Population Health Dynamics, Healthcare in Saudi Arabia: Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of population health dynamics and their effects on healthcare delivery in Saudi Arabia. It begins by examining the significance of demographic changes and their impact on public utilities and healthcare costs. The report explores the shifting burden of diseases, including the decline of infectious diseases and the rise of chronic conditions, mental illnesses, and lifestyle-related issues. It discusses the implications of these changes, such as increased healthcare costs and the rise in demand for over-the-counter medical commodities and complementary services. The report then delves into two key developments influencing healthcare in Saudi Arabia: medical technology and health insurance systems, highlighting their effects on costs and access to care. Furthermore, it outlines healthcare determination methods for community needs, including integrated practice units, measurement of outcomes and costs for each patient, and the building of an enabling information technology platform. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of these factors in shaping the future of healthcare in Saudi Arabia.

Running Head: POPULATION HEALTH
healthcare management
Population and Demographical Dynamics in Healthcare

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Introduction
Demographic changes are key factors in determining the provision for public utilities and
the associated costs. Changes and shifts in the population at specific time affect almost all sectors
of the life. There is a close association between demographic change and the social, economic,
political as well as health care matters. The various changes have got very serious implications to
the public policy making and decision determination, governmental planning and budgeting,
commercial activities and healthcare industry and delivery as well. This paper examines
critically, the effect of a specific population and demographic changes, along with shifts in the
burden of disease and how these shifts have affected the delivery of healthcare services in Saudi
Arabia.
The Shifting Burden of Diseases
Chronic Diseases, Mental Illness, and Lifestyle Behaviors
Most of the infectious and communicable diseases have been eliminated significantly by the year
2010 among the baby boomers and the whole population in general. The main attribute of the
decline and eradication of these is wide use and applications of vaccines, antibiotics in treatment
as well as the use of biotechnological in health care industry. Between 1990 to the year 2010, the
number of people who died from non-communicable diseases (Alkabba et al., 2012).
Effect of these changes
The high cost of health care provision - this has been caused mainly by the growth in population
as well as the legislations on Medicare and Medicaid being trimmed as per the provision of
insurance and medical services to both public and private sectors. Reduction in the scope of
benefits and overall gain has led to increased demand and consumption for over-the-counter

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medical commodities. A rise in demand for complimentary services has been witnessed as well.
Such services that include chronic care for people affected by the chronic diseases and
tremendous growth in individual and group insurance premiums.
Two developments affecting health care in Saudi Arabia
Medical Technology
The term medical technology refers to the procedures, ways, tools, processes and sophisticated
equipment through which medical services are administered to the consumers. Medical
technology has been a very key factor in changing the face of medical care and health care
industry in whole. The new medical technology has had very serious implications for the costs of
health care (Mokdad et al., 2014). Overall Saudi Arabia budgetary allocation on health care has
increased. The government has been spending close $ 40 billion, whereby the larger portion is
spent by national in states of health.
Health insurance systems
Since the individual cost of treatment and medical care is very expensive, health insurance firms
have taken the advantage of the situation. Pooling through insurance has helped solve the puzzle.
Having relatively lower costs for treatment has enabled many people to find access to medical
care. Close to 60 percent of the population of baby boomers have an access to quality health
care, mainly relying on the insurance covers.

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Healthcare determination methods for community needs
Integrated Practice Unit
It is an organized medical care system, whereby the set of closely related conditions or a
particular set of consumers is given primary medical care. Also the multidisciplinary team of
medical staff who are devoted to their mission work together. The team works as one unit with a
common goal of serving the needs of the community in a closer and better way.
Measurement of Outcomes and Costs for Every Patient
It is a methodology for determining the specific needs of the consumers as well as some costs
paid. It involves getting the details of the consumers though a recording of the time taken to go
through a medical process (Yusuf, N. (2014). Since a majority of the health care providers fail to
document the amount time taken to recover and heal, this is a great missing mark when it comes
to determining the requirements of a community regarding health care.
Building an Enabling Information Technology Platform
The process involves collecting information, documenting, analyzing, and giving conclusion and
taking there after actions recommended. The application of Information Technology is a good
approach for a medical organization to determine the needs of the community it serves. A good
IT system can help an organization achieve a lot. It encompasses six units which are- patients
centered, the systems has a very close follow-up with the patient's details.

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REFERENCES
Alkabba, A. F., Hussein, G. M., Albar, A. A., Bahnassy, A. A., & Qadi, M. (2012). The major
medical ethical challenges facing the public and healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia. Journal of
Family and Community Medicine, 19(1), 1.
Mokdad, A. H., Jaber, S., Aziz, M. I. A., AlBuhairan, F., AlGhaithi, A., AlHamad, N. M. &
Alsowaidi, S. (2014). The state of health in the Arab world, 1990–2010: an analysis of the
burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors. The Lancet, 383(9914), 309-320.
Yusuf, N. (2014). Private and public healthcare in Saudi Arabia: future challenges. International
Journal of Business and Economic Development (IJBED), 2(1).