Changes in economic policies can have an impact on the treatment options that healthcare facilities provide to patients; by making the provision of services harder or easier for healthcare service providers (Thomas, 2003; Whewell, 2010). It is essential to note in this regard, that economic factors that influence healthcare are not constricted by regional limitations. This is usually most apparent in cases where healthcare facilities offer patients healthcare services that are based on the usage of imported goods (Guah, 2011; Thomas, 2003; Tritter, Koivusalo & Ollila, 2010; Whewell, 2010). A change in the healthcare policies of other countries can have an impact on the hospital on account of the goods that healthcare services import from those countries (Guah, 2011; Tritter, ...