Impact of External Influences on Health Care Organizations
As you have been learning this week, the external environment in which health care organizations function can greatly influence day-to-day operations and the delivery of services. Health care administrators must therefore pay attention to local and global developments, and think strategically about the impact that these external influences might have on their organizations.
In this Discussion, you will research and analyze an external influence of particular interest to you. As you do this, consider the purpose and effects of scholarly writing in communicating about this topic.
Prepare for this Discussion by identifying an external influence that you would like to research. You may choose from the following list or opt for one of your own:
•Technology
•Local and global events (e.g., natural disasters, international conflicts)
•Policy and legal matters (e.g., overall political climate, recent legislation)
•Economic developments (e.g., status of U.S. economy, trends related to reimbursement)
•Stakeholder relationships
•Social and cultural expectations (e.g., consumer demand for information, customer satisfaction)
•Accreditation and quality/patient safety measures (e.g., Medicare nonpayment for medical errors)
Once you have identified the external influence, you may wish to narrow your research by focusing on a specific event or issue (e.g., Hurricane Katrina), and then consider how this particular event or issue informs a broader understanding of the external influence.