Sample Healthcare Systems Report

Healthcare Systems Report Sample

Assessment Description

The purpose of this individual assessment is to foster students’ capacity to utilise a systems-thinking approach further to develop an understanding of the Australian healthcare system and its ability to provide care and prevent illness. Students will use data to predict the role and influence of preventative strategies and technology on demand for healthcare in the future, focusing on vulnerable populations. They will debate the ethical issues that can arise in managing health care systems and actively consider ways for systems and management challenges to be resolved. In addition, they will create an inventory of resource requirements applicable to a variety of healthcare settings, focusing on vulnerable populations.

Assessment Instructions

This assessment requires students to build on the analysis undertaken in Assessment 2, where a specialist health service’s preparedness to meet the needs of Australia’s ageing population was considered.

The analysis, to date, has used systems thinking approach and has been based on the WHO six building blocks of a health system framework.

1) Service Delivery

2) Health Workforce

3) Information

4) Medical Products, Vaccines and Technologies

5) Financing

6) Leadership and Governance (Stewardship).

In this assessment, students should provide a concise overview of the service and the main findings from Assessment 2. Then, through their research and analysis (systems thinking), focus on identifying how quality services and responsiveness to the needs of an ageing Australian population are maintained and enhanced by the service and its service providers.

To achieve the assessment requirements, the report should be constructed accordingly:

1) Executive summary

2) Concise overview of the service and the main findings from Assessment 1.

3) Examination of how quality service provision is maintained and enhanced by the service.

4) Examination of responsiveness to the needs of an ageing Australian population and how it may be enhanced by the service.

5) Examination of ethical issues and considerations related to service delivery decisions and vulnerable populations.

6) Recommendations for future action.

7) References - A minimum of 15 references, at least 8 of these should be academic journals. Harvard referencing method applies.

To explore the full breadth of maintaining and enhancing quality service provision, students should consider the interconnectedness between the health service and the broader system of the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards, the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) for health practitioners maintained by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (AHPRA) and other professionals who self-regulate under the banner of the National Alliance of Self Regulating Health Professions (NASRHP).To provide a context for discussion, students should utilise appropriate standards to assist them in providing substantial examples of how quality services and responsiveness to the needs of an ageing Australian population are maintained and enhanced by the service and its service providers. For example (this is not an exhaustive list):

• NSQHS: Clinical Governance Standard, Action 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.15.
• NSQHS: Partnering with Consumers Standard, Action 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6.
• AHPRA: Continuing Professional Development.
• AHPRA: Recency of Practice.
• SA Health: Allied Health Clinical Governance Framework.

Solution

Overview

The service that has been selected in this study is screening and treatment of breast cancer among the aged woman along with prevention measures that are formulated to mitigate the various risks. 25% of the total population of Australia are aged 65 years and above. It is also found out that the rate of aged population is going to increase by the end of 2055 (Manyazewal 2017).

In Australian health care system hospitals in the state of Victoria have upgraded organizational website that are effective in providing regular updates about each department. For Assignment Help They also provide updates so that elderly women can access the right treatment of cancer, books appointment on time in radiology section and more. Government also supports these elderly people with providing healthcare insurance, regular training session, interconnected and interdependent approach among the hospitals. In this study Breast Cancer screening service and treatment process in Bendigo Hospital has evaluated including challenges in their service process, gaps as well as opportunities. This report also identify the ethical considerations that the organization follow maintaining the privacy and dignity of their aged women patients who are suffering from the breast cancer. A future recommendation also given after this to mitigate the gaps those are existing in their service process.

Organizational overview

Bendigo hospital is the largest regional hospital in the Victorian region. The development project that has initiated in this hospital are worth $AUD 630 million with a specific aim in providing the welcoming, holistic and supportive environment for the service users (ArchDaily 2021). In the previous assignment it has observed that organizations in Victorian region are facing issues like fund unavailability, high staff turnover rate however at the same time use of latest technology and digitalization are being helpful to develop a smoother service. In external aspect, the political impact is highly evidenced through the changes of policies. The most challenging factor is the economic condition that is affecting the budget of the hospitals. From the Assignment 2 it has evaluated that the healthcare system of is constantly evaluating itself along with upgrading their tools, learning process in order to enhance the quality of their service and also for supporting the health progress in ageing population.

Analysis of the Challenges, Gaps and Opportunities

Standard of Care and Support

Bendigo hospital offers a range of comprehensive specialist care across the medical and healthcare disciplines. This organization provides services in emergency, maternity, women’s health, pathology, cardiology, aged care, cancer service and more. Referring to the interconnectedness of organizations and broader system of healthcare standards a detail understanding can be made to define the key standards of healthcare support and practices. Referring to the NSQHS (National Safety and Quality Health Service) clinical governance standards ensure that organizations must follow a clinical governance framework that ensure that the consumers can receive high quality care and safe service (Australian Government 2021). With this guideline, the organisation also provides a transparent informative guideline for patient who is taking an appointment for breast cancer screening. Through the website of the organization they clearly inform about density measurement, radiation, diagnosis and various screening programs.

The Bendigo hospital has built up a multi-disciplinary workforce which includes a skilled medical team that also has sub specialdepartments. In this aspect, the hospital is following the patient safety, quality improvement and safe environment in delivery of care for the cancer patients. In detailing about Bendigo hospital the organization follows Optimal Care Pathways for safe, consistent and high quality delivery of evidence based care system for people with cancer (Australian Commission 2021). This clinical governance framework is acquainted with the process of partnering with other health care bodies. As in this case of Bendigo hospital the health organization provides radiotherapy and radiation services with the partnership of Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Bendigo Health 2021). While this service standard is properly maintained by the organization, another aspect that is highlighted at the same time is National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) which is highly important for all regulated health professionals for ensuring to deliver high quality care and maintain the consistency. It is helpful in saving time for health professionals who works in states and territories of Australia (The Department of Health 2021). According to the organizational website the health organization has included diagnostic imaging accreditation scheme in relation to policies and procedures. For the registration process of the medical practitioners the hospital focuses to use the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registration documentation. Under this, Bendigo hospital provides scope for every health service user that they can complain about the health professionals in case unsafe behavior, disrespect or inattentiveness.

Understanding of The Challenges

Referring to the strong consistency level with the above standards in medical practices, it can be referred that Bendigo has been continuing to focus on the effective health practices and development. They are committed in maintaining their employment relationship with strong focus on the policies and procedures (Bendigo Health 2021). Despite these excellences the area where this organization is giving issues in providing effective care towards the aged women breast cancer patients is the impact of Covid-19 for which they are facing difficulties for giving radiology appointments, support service and sometimes basic medical treatments. It is also seen that the hospital staffs are notifying about the emergency needs of patients due to irregular medical intervention among the breast cancer aged women (Dinh-Le et al. 2019).

Besides the barrier of pandemic impact, Bendigo hospital has been facing issues of the inadequate co-operation from the aged women of breast cancers as they often ignore the daily activities, food or nutritional suggestions. Along with this, the treatment phases are also intervened as there are only 7 radiation oncologists in this hospital (Peter Mac 2021). Apart from breast cancer these group of medical practitioners also assigned to take care of various other cancers. Additionally, while it comes to deal with the cancer patients and adult ones they require more time and attention to be supported with proper medical help. Being the largest hospital with consisting service support in Victoria region, a large number of adult women with breast cancer comes to this hospital. It is really challenging for the hospital to deal with a large number of consumer with limited number of medical practicing teams. In addition to this as identified in above part the projected number of cancer patients will increase rapidly in future years. From this aspect the present capacity of supporting the need of aged women breast cancer patients is rare.

Identification of The Gap

Referring to the future health opportunities, it is evident that the use of technology will be the most in delivering the most effective service and care support management. Clinical decision support system is the computer based information process where the health care providers can access strong aid with the help of technology. Though the Bendigo hospital is efficient in dealing with the strong consistency of care support yet their role is limited in developing a collaborative care support or depending completely on the medical practitioners’ knowledge and skills. While the development of the technology is highly effective to deal with the medical ground, Bendigo has still not implemented any such automation process within their service system. It is highly possible that the organization may face issues regarding the extended dosage and flaws in medical checkup of the patients who will be suffering from the breast cancer. Another aspect that requires to be mentioned here is that Bendigo hospital does not have its own radiation treatment service. They have to depend on another clinic in providing chemotherapy for the cancer patients. Identification of this gap in their service process is effectiveto reduce the trust and dependency of the cancer patients on the organization.

Referring to The Opportunities

There are multiple opportunities that can be referred for the support and development of the gaps of Bendigo hospital. Among these the aged women breast cancer patients will be supported if they are treated with technological development. For instance, delivery of remote checkup, home based care support will be highly appreciated if properly implemented by this organization. They also require implementing completed in-house cancer treatment process including radiology system so that the process of chemotherapy will be easier (McAlearney et al. 2016).As for example, the use of genetic mapping still under research and it is assumed that there is high possibility for the cancer cure from the interchange of genetic structure. Xenotransplantation is also another process that is still under concern however will be effective to support the individual patients with transplantation of living cells.

Ethical Considerations

Bendigo Health Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) is responsible for all type of ethical practices including the patients, clients, staffs and resources. Referring to the ethical guidelines it is seen that HREC of Bendigo has the role of protection and welfare of the rights of the participants. They specifically focus on the National Health and Medical Research council for proposing of the research projects, monitoring on the projects and approval of the project to maintain the ethical standards. In terms of providing the support to the aged women who are suffering from cancer it is essential that each of the individuals are equally treated and supported. HREC of Bendigo hospital usually provides strong guidelines, training and support for the medical practitioners who are in the service of vulnerable groups (Bendigo Health 2021). Along with this they also evaluate the work force operation process in order to determine wheather they are maintaining the ethical standard in clinical process and follow the organizational rules or not. Along with this evaluation of ethical support is also provided at Bendigo with the feedback evaluation and accessing feedback from the customers. At this area organization provides scope to the customers to tell on behavioral conduct, disrespect towards the privacy and safety issues. These are helpful in managing the entire organizational process efficiently and enable the ethical guidelines throughout the organization. Apart from this, they have to follow the basic consent level including autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice (Runciman, Merry& Walton 2017).

Concerning these ethical points, Bendigo is highly concerned for their cancer patients that all of their medical practitioners must take consent from the patient before providing any specific treatment to them. They take care that before any screening process individual disclosure is maintained by the medical practitioners about possible risks, benefits, nature of the procedure and more (Bendigo Health 2021). In terms of beneficence, the best interest standard that is every breast cancer sufferer assured that they are being treated by the most skilled and knowledgeable person. Though providing ration therapy or chemo treatment is not entirely helpful in physical wellbeing yet the cancer patients have to undergo this process. In terms of ethical guideline of non-maleficence it can be said that patients are properly informed about the harm that they can face while taking the radiation therapy. Finally, Bendigo also maintains the ethical practice of justice that is treating every of their breast cancer patients equally and support them with every possible technology that they have to provide earliest cure as possible by them.

Recommendations for Future Action

Reviewing the present needs of the patient care and management of the Bendigo hospital it can be referred that the Clinical decision support system will be the one that will be most effective in managing decisions timely and quickly. As opined by Zikos&DeLellis(2018) inclusion of CDSS analysis is helpful in managing clinical decisions and diagnosis every time the medical staffs providing care or medical help. Under this process, Bendigo hospital can create a digital log book where they can review every clinical parameters of the patient while treating them or making them ready for an operation. It is specifically helpful for the medical practitioners who are dealing with breast cancer patients as they can review allergic reactions to medicine, previous medical history, and therapeutic duplication alert. People who have to undergone a surgery due to breast cancer at old age require strong monitoring and observation which will be more effective to make with this system.

Reference list