Health policies represent a robust field for research since they reflect the current state of health management, at the same time providing an insight into key community issues and the overall state of healthcare efficacy. Moreover, the assessment of the existing legislation on health issues provides insights into the further development of public health management strategies (Shi, 2014a). However, most importantly, the evaluation and study of health policies lead to an increase in access to health services for vulnerable populations (Fawole, Srivastava, & Feemster, 2019). For health administrators, the assessment of health policies allows updating the current framework for health management, introducing new access options for disadvantaged groups, and improving health outcomes in the target demographic.
Studying health policies allows determining how well they represent the current health issues and the needs of vulnerable groups. Therefore, as a health administrator, one must keep track of policy trends and debates. The described strategy allows one as a health administrator o identify vital threats to the well-being of target groups, thus improving health outcomes and providing services of better quality (Liu, Wang, Ding, Chen, & Wang, 2020). Moreover, as a health administrator, one can provide insight into current health issues that have to be taken into account when shaping health policies. As a result, the efficacy of new health regulations will rise due to the input provided by a health administrator (Shi, 2014c). Specifically, Shi (2014b) explains that the involvement of a health administrator may shape health insurance policies, making insurance more affordable to disadvantaged groups. Thus, for a health administrator, it is critical to study the existing health policies, as well as participate in shaping new ones. Finally, the dialogue with a health administrator will help policymakers to establish an improved connection with the target population, thus learning about their needs, receiving feedback, and shaping policies accordingly.
References
Fawole, O. A., Srivastava, T., & Feemster, K. A. (2019). Student health administrator perspectives on college vaccine policy development and implementation. Vaccine, 37(30), 4118-4123.
Liu, X., Wang, F., Ding, X., Chen, Y., & Wang, L. (2020). Strengthening the maternal and child health system in remote and low-income areas through multilevel governmental collaboration: A case study from Nujiang prefecture in China. Public Health, 178, 23-30.
Shi, L. (2014a). Federal health policymaking. In Introduction to health policy (pp. 31-52). Health Administration Press.
Shi, L. (2014b). Health policymaking at the state and local levels and in the private sector. In Introduction to health policy (pp. 53-73). Health Administration Press.
Shi, L. (2014c). Overview of health policy. In Introduction to health policy (pp. 3-27). Health Administration Press.