The healthcare industry
The healthcare industry is currently in the wake of embracing vital aspects in its operation. These aspects include digitization, value for patients, addiction treatment, telemedicine, among others(Meyer, 2018). This industry has lagged in a long time due to poor implementation of policies, but its change of attitude is an indication that it is headed in the right direction. This radical change is so rapid and monumental, but this does not mean that the healthcare industry is free of challenges. Over the years, the provision of high-quality healthcare has been an elusive dream. With the aging population, there is a sharp rise in demand for affordable and quality healthcare. This essay will pinpoint some of the challenges and possible remedies to combat the situation.
Firstly, the cost of healthcare in America is high and outrageous. Statistics show that the US spent 17.1% of its gross domestic product on healthcare alone in 2013 (Squires & Anderson, 2015). An average American resident spent $1,074 in the year 2013. The best remedy for this undoing is that federal agencies with interest in the healthcare sector should reform current laws like the reliance on harmful healthcare taxes. Besides, new policies should be enacted to address issues like high healthcare administrative costs by lowering them.
The healthcare industry faces significant challenges related to preventable medical errors. In the US alone, close to 100,000 people die because of either surgical complications or misdiagnosis. As if that is not enough, the country and its affected victims, channels close to $20 billion to intervene. This problem can be addressed by conducting research and offering quality education to medical practitioners and personnel to lower these dire statistics.
Poor health population is another daunting challenge in the healthcare industry. In the US, for example, there is a high infant mortality rate, and their average life expectancy is 78.8 years (Squires & Anderson, 2015). In comparison to other first world countries like France, Germany, and Swiss, the US ranks bottom on that list. This challenge can be taken care of through change of lifestyle, increase of insurance cover on citizens, and reducing road accidents and violence.
In conclusion, the healthcare industry is frantically trying to improve its operations to par with other sectors. Significant steps are being taken to digitize the system, including other implementations. However, the system faces several challenges with high costs and medical errors topping the list. It indicates that more needs to be done to put the situation into control.