CLINICAL ISSUES IN HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT

 Running Head: CLINICAL ISSUES IN HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT 1
Clinical Issues in Healthcare Management
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CLINICAL ISSUES IN HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT 2
Provision of healthcare is one of the fundamental roles that governments and the
private sectors must get right because the lives of people are at stake. Effective healthcare
management and provision depend on the collaboration between the two. However, there are
clinical challenges that frustrate the handwork of the private and public sectors. These
obstacles have become more complex due to globalization, political, social and economic
dynamics. Healthcare management is facing some issues today and effective strategies are
needed to address them in order to ensure that the provision of healthcare services improves.
According to Llewellyn (2001), one of the main clinical issues in healthcare
management is the confusing self-identity among the professionals. The healthcare managers
have conflicting values and as a result are unable to effectively distinguish their management
roles. These professionals claim that they have no distinct roles assigned to them (Llewellyn,
2001). Usually, there is confusion in the distribution of duties among the healthcare providers
which compromises the service delivery especially in cases of emergencies.
The recruitment problems hospitals face is another major clinical issue in the
healthcare management (Loo & Thorpe, 2004). It has become increasingly difficult for these
institutions to attract competent managers and if they do, it is a challenge to retain them. In
other words, there is a shortage of skilled labor in the healthcare sector. In most cases, the
hospitals have to operate with few healthcare management officials or none. The lack of
proper management systems puts the operations of the hospitals in jeopardy, as it takes long
to get the responsibilities done (Savage & Scott, 2004).
The ever-changing patient demographics such population size, race and age have an
impact on healthcare management. As patient demographics change, there is a need to amend
the health-care resources needed and their costs to accommodate these variations (Fitzpatrick
& Ellingsen, 2013). The healthcare managers are overwhelmed in their quest to reform their
field of specialization to handle the changes experienced or expected. The anticipated
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demographic change in the United States by 2050 where the old population will increase by
20.2% is a possible clinical issue in healthcare management which becomes more challenging
when those responsible fail to plan for the resources well (Fitzpatrick & Ellingsen, 2013).
Overspecialization is another clinical issue that affects healthcare management. Most
medical students are choosing to take specialized courses and disregard the general ones
including primary care (Fitzpatrick & Ellingsen, 2013). Recent studies indicate that only one
primary care physician graduates in every one hundred and fifty medical students. This is
alarming as it is the possible cause of the primary care provision problems in the healthcare
sector today (Fitzpatrick & Ellingsen, 2013). The regulators of the healthcare field should
ensure that there are more medical students taking primary care courses. Alternatively, they
should make it mandatory for all medical students to study primary care courses to improve
healthcare management.
In conclusion, there are many clinical issues in healthcare management. The major
ones include improper definition of roles, shortage of professionals, changing demographics,
and overspecialization among medical students. These issues are already compromising the
operations in the healthcare field and are likely to continue if the regulators fail to address
them immediately. It is important for the medical and healthcare regulators to set up
mechanisms to address the clinical issues faced today to improve service delivery which will
in turn make the lives of those seeking the assistance of these professionals better. 
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References
Fitzpatrick, G., & Ellingsen, G. (2013). A review of 25 years of CSCW research in healthcare:
contributions, challenges and future agendas. Computer Supported Cooperative Work,
22(4-6), 609-665.
Llewellyn, S. (2001). Two-way windows: clinicians as medical managers. Organization
Studies, 22(4), 593-623.
Loo, R. and Thorpe, K. (2004). Making female first-line nurse managers more effective: a
Delphi study of occupational stress. Women in Management Review, 19(1/2), 88-96.
Savage, J., and Scott, C. (2004). The modern matron: A hybrid management role with
implications for continuous quality improvement. Journal of Nursing Management,
12, 419-426.