FACTORS AFFECTING THE

HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
UNIT 5
OBJECTIVES
Topic For Discussion

Discussing the factors that affect the

quality of services provided by Health
Care systems

Determining solutions to problems

arising from the factors affecting the
Health Care systems

Designing preventive measures for such

factors affecting Health Care System
Introduction
The topic of factors affecting the healthcare
system revolves around understanding the various
elements that impact the delivery, accessibility,
and quality of healthcare services in a particular
context. These factors can include aspects such as
infrastructure, workforce, financial resources,
policies, socio-economic conditions, and more. By
examining these factors, we gain insights into the
challenges and opportunities
l within a healthcare
system, helping us identify areas for improvement
and develop strategies to enhance the overall
healthcare experience for individuals and
communities. Understanding these factors is
crucial for policymakers, healthcare providers, and
stakeholders to make informed decisions and
implement effective interventions that positively
impact healthcare delivery and outcomes.
Understanding the factors that affect the healthcare system
is of significant importance for several reasons:

Policy Development
A thorough understanding of these factors helps
policymakers develop evidence-based policies and
strategies to address the challenges and gaps within the
healthcare system.

Resource Allocation
By identifying the factors that impact healthcare
delivery, policymakers and healthcare administrators
can allocate resources effectively.

Quality Improvement
Understanding these factors helps healthcare providers
and administrators identify areas where quality
improvement initiatives are needed.
Health Equity
Examining these factors helps in identifying disparities and inequities within the
healthcare system

Healthcare Planning

Knowledge of these factors is essential for effective healthcare planning. It helps in

forecasting future healthcare needs, identifying emerging health issues, and developing
strategies to meet the evolving demands of the population

Collaboration and Partnerships

Understanding these factors promotes collaboration among various stakeholders,

including government agencies, healthcare providers, communities, and non-
governmental organizations.

Health System Strengthening

A comprehensive understanding of the factors affecting the healthcare system enables

targeted interventions that strengthen the overall system.
Factors Affecting the Quality of
Health Care Services
The term "quality of healthcare services" is a
holistic expression that implies a host of
features like the healthcare infrastructure,
Healthcare professionals, Patient-centered
care, Access to care, Patient safety, Health
information systems, Patient satisfaction and
feedback, and Resource allocation. Each of the
above factors contributes to the main "quality
of healthcare service" and cannot be ignored
in any way. Every hospital must pay attention
to each of these individual factors to achieve
optimum quality of healthcare services.
What are the factors influencing the quality of
healthcare services?

1. Healthcare Infrastructure

Adequate infrastructure, including well-equipped hospitals, clinics,

and medical facilities, is essential for delivering quality healthcare
services. Access to advanced medical technologies, diagnostic
l
equipment, and appropriate facilities contributes to accurate
diagnoses and effective treatments. Examples are Medical Equipment
and Technology.

Medical Equipment

overseen by a responsible lead, ensures that appropriate

medical equipment is available and fit-for-purpose, as
l
required for the delivery of high quality clinical services.
Technology

Technology systems should support the delivery of information to

ensure patients, carers and health
l professionals can access
information they need, when they need it.

2. Healthcare Professionals

Competent and skilled healthcare professionals are crucial for

delivering high-quality care. Factors such as their knowledge,
expertise, communication skills, and professionalism directly
influence service quality. Well-trained and motivated healthcare
professionals contribute to improved
l patient outcomes and
experiences. Examples; include physicians, nurses, nurse
practitioners, physician's assistants, pharmacists, social workers,
dietitians, physical and occupational therapists, and medical
technologists.
3. Patient-Centered Care

Patient-centered care focuses on meeting the individual needs, preferences, and values of
patients. Factors such as effective communication, shared decision-making, respect for
patient autonomy, and addressing psychosocial and emotional aspects of care contribute
to service quality. Healthcare providers who
l
engage patients as partners in their care
promote better health outcomes and patient satisfaction. Examples: quality of care,
Quality health services should be: effective; safe; people-centred; timely; equitable;
integrated; and efficient.
Effective Safe People-centred

providing evidence- avoiding harm to providing care that

based healthcare people for whom the responds to individual
services to those who care is intended preferences, needs and
need them values

Timely Equitable Integrated Efficient

providing care that does not maximizing the
reducing waiting providing care that makes
vary in quality on account of
times and sometimes available the full range of benefit of available
gender, ethnicity,
harmful delays geographic location, and health services resources and
socio-economic status throughout the life course avoiding waste
4. Access to Care
Timely and equitable access to
healthcare services is fundamental
for quality care. Factors such as
geographical barriers, availability of
healthcare facilities, affordability,
and waiting times for
l
appointments can influence access
and subsequently impact service
quality. Ensuring that healthcare
services are accessible to all
individuals promotes equitable and
high-quality care.
5. Health Information Systems
Efficient health information
systems that enable accurate and
timely documentation, data
exchange, and communication
among healthcare providers
enhance service quality.
l
Access to
comprehensive and patient’s latest
information supports informed
decision-making, care coordination,
and patient safety.
6. Patient Satisfaction and Feedback

Measuring patient satisfaction and capturing

patient feedback provide valuable insights into
service quality. Incorporating patient
perspectives, experiences, and expectations
helps identify areas for improvement, enhance
patient engagement, l and deliver patient-
centered care. Patient satisfaction is an
important and commonly used indicator for
measuring the quality in health care. Patient
satisfaction affects clinical outcomes, patient
retention, and medical malpractice claims
7. Resource Allocation

Adequate allocation of resources, including

financial resources, staffing levels, and
infrastructure, is critical for delivering quality
l
healthcare services. Insufficient resources can
hinder the availability, accessibility, and
effectiveness of care, affecting service quality.
Problem Identification
Factors affecting the healthcare system can lead to specific
problems and challenges that impact patient safety, health
outcomes, and the healthcare experience. Some key issues
includes the following:

1. Healthcare Provider Shortage

Not enough healthcare professionals, leading to
longer wait times and limited access to
specialized care. Example, Increased Workload
on Existing Providers. In situations where there
l
is a shortage of healthcare providers, the
existing healthcare professionals often face
increased workloads and high patient-to-
provider ratios.
2. Unequal Access to Healthcare
Disparities in access based on income, location,
and social factors, resulting in delayed or
inadequate care for certain populations. For
example, people in rural areas face barriers to
l
accessing care due to low density of providers
and longer travel times to care, as well as more
limited access to health coverage
3. Communication and Coordination Problems

Poor communication among healthcare providers

and fragmented care, leading to errors, delays, and
compromised patient safety. Lack of
communication creates situations where medical
errors can occur. These errors have the potential to
cause severe injury or unexpected patient death.
Medical errors, especially those caused by a failure
to communicate, are a pervasive
l problem in today's
health care organizations. Example, Inconsistent
communication channels. Having inconsistent
communication channels, which means random
switches between tools, is a communication
challenge many of today’s employees frequently
deal with.
4. Limited Health Literacy

Low understanding of healthcare information

among patients, leading to misunderstandings, non-
adherence, and poorer outcomes. Nearly 9 out of 10
adults struggle with health literacy. Even people
with high literacy skills may
l have low health literacy
skills in certain situations. For example, someone
who is stressed and sick when they’re accessing
health information may have trouble remembering,
understanding, and using that information.
5. Medication Errors

Mistakes in prescribing, administering, or understanding

medications, resulting in adverse reactions and treatment
complications. Examples of medications errors are
Prescribing, Omission, Wrong time. Unauthorized drug.
Improper dose. Wrong dose prescription/wrong dose
preparation. Administration errors include the incorrect route
of administration, giving the drug to the wrong patient, extra
dose, or wrong rate. Medication errors are most common at
l
the ordering or prescribing stage. Typical errors include the
healthcare provider writing the wrong medication, the wrong
route or dose, or the wrong frequency. These ordering errors
account for almost 50% of medication errors. Data show that
nurses and pharmacists identify anywhere from 30% to 70%
of medication-ordering errors. It is obvious that medication
errors are a pervasive problem, but the problem is
preventable in most cases.
6. Limited Health Information Exchange

Inefficient sharing of patient information

between providers, resulting
l in fragmented
records, delays, and gaps in care.

7. Insufficient Patient Engagement

Lack of patient involvement in decision-making,

leading to care that l doesn't align with
preferences and reduced treatment adherence. .
8. Inadequate Resources and Funding

Insufficient financial resources and outdated infrastructure,

impacting timely and quality care. l
When healthcare services lack
sufficient financial support, the following can occur;

Lack of equipment and facilities- Insufficient funding can lead to

a shortage of modern equipment, technology, and healthcare
facilities.
l
Shortage of experts and professional staff- Limited financial
support can contribute to a shortage of an adequate number of
healthcare professionals, such as doctors, nurses, and other
specialists.
These challenges can have a significant impact,
including compromised patient safety,
increased costs, poorer outcomes, reduced
satisfaction, and decreased trust in the
healthcare system. Addressing these issues
requires interventions such as improving
workforce capacity, enhancing communication
and coordination, promoting health literacy,
implementing infection control measures,
investing in health information exchange,
fostering patient engagement, and ensuring
adequate resources and funding. These efforts
can enhance patient safety, improve outcomes,
and provide a better healthcare experience.
Solutions to the problem affecting the
healthcare system.
1. Promote patient education and
empowerment

Patient empowerment is critical for

improving patient outcomes, increasing
patient satisfaction, and providing high-
quality care. Hospitals that prioritize
patient empowerment can create a
culture of patient-centered care that
leads to better health outcomes for
patients and a better overall hospital
experience
2. Invest in technology for efficient health
information exchange

Use technology like electronic health

records to securely and seamlessly share
patient information among healthcare
providers, improving coordination and
patient engagement.

3. Foster a culture of safety and continuous

improvement

Prioritize patient safety by creating an

environment that encourages reporting,
learning from mistakes, and ongoing
improvement of processes.
4. Ensure equitable access to care through
policy interventions

Take steps to eliminate disparities and

ensure all individuals have fair and
timely access to healthcare services,
regardless of their background or
location.

5. Allocate sufficient resources for

healthcare infrastructure and staffing

Ensure adequate funding, facilities,

technology, and staffing levels to provide
quality care and meet patient needs
effectively.
Firstly, it enables the ability to provide adequate services and
care to patients. Secondly, having the appropriate number of
healthcare staff is crucial to fill workforce gaps and ensure the
quality of service. Lastly, sufficient resources in healthcare
infrastructure and staffing are related to the resilience and
readiness of the healthcare system.
CONCLUSION
Healthcare systems must take a multi-faceted approach to address the
factors that affect service quality, patient safety, and health outcomes.
Preventive measures include promoting patient education and
empowerment, investing in technology, fostering a culture of safety and
continuous improvement, and allocating resources for healthcare
infrastructure and staffing. This approach can enhance service quality,
prioritize patient safety, improve health outcomes, and deliver a better
overall healthcare experience. Designing
l preventive measures for factors
affecting the healthcare system is essential for multiple reasons. It
promotes public health, reduces the burden of diseases, enhances the
efficiency of healthcare resources, reduces health disparities, and fosters
a proactive approach to healthcare. By investing in prevention, we can
create a healthier population, alleviate the strain on healthcare services,
and ultimately build a more sustainable and equitable healthcare
system.
THANK
YOU
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