Stakeholder identification and analysis in healthcare systems

Stakeholder Analysis

Identification of Stakeholders

Stakeholder Communication

Identification of Stakeholders

Stakeholders are defined as those groups of people or individuals who have the potential to exert influence on an organization. They are the individuals or groups that help businesses and organizations to be successful.

Stakeholders have certain expectations from the company in a very similar manner as an organization needs support from the stakeholders and hence the assessment of the degree to which these expectations are managed to be satisfied by the organization in a balanced fashion is a value that indicates the current and future performance of the organization.

There are two essential groups of stakeholders in relation to any company -- internal and external. The stakeholders who normally are not in the pay role of an organization and who are not directly associated with the company are termed as external stakeholders. One the other hand the people directly connected to an organization are known as internal stakeholders.

The stakeholders for the health care system are:

1) Consumers who are generally the patients, the caregivers, and the patient advocacy organizations.

These are the people or groups who receive the services from the health care organizations and industry. For health care sector it is important that these stakeholders remain satisfied and their opinion is vital for enhancement of the reputation of the health care organization.

4) Purchasers and payers

A very important role in the health care sector is played by these stakeholders as they provide coverage for treatment to patients and influences the diagnostic and treatment choices.

5) Health care industry associations

This stakeholder helps provide guidance and shapes the future policies for the sector.

6) Health care policymakers at the Federal, State, and local levels

Based on the best available evidence, the rules and regulations at all levels are formed by the policy makers that influence the health care decisions about what works well and what does not. The policy makers role is important as stakeholders as they makes plan for public health programs and designing of health insurance coverage and all other polices and guidelines that need to be followed in all aspects of health care.

7) Health care researchers and research institutions

The development of new methods and means of treatment are researched and found out by the researchers and institutions.

Stakeholder Analysis

In order to gain an insight into the possible reactions of stakeholders, managers and organizations use this tool.

In the health care industry, clinicians and their professional associations and health care institutions are internal stakeholders while patients, purchasers and payers, health care industry associations and policymakers are the external stakeholders.

Stakeholder analysis is important for any organization or industry because the stakeholders' interests are brought to light, helps identification of potential conflicts, helps to identify the viability in terms of non-economic factors, an overview of stakeholder position is made available and the identification of possible new coalition with stakeholders is possible.

To analyse the role, importance and influence of stakeholders related to the health care industry, we would use the stakeholder's grid.

Stakeholder's Grid

Power/Influence

High

Keep Satisfied

Health care organizations needs to keep the patients, patient advocacy groups satisfied with the range, quality and delivery of services. The regulatory authorities or the policy makers also need to be kept satisfied.

Key Players

The key players are patients, purchasers and payers, the policy, the advocacy groups and the researchers.

Low

Minimal Effort

Health care industry associations, Health care researchers and research institutions require the least effort to keep satisfied

Keep Informed

Government and policy makers, customers

Low

High

Level of Interest

Stakeholder Communication

The health care organizations should communicate with the internal stakeholders through informal systems. These communication systems mostly include face-to-face communications. The importance of the stakeholders decide the means and ways of communication and the personal and informal means of communication are one of the most important and effective ways of communication. This can also include personal communications via traditional means and modern systems of communication.

More formal means and ways of communication like memos, reports and compliance reports are used for effective communication to external stakeholders who do not have a direct relation with the sector or the organization. .