Medical Services Market Research Articles

Studies of Product Structure Adjustment Routes for China's Pharmaceutical Industry: A View From the New Healthcare Reform Targets.

The 12th Five-Year Plan period is a critical period for the development of the pharmaceutical industry in China. A major focus coming with the New Healthcare Reform is a product structure adjustment in the pharmaceutical industry. Many researchers have been attracted in recent years to product structure adjustment studies. An empirical analysis of resources of the New Healthcare Reform was conducted by employing clustering analysis. A panel data model was established, with independent variables consisting of the city residents' medical insurance fund, drug fees per capita, city medical insurance fees per capita, rural medical insurance fees per capita, and number of people benefiting from the new rural cooperative medical scheme and the dependent variable being China's medical technology advancement fees. This study covered 29 provinces and regions and used panel data from 2007 to June 2012 to establish a fundamental regression equation for quantitative analysis. The city residents' medical insurance fund, rural medical insurance fees, and the new rural cooperative medical scheme are significant factors for pharmaceutical structure adjustment in China. The rural medical services market is the most important target market for pharmaceutical industrial transformation. The fundamental drug system and medical insurance system, which the New Healthcare Reform focuses upon, are closely related to the pharmaceutical product structure. For entities in which structural adjustment is not autonomous, changes can be achieved through sound coordination between organizational structure, technical structure, and repeated evaluation of consistency of drug product quality and overseas technical license.

PROSPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT OF ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION OF PHYSITIANS IN PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Russian system of postgraduate education of physicians having undisputable historical advantages is behind International Standards in continuing medical education. Society expectations in medical assistants quality upgrading bring about increased requirements to medical personnel training. Optimization of continuing medical education system and introduction of physitians accreditation procedure will considerably increase motivation to self-education as well as quality of specialists education in health services. Needs in additional professional medical education will steadily increase. Continuing professional development of physicians resupposes building of individual educational trajectory meeting professional interests requirements practicing very different educational forms starting from traditional and formal to the most innovational and non formal ones. Directions in optimization in continuing medical education system will be determined to a considerable extent by free choice of specialists of the educational organizations, forms and terms of upgrading their qualifications under control exercised by professional associations and state. Development of additional medical educational services market becomes an important form of activity in commercial medical sector.

Study on the construction of evaluation system and the selection of evaluation methods of Chinese hospital core competence

In this paper, based on theoretical analysis, the concept of hospital core competence is redefined, combined with the needs of hospital's development in medical service market, the connotation is also clearly definition, and the characteri stics is summarized. Meanwhile, on the basis of all above, this paper has carried on a thorough discussion about the construction of Chinese hospital core competence. Key words: Hospital; Core competence; Connotation definition; Theoretical analysis

Reference Pricing: A Small and Mighty Solution to Bend the Health Care Cost Curve

There is no single antidote to the problem of rising health care costs. One strategy that has proven its effectiveness is reference pricing (RP). RP is an insurance benefit design mechanism in which a “reference” price is set for a specified service or procedure, which the health plan sponsor uses to cap its contribution. The beneficiary is responsible for any amount above the defined contribution. RP seeks to address the huge, unexplainable price variations that exist for medical procedures and services. This paper argues that RP can be structured to reap its price-saving potential, but it requires proper regulatory oversight to ensure it does not negatively impact the quality, affordability, and access to care. If implemented in a systematic and cautious manner, it can become an indispensable tool for employers and health plans, especially when combined with payment reform strategies. Section II of this paper defines RP and explains its origins in the consumer-driven health care movement. Section III highlights RP’s application in the international market for pharmaceuticals and domestic market for medical services and procedures. Section IV explores the Departments’ May 2014 FAQ, the comments in response to that FAQ, and the subsequent October 2014 FAQ. Section V evaluates the standards the Departments’ issued to evaluate RP programs and discusses certain features and limitations of RP that must be understood and monitored by its regulators to prevent limiting consumers’ access to affordable, high-quality care.

Повышение качества и эффективности диагностических исследований в частном медицинском центре

In this article the authors consider the development of diagnostic aid in an ultrasound department of a private medical centre and assess the efficiency of organizing technologies. In improving diagnostic care in private health institutions, availability of ultrasound diagnostics for patients, the possibility of acquisition of innovative equipment, further development and increase of professionalism of beam diagnostics is playing a significant role. The authors note an improvement of internal communication division, the increase of results of activity of specialists, motivate employees to achieve the end results, increase of volumes of diagnostic services at high quality of medical services. The quality management system of medical care is based on the prevention of mistakes and defects in the work of monitoring and self-monitoring of the work of doctors - diagnosticians. To increase the number of equipment units doesn’t enough to increase the impact of modern methods of ultrasonic diagnostics. It is necessary to maintain the proper technical condition of equipment, to use it more intensively and to improve training of specialists. The process of forming and perfection of organizational technologies, aimed at continuous improvement of quality and availability of diagnostic examination, undoubtedly increases competitive position of a clinic on the market of medical services that is proved by the positive dynamics of the analyzed period.

Analysis of the influencing mechanism of hospital alliance on quality of care

This article analyses and describes the influencing mechanism of hospital alliance on quality of care from six aspects：product and technology,organizational structure,psychosocial climate, management,organizational culture,and competition in medical service market.In order to ensure and improve the medical quality,this study discusses that hospital alliance can not only ally in the form but also optimize the internal structure,strengthen the integration of organizational culture of the institutions, gradually form a social psychological climate of“Quality First”.In addition,the government′s regulation on the medical service market is also indispensable. Key words: Quality of care; Influencing factors; Hospital alliance; Influencing mechanism

Private Medical Institutions Gain over Municipal Ones in the Competition for Customers

Objective: to detect factors employed by medical preventive institutions in the market of medical services to achieve competitive advantages. Methods: assessment of opinions of leading scientists on the problem under study; field marketing research based on questionnaire survey and selective personal interview. Results: found that 68% respondents are not satisfied with provision of medical services by municipal healthcare institutions for certain reasons. Most discontent is caused by waiting turn in a doctor’s office for more than an hour, absence of specialized doctors, quality of service, indifferent attitude of doctors to patient, and other reasons. Academic novelty: most attractive aspects of fee-based medical centers have been defined, among which respondents named no lines, presence of specialized doctors, quality services. Practical relevance: achievements of fee-based medical institutions attracting the attention of clients due to higher quality service provide the basis for sharing experience by municipal medical institutions. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n18p263

An exploration of the PLA Medical Library Medical Information Service marketing model

The article presents the contents of marketing of medical information services,explores the model of the marketing of medical information services suitable for the Medical Library of Chinese PLA,discusses the meaning of the marketing of medical information services,the status in this field in China and other countries,and the efforts we need to make next.The purpose is to match the information services to the information needs,support the innovation of medical science. Key words: Medical Information Services; Service Organizations; Services Marketing

Perspectives of Integrative Interaction of the Economies of Asia-Pacific Region Countries in the Market of Medical Services on the Basis of Cross-cultural Analysis

Perspectives of Integrative Interaction of the Economies of Asia-Pacific Region Countries in the Market of Medical Services on the Basis of Cross-cultural Analysis

INFORMAL HEALTH ECONOMICS IN UKRAINE

BACKGROUND. In 2013 Ukraine ranks 78 place according to UN Human Development Index scoring. While education HDI components take the country forward, life expectancy at birth, in contrary, takes it backwards. The latter is due to violation of the constitutional right of Ukrainian citizens on equal access to health care. GOAL. To analyze the main reason of this situation – stream widespread of the informal payments for medical care and shadow health economics as a whole. MATERIAL AND METHODS. UN, State Statistics Service and National Bank of Ukraine statistical data. RESULTS. Provision of medical services in the state health care in exchange for payments by patients (informal economics or gray market) is a part of the shadow economics in Ukraine. Its external causes – monopoly of the multinational pharmaceutical corporations in the world economy, their pressure on the national market and behavior of physicians, globalization and offshore. Internal reasons – use of public resources for big business purposes, high rate of shadow schemes in national economy and health system, low level of health financing and salaries of medical workers. Informal health economics entails significant costs: productive – used public resources and time for private goals of physicians; transaction – increases the asymmetry of information about the quality of medical care, social – forms in the public sector quasiprivate market for medical services with all its negative externalities. СONCLUSIONS. In order to reduce informal health economics in Ukraine it is necessary to: abandon the oligarchic model of the national economy, improve the tender legislation and eliminate corruption in the purchase of medicines and equipment, substantially increase health care financing and restructuring, create an independent judicial system for protecting patients’ rights, introduce compulsory social health insurance, support non-profit medical associations. Keywords: shadow economics, informal health economics, “gray market, health care financing.

Thoughts on the reform of the drug-compensating-medicine practice at public hospitals

An analysis of the relationship between government regulatory and the drugcompensating-medicine mechanism at public hospitals identified information asymmetry,monopoly of medical services market,price control of medical services and insufficient government financial sports as giving rise to such a mechanism at public hospitals.This setback traces back to the absence,dislocation and offside of government regulations.The authors pointed out that the reformers of abolishing such a practice failed target government misconduct,and attempted to reinforce regulations of public hospital's operational activities instead,which directly results in failure of the reform.The authors proposed to rectify the absence,dislocation and offside of government regulations abovementioned,and that the regulations and reforms should proceed side by side to achieve expected outcomes. Key words: Regulatory; Public hospitals; Drug-compensating-medicine; Mechanism; Reform

Cluster as an opportunity for medical tourism in Poland

The aim of this article is to present the state of the market of medical services offered to customers − patients from abroad and an indication of the opportunities arising from global trends prevailing in this area. The article presents the major determinants of the development of medical tourism, forecast sales in the medical tourism with a comparison of prices of selected medical services, criteria of selection to be set by the consumers, so as the spectrum of the most popular medical services among the medical tourists in Poland. Furthermore, it provides information on cluster policy and its objectives for the period 2014- -2020, which may directly affect the development of medical tourism clusters and thereby contribute to the development of both the market of medical services provided to foreigners, as well as the economic development of the country.

For-profit medical institutions in China: current status analysis and comparison with non-profit ones

Objectives For-profit medical institutions were officially allowed to enter the Chinese medical market since 2000, which raised a lot of debate about positioning of for-profit medical institutions. The objective of this study was to compare non-profit and for-profit medical institutions in terms of market scale, medical quality and service efficiency, and to investigate the market potential for for-profit medical institutions in China. Methods Data were collected from multiple sources, including China Health Statistical Yearbook, National Health Services Survey and China Statistical Yearbook. We assessed the performance of the two types of medical institutions from three aspects: market scale, medical quality and service efficiency. Key findings The result showed that for-profit medical institutions increased obviously in the cities of China. Compared with non-profit medical institutions, for-profit medical institutions have less market scale. However, medical quality and service efficiency of for-profit medical institutions are mostly the same as those of non-profit medical institutions. Besides, for-profit medical institutions have great market potential in top medical service market in the coming future. Conclusion For-profit medical institutions have realized great development in China. A quite large potential market still exists for for-profit medical institutions because of the increasing medical service demand and the improving insurance system in China. However, the long-term development of for-profit medical institutions depends on policy design in establishing and implementing fair systems of medical evaluation, technology accreditation and talent assessment.

Survey on the Management Status in Korean Medical Clinics and Doctor’s Awareness, 2008-2010

The aim of this study was to know the current management status in Korean medical clinics (KMC) and the awareness of Korean medicine doctor. The simple random extraction method from the membership list of ‘The Association of Korean Medicine’ in 2010 was used for survey. The questionnaire which had used in 2008 was revised, and those were sent to each KMC by mail. A total of 107 data were acquired and frequency analysis was conducted. The result showed that the annual average employees working in each KMC was 2.9 persons and the number of daily outpatient was 33.8 person in 2010. The proportion of sales covered by medical insurance at KMC has been increasing annually as 42.9%, 43.5%, and 44.8% of total sales, whereas the uninsured sales was 57.1%, 56.5%, and 55.2% of total sales in 2008, 2009, and 2010 respectively. All of the responders recognized that the current situation of Korean medical service market was not good and the reason was mainly resulted from undeveloped medical technique, popularized use of functional foods for health and alternative medical care by Western medicine. To expand Korean medical service, the expansion of sales covered by public health medical insurance, government support and advertizement for public relation were needed.

Analysis of medical service market structure in Suining county

Objective To analyze the medical service market structure and the competitive status and in Suining county to make recommendations in accordance with the existing problems. Methods Data of annual business income, number of bed and health personnel in 14 hospitals of the third class and above were collected to do market concentration analysis and Herfindahl-Hirschman index （ HHI ）analy- sis. Results Market concentration degrees of three indicators were above 60.0% and the HHI score were all above 1700, which demonstrated that hospitals in Suining county was highly concentrated and the market structure of oligopoly was high. Conclusions Medical service market competition environment in Suining county is bad, therefore, it is necessary to introduce competition mechanism, optimize resource allocation, carry out open information thus to improve the service level of the township hospitals. Key words: Health market structure ; Market concentration ; Herfindahl- Hirschman index; Suining county

해외 치과기공물 서비스 수출 전략모형 제안

본 연구의 목적은 해외 치과기공물 서비스 수출을 연구하는 것으로서, 우리나라 및 해외 치과기공물 서비스의 현황분석, 그리고 해외 진출 시 문제점과 진출 전략을 제시하였다. 세계화와 정보화 추세의 진전으로 의료서비스시장 규모가 점점 커지고 있으며, 의료 서비스시장은 질이 가장 중요시 되는 고부가가치의 서비스산업이라는 새로운 인식하에 시장 개발과 고용창출을 이루려는 각국의 노력과 함께 급부상하며 유망산업분야로 떠오르고 있다. 고부가가치의 의료서비스 산업을 해외 시장으로 확장 발전시키기 위하여, 결론적으로 첫 번째 의료서비스의 해외진출과 글로벌화 강화, 두 번째는 전문화를 통한 의료서비스의 고급화, 마지막으로 전문경영체제 구축 및 의료 서비스 시스템 혁신이 필요하다. The purpose of this study is to research how to effectively export the dental prosthetic restoration and the service to the overseas. The study showed the present status of dental prosthetic restoration service in South Korea and some suggested ways to improve the export of the dental prosthetic restoration service to the overseas. The size of the medical service market has been gradually increased because of the globalization and the development of the information-oriented tendency. The medical industry is being perceived as a highly valuable service industry that emphasizes the importance of quality. Through the efforts of the nations attempting to develop the market and create new employment, the medical field is becoming a prospective field of trade. In order to develop the medical industry, the strategies; firstly, medical institutions need to explore overseas markets and strengthen globalization; secondly, medical service should be upgraded through specialization; and finally, specialized management system has to be established and medical management system has to be innovated.

체질 의료 서비스 시장규모 및 현황 조사 -전국 한방의료기관을 중심으로-

Objectives The aim of this study is to survey the present scales of constitutional medical service market on the base of Korean medical service market following 2006, 2008 year survey. Methods This survey was conducted from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15, 2011 by offline mail. A questionnaire including personal information, general information, and management related to constitutional medicine of Korean medical institution was sent to each subject with a returned envelope. The subjects were asked to complete the questionnaire and 108 data were collected and analyzed. Results This study revealed that the 62% facilities of all Korean medical clinics in Korea are using constitutional medicine for patients. The proportion of constitutional medical service was 13.7% in Korean medical care insurance and 23.5% in total Korean medical service market. Conclusion It is assumed that the scales of total Korean medical service market seemed to be 3,974,425 million won and the scales of total constitutional medical service market seemed to be 929,404 million won.

의료민영화 논의에 따른 이슈용어의 연결 중심성 분석

본 연구는 의료서비스의 질적 향상을 가져옴과 동시에 의료소외지역을 만들 수도 있는 의료민영화에 대해서 찬성과 반대 논리를 살펴보고, 아울러 최근 3년 동안 주요 일간지에 게재된 의료민영화 및 영리병원에 관한 신문 사설을 중심으로 내용분석의 일종인 언어네트워크 분석을 통해 핵심 키워드를 찾아내고, 핵심 키워드 간의 연결 중심성 분석을 통해 논란의 핵심이 무엇인지를 밝혀 보고자 하였다. 결론적으로, 연결중심성 분석 결과 "의료", "병원", "민영화", "의료민영화", "영리병원", "정부"가 가장 중심에 위치하고 있었다. 이는 의료민영화 또는 영리병원에 관한 최근 3년 동안의 주요일간지에 게재된 사설을 중심으로 하였기 때문에, 의료, 병원, 민영화, 의료민영화, 영리병원 등의 키워드가 중심에 위치하고 있는 것은 당연한 결과이다. 다음으로, 중요한 중심 키워드(단어)는 "국민", "건강", "건강보험"이다. 이는 의료민영화를 단순히 의료시장에 대한 개방으로만 보지 않고, 최근 3년 동안의 사설들은 국민의 건강과 건강보험과 관련된 중요한 이슈로 보고 있다는 것을 의미한다고 볼 수 있다. 또한, 그 다음으로 중요한 중심성이 높은 단어로는 "반대"와 "허용"이다. 이를 통해 볼 때, 최근 3년 동안의 사설을 내용 분석해 본 결과, 의료민영화에 반대하는 쪽과 허용하자는 쪽이 팽팽하다는 것을 연결중심성 분석 결과에서도 알 수 있다. 한편, 중심성 분석결과에서 주목할 만한 결과는 "미국", "한미", "FTA" 등의 키워드도 어느 정도 중심성이 나타나고 있다는 것이다. 이는 의료민영화를 미국과의 한미 FTA와 관련하여 사설에서 기술하고 있다는 것을 나타내주는 대목이다. The purpose of this study was to review the agreement and disagreement logics on privatization of health care to bring quality enhancement of medical service and alienated area without medical services at the same time, to identify the core keywords through language network analysis a kind of contents analysis on the editorials dealing with privatization of health care and hospitals for profit published on the major daily newspapers for the recent three years, and to find out what is the core of the controversy through the connection centrality analysis of core keywords. Conclusively, it was found from the centrality analysis that "medical service," "hospital," "privatization," "privatization of health care," "hospital for profit" and "Government" were situated in the center of the controversy. It is natural that keywords such as "medical service," "hospital," "privatization," "privatization of health care"and "hospital for profit" were located in the center because this study reviewed the editorials published on major newspapers for the recent three years regarding the privatization of health care or hospital for profit. Next important keywords (words) were "people," "health"and "health insurance." It shows that privatization of health care was not simply seen as the opening of medical service market but as an important issue related to health of people and health Insurance. Next words with high centrality were "objection" and "allowance." Through the contents analysis of editorials for the last three years, it was found that the opinions for and against the privatization were equally matched according to the centrality analysis result. On the other hand, there is one noticeable result in centrality analysis, which is the keywords such as "US," "Korea US" and "FTA" showed centrality to some extent. It shows privatization is handled relating US and Korea US FTA by editorials.

The functioning of health systems in Poland and the Netherlands in patients’ opinions

Introduction and purpose of work. The health system aims is to safeguard the health needs and improve the health of the individual and in the community. Using the experiences of countries that achieve positive effects of the system functioning, exchange of knowledge and analysis of current results allows us to assess how the health care system can fulfill its potential. The aim of the work is to obtain information useful for health policymaking and implementation of effective solutions in health care by comparing the opinion of patients on the functioning of two health care systems in Europe - Polish and Dutch. Material and method. The examination covered 133 persons living in Poland and 106 people living in the Netherlands. The applied testing method was a diagnostic survey. The tool used to conduct the study was the author's questionnaire. Results and discussion. The study indicates large inequalities in access to medical services, waiting time for a GP and specialist appointment, the treatment of patients. Test results also indicate disparities between health care in Poland and the Netherlands, as well as the lack of cohesion of public and private sector in the Polish health care system. Conclusions. Competitiveness of the market of medical services promotes improving the quality of services, ensuring a high standard of treatment as well as empathic and individual approach to each patient. So there is a need to further improvement and reforming the health care system in Poland to follow the changing market for health services.

The reference model of competitiveness factors for SME medical sector

The paper presents the issue of SME competitiveness in terms of determining their competitive position on the market. The proposed reference model, focused on the evaluation of the competitiveness of a selected group of SMEs on the market of medical services, was developed to support strategic decision-making. The usefulness of the model is verified in the process of determining the competitive position of a selected group of participants, applying research methods of strategic analysis. Relationships, observed during the study, occurring between the competitiveness factors and the competitive position taken by a company, provide knowledge, whose utilization directs the company's business to improving its market performance, organizational and economic conditions.