SWOT Analysis of Health Care Systems in Australia

This SWOT analysis highlights the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the health care system in Australia. It covers topics such as the Medicare scheme, advanced technology, lack of healthcare services in rural areas, and more.

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Health care systems in Australia

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Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
SWOT Analysis Grid.......................................................................................................................4
Strengths..........................................................................................................................................4
Implement of ATAPS program....................................................................................................4
Medicare scheme in Australia......................................................................................................5
Advanced technology...................................................................................................................5
Advanced scheme for Pharmacy..................................................................................................5
Additional government programs................................................................................................6
Weakness.........................................................................................................................................6
Lack of healthcare services in rural area......................................................................................6
Does not cover entire medicines under Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme....................................6
Increasing rate of death in Australia............................................................................................6
Health behaviour and risk factors................................................................................................7
Opportunities...................................................................................................................................7
Increasing the awareness about healthcare..................................................................................7
Improvement in the technology...................................................................................................7
Strengthening Medicare system...................................................................................................8
Opportunities for economic growth.............................................................................................8

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Threats.............................................................................................................................................8
Incapability to resolve the issue of rural areas.............................................................................8
Threat of new policies in health and care system........................................................................8
Additional costs of new technology.............................................................................................8
Australians losing control of Australia........................................................................................9
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
References......................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
Australian Health Care system is defined under this report through SWOT analysis. It will entail
the four major components of a SWOT analysis, which are strengths, weakness, opportunities,
and threats which will be defined in the context of Australian health care system. There are two
factors which influence the heath care system i.e. internal and external factors. Moreover this
analysis defines more on the parts of Australian care system and provides the better
understanding about them in depth manner. Thus, SWOT analysis not only represents the detail
of positive and negative aspect of the Australian health care system but also demonstrates the
way of delivery of health and improvement in the system of Australian Health Care.

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SWOT Analysis Grid
Strengths
Implement of ATAPS program
STRENGHTS
 Implement of ATAPS program
 Medicare scheme in Australia
 Advanced scheme for Pharmacy
 Advanced technology
 Additional government programs
WEAKNESS
 Lack of healthcare services in rural area
 Does not cover entire medicines under
Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme
 Increasing rate of death in Australia
 Health behaviour and risk factors
OPPORTUNITIES
 Increasing the awareness about
healthcare
 Improvement in the technology
 Strengthening Medicare system
THREATS
 Incapability to resolve the issue of rural
areas
 Threat of new policies in health and care
system
 Long waits to get appointment
 Australians losing control of Australia

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Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) program has the aim to develop community
access to primary mental health services. It is sustaining general practioners in their role of
providing services to people who have mental health disorders. It has attained an effective
geographic spread including regional and rural areas. These services are provided for
Prenatal/New mothers, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders, Children and Adults.
Medicare scheme in Australia
Medicare is based in the Australia's health care system which entails various health care costs. It
is publically funded health care system by the government of Australia which is operated by the
Department of Human Services. It offers the medical services at low rate including fees of
doctors, specialists, optometrists and dentists. Along with that it is also provide the 75% rebate
for the Medicare Schedule fee which is linked with the services and procedures of the private
hospital (Australian Government, (n.d.). The Medicare system has three parts such as hospital,
medical and pharmaceutical. The major parts of Medicare involves free treatment for the patients
in public hospital, provides the rebate on the payments of medicines and health care which is
listed on the Medicare Benefits Schedule and provide the subsidisation of the costs of a huge
range of medicines which cover under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (Sultan, 2015).
Advanced technology
Australia has adopted advance technology to provide effective services to the citizens of
Australia. There are many innovations done in Australia which bring huge changes in the
medical industry. An augmented contact lens, point of care testing, Sensor Predicting Falls,
home based HIV test and many more are the examples of advanced technology (Møller-
Sørensen, Korshin, Mogensen & Høiby, 2016). These innovations show that the industry of
medical in Australia is advanced which give huge advantages to the public of Australia. Health

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tech innovations are facilitating to deliver care to Australians in different and new ways
(Mossialos, Wenzl, Osborn & Sarnak, 2016).
Advanced scheme for Pharmacy
There is a program of Australian pharmaceutical scheme or (PPS) implemented by Australian
Government that subsidies the cost of necessary medicines. It provides the various medicines to
the needy people at affordable rate. It has been found that this scheme has covered up to 600
necessary medicines that form approx 90% of entire prescribed medicine through general
practioners. This scheme is majorly governed by National Health Act 1953 and National Health
Regulations 1960 (AIHW, 2014).
Additional government programs
Additional government programs are focused at developing health services and results for
explicit groups like rural people, indigenous Australia and those with constant illness and older
Australians. It has been found that $805 is been invested by Australian Government for
Indigenous Chronic Disease Package which aims to improve the health care system of Australia.
This investment is facilitated a huge range of Indigenous people in which they get a best
treatment from the hospitals (Henry, Houston & Mooney, 2004). It is the strength of the
Australian health care system as it reduces the risk factors for constant illness in the Indigenous
community and enhances the ability of the primary care workforce which is effective to deliver
instant services to Indigenous Australians with chronic diseases.

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Weakness
Lack of healthcare services in rural area
It has been analyzed that overall 30% of the Australian population resided in remote and regional
areas whereas 18% lives in inner regional areas and 9% in outer regional areas (AIHW, 2014).
The lives of regional and remote areas people are shorter because they are more involved in bad
habits such as smoking and drugs which raise the health issues in huge manner. There is a major
factor such as poorer health results in remote and regional areas might being the cause of harmful
to health. The people of rural areas are unable to take benefits of educational and employment
opportunities (Mossialos, Courtin, Naci, Benrimoj, Bouvy, Farris & Sketris, 2015).
Does not cover entire medicines under Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme
However, Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme is effective for Australian Citizens but it is not
covered entire medicines in the scheme which increase the cost of the medicines. People who
have specific disease which medicines are not covered under this scheme have to suffer due to
increase the cost of medicines. It is the major weakness of this scheme.
Increasing rate of death in Australia
It has been found that there were 146,932 deaths in 2011 which has increased by 2017 in
Australia. The leading underlying reason of death was heart disease (AIHW, 2014). It shows the
weakness of the health is system of Australia that it was unable to provide the proper treatment
to them who were suffering from heart disease. It depicts that there is a lack of heart specialist in
Australia. It is required for the health care system to improve the department of cardiology and
appoint the specialist of heart disease.

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Health behaviour and risk factors
People in remote and regional areas are more likely involve in smoking, overweight or obese,
drink alcohol at high levels and have high blood cholesterol which may lead them in the path of
death and. It is hard to assess the propositions of distance on health because of the interactions
between socioeconomic disadvantages and the higher percentage of indigenous Australians in
comparison of major cities (Reddel, Barnett, Riminton, Dugal, Buzzard, Erickson & Ackland,
2017).
Opportunities
Increasing the awareness about healthcare
It has been found that the awareness about healthcare is increasing in the country of Australia
due to effective implement policies by Government. It would be the opportunity for the health
and system care of Australia because indigenous people are getting aware about the policies and
schemes which are made for them. It will decrease the rate of death and provide the efficient
quality of healthcare services to the people who reside in rural and remote areas in Australia.
Australian Pharmaceutical Industry is wider space to come up with healthcare (Windsor, Searle,
Hanney, Chapman, Grigg, Choong & Smith, 2015).
Improvement in the technology
The technology in Australia regarding health care services is improved due to more involvement
in the latest technology. E-health is promoted by Australian Government which is a system that
has the capability to store the data online of patients and the professionals of medical health care
can easily access over it to known about the health industry about the particular patient. Along

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with that there are various innovations done in the Australia such as augmented lens, on spot
checking, diagnosis via application and many more.
Strengthening Medicare system
Medicare system of Australia is providing the opportunity to the large audience of Australia to
have access to an affordable and effective health care system. It covers the policies of health and
provides the medicines and treatment at affordable rate which enhance the awareness of health
care. People start to understand the cost of living and invest in health policy which facilitates
them to live without tension. A plan benefit of Medicare is beneficiary for people of Australia as
they have to pay one monthly premium for the medical plan and course of drug coverage
(Duckett & Willcox, 2015).
Opportunities for economic growth
The healthcare sector of Australia can become major export industry and contribute in positive
manner to the economy of the country. Effective adaption of latest technology by Australian
Public and private hospitals are liable to increase the growth of the economy. It has been found
that Australian Healthcare sector is one of the country’s uppermost performing sectors
economically. The healthcare services of Australia attract to oversee where people come for
treatment from different countries.
Threats
Incapability to resolve the issue of rural areas
Australian health care sector is not providing efficient services to the rural people and it is done
due to unawareness about the policies and schemes or improper services by hospitals to
indigenous people. As it has been discussed that the people who live in rural and remote areas of

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Australia have not educated and more involved in bad habits which increase the incapability of
the private and public sector to provide them good quality healthcare services (SaveMedicare,
n.d.).
Threat of new policies in health and care system
The amendments in the policies of Australian health care system can may huge change in the
entire medical industry which can be the major reason of threat. It has been analyzed that
unhealthy and leaky system of tax can limits the fund for the welfare of the people. There is a
multinational transfer profits which is being done out of Australia can deprive the government
taxes and the economy (Armstrong, Gillespie, Leeder, Rubin & Russell, 2007).
Additional costs of new technology
Additional costs of new technology can be the major threat for the health industry of Australia.
Diagnostic and therapeutic advances like biological therapeutics, new radiology scanner and
many more things come at higher cost which increases the cost of new technology (Cotta,
Robertson, Marshall, Thursky, Liew & Buising, 2015). Political pressure is increased in the
health and care industry in Australia due to increased cost. Training and development programs
are required in case of innovation in health and care industry (Greenfield, Debono, Hogden,
Hinchcliff, Mumford, Pawsey & Braithwaite, 2015).
Australians losing control of Australia
It has been evaluated that international treaties, partnership and agreements can cause upper level
of prices for medicine. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is undermined by
international partnership. It has been allowed by Australian Government to foreign investor to

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take legal actions if the government endorse laws and policies that are liable to protect the public
health (AIHW, 2014).
Conclusion
In the limelight of above discussion, it can be concluded that Health Care System in Australia is
effective as it provides the quality services to the people. The SWOT analysis has been
conducted to analyze the Australian health care system. The internal and external factor of
SWOT analysis has been demonstrated in an adequate manner that describes the strength,
weakness, opportunities and threats. There are various strengths of Australian health care system
which can overcome its weaknesses. The opportunity of effective Medicare system, economic
growth and increased awareness about the facilities are discussed in depth manner which show
that threats of additional cost of technology, incapability to resolve the issue and losing control
of Australia can be eliminated. The Australian government has taken various steps to improve
the environment of the country by implementing various policies and schemes which will be
benefitted to the indigenous and rural people.

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References
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AIHW, (2014). Leading causes of death in Australia. Retrieved from: .
AIHW, (2014). Mental health in Australia. Retrieved from: .
Armstrong, B. K. Gillespie, J. A. Leeder, S. R. Rubin, G. R. & Russell, L. M. (2007). Challenges
in health and health care for Australia. Retrieved from: .
Australian Government, (n.d.). Medicare services. Retrieved on 17th April, 2018, from: .
Booth, M., Hill, G., Moore, M. J., Dalla, D., Moore, M., & Messenger, A. (2016). The new
Australian Primary Health Networks: how will they integrate public health and primary
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Cotta, M. O., Robertson, M. S., Marshall, C., Thursky, K. A., Liew, D., & Buising, K. L. (2015).
Implementing antimicrobial stewardship in the Australian private hospital system: a
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Duckett, S., & Willcox, S. (2015). The Australian health care system (No. Ed. 5). Oxford
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Greenfield, D., Debono, D., Hogden, A., Hinchcliff, R., Mumford, V., Pawsey, M., ... &
Braithwaite, J. (2015). Examining challenges to reliability of health service accreditation
during a period of healthcare reform in Australia. Journal of health organization and
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Henry, B. R., Houston, S., & Mooney, G. H. (2004). Institutional racism in Australian
healthcare: a plea for decency. Medical Journal of Australia, 180(10), 517.
Møller-Sørensen, H., Korshin, A., Mogensen, T., & Høiby, N. (2016). New technology markedly
improves hand-hygiene performance among healthcare workers after restroom
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Mossialos, E., Courtin, E., Naci, H., Benrimoj, S., Bouvy, M., Farris, K., ... & Sketris, I. (2015).
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Mossialos, E., Wenzl, M., Osborn, R., & Sarnak, D. (2016). 2015 international profiles of health
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Reddel, S. W., Barnett, M. H., Riminton, D. S., Dugal, T., Buzzard, K. A., Erickson, D., ... &
Ackland, T. (2017). Design and implementation of an automated platform supporting
thegrammar & structuring issues Alemtuzumab risk management plan: The
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SaveMedicare, (n.d.). Health Care Threats and Opportunities Map. Retrieved from: .
Sultan, N. (2015). Reflective thoughts on the potential and challenges of wearable technology for
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Windsor, J., Searle, J., Hanney, R., Chapman, A., Grigg, M., Choong, P., & Smith, J. A. (2015).
Building a sustainable clinical academic workforce to meet the future healthcare needs of

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Wozniak, T. M., Paterson, D., & Halton, K. (2017). Review of the epidemiological data
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