Healthcare administration's impact on family, community, and global health

Relevance of Healthcare Administration to Society at Large

This paper addresses the relevance of healthcare administration to society at large as well as how it affects the technological and ecological environment, the commercial and industrial economies, the political and civil establishments, and the cultural and educational communities in society. Further this work will explain how healthcare administration is responsive to what happens to or directly affects societal at large on a local, national, and international basis.

The effects and impacts of healthcare administration upon society at large are of great import and deserving of consideration and research. Many are the initiatives under development that are proposed to solve critical problems in the administration of healthcare and just as well there are many crucial issues to be solved. One of these initiatives is the Family Pediatrics Task Force on the Family.

Family Pediatric: Task Force on the Family

Why a task force on the family?" is the question asked in the Pediatric 2003 Journal article entitled "Family Pediatrics: Task Force on the Family." The reason given, as an answer is that "Families are the most central and enduring influence in lives the health and well-being of children is inextricably linked to that of their parents." (Schor, 2004) This article states that due to the impacts in today's society of divorce that the pediatrician must pay attention to the financial capabilities of the child's legal guardian due to the fact that the proportion of children who live in poverty is "five times higher" than in the 1970's. The article states as well that: "Family-centered care, requires a productive partnership between the pediatrician and the family." However it is also stated that the "definition" of exactly what comprises a family is a problem in itself.

II. Community Issues

Access to medical care is a critical issue in today's world. In the report entitled "Shared Destiny: Community Effects of Uninsurance" the identification is made of "an array of potential societal consequences of uninsurance, beyond the well-known implications, for individual persons, families and uninsured persons as a group." The data reviewed is that which is associated with uninsurance and efforts in communities of access to care as well as the economic conditions and overall status.

The committee on the "Consequences of Uninsurance" through a series of case studies has found that "the adverse effects of uninsurance on the uninsured and the associated financial strain have spillover effects on health care institutions and providers." There is evidence that suggests negative outcomes on the availability of primary and preventive services, specialty services, emergency care and certain hospital services."

IV. Effects on Commercial and Industrial Aspects in Society

In a report entitled "Trading Health Services Across Borders: (GATS), Markets, and Caveats written is that "The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) is the result of an ongoing process of opening national markets to foreign health services within an international framework of trade agreements that prohibit discriminatory treatment of foreign suppliers. If healthcare is to be globalized then it will require that there be resources developed for the academic and corporate sectors of the developed society for empowering equitable and sustainable growth. Trading health services should be utilized as a tool in achieving the goals set out for the industry.

V. Cultural and Educational Impacts in Society

There are many consideration that must be given thought to in the medical community as the race, ethnicity as well as other factors vary among patients seeking medical treatment just as ethical standards differ from one area of the world to another. Therefore, the impact which healthcare generally has on the public is through many venues. One consideration given is in the area of "communications of treatment optimums via media networks and other health specific information due to the fact that many differences lie in accepted concepts or societal mores' of a group.

Summary and Conclusion

The relationship between individuals and access to medical care and essential medication procurement as well as the patient's success in obtaining medical care have both become major issues. Many times the drugs are not approved and this financial hardship is one that patients can do nothing about. Furthermore racial disparities affect the healthcare system in terms of mortality rates.

According to a "Health Affairs" article entitled Social Sources of Racial Disparity in Health it is stated that "The residential concentration of African-Americans is high and distinctive, and the related inequities of neighborhood environments, socioeconomic circumstances, and medical care." (Williams and Jackson, 2005) the medical community will be required to work together in harmony and as a whole in order to effectively address the health problems and then to provide some type of relief to those being left out and left behind in the health reform of the millennium.