Question

How has the role of the hospital changed over time? Identify and discuss one of the current trends that are likely to increase hospital use.

Answer 1

Ans) The first uncertainties that hospital managers will face regard the use of the hospital during the next decade.

- Indeed, the progression of chronic diseases correlated with the increasing age of the population may suggest that the rate of hospital use will increase.

- At the same time, the reorganisation of care could lead to the management of a large proportion of patients outside the hospital. Everything will then depend on the number of years without disabilities of the elderly population, as well as access to healthcare services for a part of the population.

- Concerning the need for care, in the upcoming years we will fluctuate between the development of personalised medicine, such as expensive targeted therapies for cancer and the use of mass medicine, which could be boosted by the resurgence of infectious diseases.

- Thus, the hospital, by the universality of its missions is often disrupted in its organisation, torn between emergency care and planned management of patients. These two aspects of hospital activity are uninterrupted admissions into emergency departments and outpatient surgery.