Analysis of Policy Power and Politics in Healthcare

Running Head: HEALTHCARE
0
Healthcare
3/26/2019

HEALTHCARE
1
The discussion will bring about the analysis on the concept of policy power and
politics in Health Care and the other related aspects. The term policy referred to the system
that encompasses specific issues, goals achieved through forming an action plan.
Q1.
Policy has considered as set of activities, which aims to decrease the inequalities or
inequities by ensuring effective allocation and distribution of the available resources.
Therefore, the aspect of healthcare policy understood as the actions or activities, which
determines the ways healthcare is organised along with the management of funding process
and the delivery of services to their customers/clients. Cawley & Hooker (2018) was of the
view that policy cycle is included under the aspect of policy development, it initially starts
from the issue that develops into an idea and continues until the evaluation, and framing of
agendas. Thus, it has found that policy cycle is one of the most appropriate tools for the
development of policy, as it offers a flexible framework for the policy (Birkland, 2015).
Policy-making or development of policy takes places through several stages or
phases. In context to the Australian policy cycle model, there are defined stages, which
consists of issue identification, policy analysis, policy instruments, consultation,
coordination, decision, implementation, and evaluation. It has been analysed that there is
high significance of the policy cycle to the policy makers. Each stage of the cycle facilitates
them to identify and set their targets regarding making the changes in the healthcare system.
Now, the effectiveness of each stage, and the outcome achieved through each stage varies on
the process of implementation during policy development (Pulzl & Treib, 2017).
For an instance, it has found through research as, one of the most significant reasons
for the increased burden of disease over a large population across countries is lifestyle.
Similarly, in Australia the issue of diabetes occurs due to use of tobacco, alcohol that leads to
the problem of obesity. The aspects along with the ageing of the population, and factor of
increased consumer awareness and education on the health issues and wellbeing have led to
the generation of policy-making process of policy development. Thus, the above discussion
has determined the purpose and the nature of the development of policy in a healthcare
system (Cawley & Hooker, 2018).
Q2.

HEALTHCARE
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In any system, it has observed that all the policies have legal contexts, because
government and their legislations are themselves subjected to the law. Therefore, it states
about an important role of the government, politics, and legislations in the policy formulation
and development. Healthy policy is the aspect of organising best services and optimal health
to their patients or consumers in a healthcare. On the other hand, the government policy
document consists of different aspects such as expenditure, and other rules and norms that
need to be considered while framing the healthcare policies (Green & Thorogood, 2017).
The health policy framework is established to focus on providing health services to
the community. Government policy document states the role of the Australian government,
i.e. to undertake the responsibility of making ethical, legal decisions that are politically and
economically sustainable. To state the importance of the policy and the role of legislation and
the difference between them in context to healthcare, one example has found relevant.
Government policy document consist of the legislations, rules and norms and one example
can be the implementation of harm minimisation policies for the drug use, specifically to the
cases of intravenous drug use (Franco, 2015).
Another aspect, through which the difference between the health policy and the
government policy document can be stated, is in terms of their purposes. A policy or health
policy outlines what a government ministry expects to achieve through using appropriate
methods and principles. A policy document is not law, established to introduce or formulate
new laws required to attain the goals and objectives of gaining positive health outcomes
within region. Thus, the discussion has stated well the ways health policy differs from the
government policy document (Camfield et al., 2017).
Q3.
Now, the discussion in the third question will provide an analysis mentioning how
‘new public health’ approach differs from the previous one within healthcare system. In the
older healthcare system or approach, there were few medications or technologies available to
treat the patients, whereas now the scenario has changed. The universal healthcare system in
Australia is called as ‘Medicare’ and it aims to provide effective healthcare services to the
people living in the country. Now, the healthcare services provided, and called as ‘mixed
system’. Therefore, in the earlier years the health approach used was focused on the
fulfilment of basic requirements only now, the health professionals’ focus on the long-term
maintenance of the health condition of the patients. Moreover, in the past or earlier years the