The projected growth in the world’s population aged 60 years and above will nearly double from 12% to 22% between 2015 and 2050 (WHO, 2018). The need for better healthcare services is expected to grow at a much faster rate than the average for other occupations. As per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare occupational opportunities are expected to grow by 15% from 2019 to 2029. As the healthcare occupations grow, there is a greater need for healthcare management, workers, and administrations. This has created an increased demand for professionally and academically qualified healthcare professionals. Not only the aging population but the COVID-19 pandemic has also created additional pressure on the healthcare system to innovate and create a safe and healthy atmosphere. This unprecedented time has demonstrated the continuously improved measures to be taken by the health and medical facilities to protect the lives. As the need for better healthcare services increases, technological transformations and innovations in the field are opening up a diverse range of entrepreneurial and career options. This, in turn, leads to a shift from traditional healthcare to managerial healthcare, which further leads to healthcare professionals acquiring managerial degrees. Market boom and incentives are attracting experienced entrepreneurs and capitalists in the healthcare industry. Analytical tools and predictive data are being used to anticipate the healthcare needs of the community. Bringing the opportunity and exposure for statistical analysts and experts in the healthcare system can handle the big data.
The Healthcare industry requires dynamic, talented individuals with a passion for being part of the ever-changing developments and substantially improving the community’s health. In this article, we explore the best career options available for healthcare management aspirants.
Health administration management: Several career opportunities are there in health administrations to begin their career in healthcare. Medical assistants involve assisting doctors to record and maintain the health history of the patient in clinics, hospitals, offices and other healthcare facilities. They are also involved in regular medical activities like examining the patient, measuring blood pressure and injecting medication.
Physical therapists (PT): Professionals are involved in diagnosing and treating people of all ages with medical ailments that often limit their capability to move or perform day-to-day activities.
Health manager: They are responsible for the finances, reviewing projects, managing employees, health administrations, technological advancements, budgets, and coordinating between departments. Area specialized managers are also gaining importance with a managerial focus in healthcare increasing. Name a few, Quality improvement manager focusing on the accreditation of the healthcare organizations; clinical research manager responsible for monitoring and pointing out discrepancies in government aids, and proficient with research work in the medical industry’s clinical aid; Clinical manager looking after the clinical areas like neonatal care and radiology.
Pharmacy technicians: They provide patients with the prescriptions the medicines required. Usually, they are located near a clinic, hospital or household. Essential skills required include attention to detail, good communications, organizational skills, basic mathematic skills and vital customer service.
Healthcare information technicians: working with the administrative department of the healthcare system, information technicians are responsible for organizing, compiling, and updating the patients’ medical data. Medical data is one of the vital elements of healthcare organizations; hence, the technicians’ skills are attention to detail and analytically responsive.
Healthcare Data Analysts: The analysts gather data from sources such as electronic health records, cost reports, patient satisfaction surveys and billing claims to interpret them further to help the organization and the industry improve the quality of healthcare, lowering the cost and enhancing patient and professionals experience. They automate reports – internal and external, create management-level dashboards, and present information to healthcare management. They have become a critical guide in managerial decision making, cost reduction, quality assurance and healthcare process improvements. With a considerable emphasis on controlling situations such as the current ongoing pandemic, data analysts’ need is increasing. The Healthcare sector is focusing on more accurate predictions of epidemics, finding a cure for diseases, improving quality of life, and increasing preventable care.
With the increasing hype of the healthcare system on media platforms and the community becoming too involved with health awareness, social media directors, PR managers, campaign managers, healthcare reporters, health marketing managers, health influencers, and digital marketing analyst are the new generation career opportunities cropping up in healthcare. Sharing educational materials, preventive prompts, disregarding fake news, creating content to raise awareness about an event, new preventive treatments, increasing brand awareness, or simply answering the online public’s health-related queries are some social media responsibilities of marketing manager in the health care industry.
Entrepreneurial opportunities increase in the healthcare system amidst rising income levels, increased awareness about health, improved insurance policies and a progressive view on becoming a socially responsible individual. One example of such healthcare entrepreneurship is a heart surgeon Devi Shetty from India, who set up Narayana Health, providing high-quality cardiac care to the community regardless of their ability to pay. Narayana Health has optimized productivity and minimized costs using innovative technology and an efficient delivery system. Another example of a Social entrepreneur, Changamka Microhealth, whose mission is to provide maternal health access in Kenya. The entrepreneurial project provides e-vouchers through mobile technology to expectant mothers from a low-income background. Using mobile technology helps them to reduce 50 percent of administrative costs. Increasing emphasis is given to utilizing biomedical waste optimally. Several startups have jumped into the recycling industry, where a cadre of entrepreneurs are recycling bio-medical waste; some key players include BioMedical Waste Solutions, LLC., Waste Management, Inc. and Republic Services, Inc. Another example of the transformative entrepreneurial initiative is MeraDoctor, a telephone service providing low-income families across India with unlimited medical advice, which costs a lot cheaper than doctors’ regular visits.
Choosing a healthcare career will be exciting in the coming years, and have a career path with tremendous growth opportunities. It is essential to take the education decision right with the explicit goal of which specialization area would be preferred to pursue a healthcare system career.
References:
Ageing and health (2018). World Health Organization. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health
https://himt.wisconsin.edu/experience-uw-himt/healthcare-data-analyst/
https://www.fingent.com/blog/5-ways-big-data-is-changing-the-healthcare-industry/
https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/10-jobs-growth-decade-health-care
https://www.ultimatemedical.edu/healthcare-career-guide/
https://yourstory.com/smbstory/healthcare-entrepreneurship-narayana-transasia-clove-dental-smt
https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/biomedical-waste-management-market.html
Dr. Sudhir Rana
College of Healthcare Management & Economics
Gulf Medical University, UAE
Dr. Sudhir Rana is a marketing faculty at the College of Healthcare Management & Economics at Gulf Medical University, UAE. He believes in driving and motivating academics and research in such a way that, it can be best utilized in an enthusiastic and dynamic environment to foster versatile personalities. He is MBA and Ph.D. with MHRD Scholarship from the Government of India and Post Doctorate from Putra Business School, Universiti of Putra, Malaysia. His research profile is followed by publications into ABDC/ABS/Scopus/Web of Sciences Ranked & indexed journals published by Elsevier, Emerald, Inderscience, Sage, and Neilson Journal Publishing etc. Dr. Rana is a versatile academician. He performs various roles, as Guest Faculty, Scholar, Editor, Editorial Board Member, Guest Editor, Author, Guest Speaker/Panel Speaker/Moderator, Conference Speaker/Session Chair/Committee Member & Convener, and Workshop Expert at various platforms in India and overseas. He is editor with International Journal of Emerging Markets (Emerald); FIIB Business Review (Sage); South Asian Journal of Marketing (Emerald); and Advances in Emerging Economies and Business Operations (Taylor & Francis). Dr. Rana has delivered more than 100 workshop sessions and expert talks across the globe on different topics related to publishing in high-quality journals.