How Changing Demographics Affect Healthcare Industry
Introduction
As the country grows older, bigger, and more diverse, the composition of its population also continues to evolve in ways that affect the health industry. For instance, changes in ethnicity, population size, race, age, etc. affect the resources needed to provide care for the populations, the costs needed for care to be provided, and the conditions associated with different population groups. For healthcare organizations to be able to provide healthcare services to the dynamic populations, therefore, they must adapt quickly and implement certain reforms. However, adaption and reforms must be based on an understanding of different changes in the US demographics and how they can affect the health industry. The focus of this paper is to discuss some of these demographic changes and how they can impact healthcare provision in the USA.
Demographic Changes and Impacts on Healthcare Industry
Aging Populations
It is anticipated that by the year 2050, persons aged 65 years and above will constitute about 20.2 percent of the American populations. This shift will strain the healthcare industry in so many ways. According to a 2008 report by the Institute of Medicine, the healthcare workforce will be ill-equipped and too small to meet the health needs of older persons. New health reforms will be ushered in: health systems and hospitals will need to partner with other payers and providers to create a patient care continuum that is complete. Additionally, hospitals will be required to hire more specialists in conditions and diseases of older populations, such as hospice and palliative care, chronic diseases, and providers who will assist older persons deal with end-of-life issues.
Racial Diversity
America is a racially diverse country, with Latinos being the most populated race, followed by Black or African Americans. Each of these racial groups has dynamic socioeconomic concerns, such as lack of access to healthcare services, or lack of medical insurance. A number of medical experts have also argued that African/Black Americans are more vulnerable to conditions such as diabetes as compared to whites, while Latinos are more likely to face lupus. As such, health systems and hospitals must always assess the healthcare needs of their communities and accommodate their different socioeconomic needs and specific healthcare requirements. Populations’ census in America is conducted after ten years, which is a very long time. This implies that the makeup of America’s population can change at any time. Health organizations must, therefore, rely on data from relevant agencies to plan their needs.
Religious and Cultural Diversity
These two factors also affect the healthcare industry in so many ways. For instance, some cultures forbid male physicians from seeing female patients, while other cultures have alternative and complementary remedies that can be harmful. Health care organizations must, therefore, keep the traditions and religious beliefs of its populations in mind, and must incorporate them into their planning needs. Health professionals should also be mindful of the traditional and religious differences within the comminutes where they practice and must relate with their patients respectfully when they believe that religious and cultural preferences can put patients in harm’s way.
Health administrators should ensure that hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, care centers, and clinics run smoothly and that they provide healthcare services to different demographics just was Jesus healed paralytic women and men, dozens of leprous and blind people, etc. during his ministry on earth. They may not possess the miraculous powers that Jesus had, but they can ensure that healthcare systems provide hope and healing to the sick. They can apply biblical leadership principles to lead health professionals and teach them how to resolve conflicts and how to give servanthood services. Jesus himself was a master, yet he lowered himself to the position of a servant, and healthcare professionals should emulate his example.
Conclusion
The focus of this essay was to explore some of the ways in which changing demographics in America are affecting or are likely to affect healthcare. As the country continues to grow in population, so do the populations also change in terms of age, race, beliefs, etc. For health systems and hospitals to be able to offer health services to the different populations, they must assess their different socioeconomic and healthcare needs and incorporate them into their plans. Health administrators should also ensure that providers ready themselves to offer services to the changing demographics in ways that are respectful and hope-going.
References
Borkowski, N. (2016). Organizational behavior in health care. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.