Question 1

Rapid changes in structure and aspects of care strategies have instigated opportunity for health care professionals to modify strategic approach for developing a care plan and programme. In addition, increasing inclination of healthcare professionals towards patient centred healthcare approaches have also instigated chances to improve healthcare planning mechanisms for increasing standards of healthcare services (Paulo, Loney &Lapão, 2019).

(a)  Identifying Determinants of Healthcare Planning and Impact of Those

PESTLE analysis of UAE healthcare service is mentioned in below table:

Elements	Description
Political	In UAE, 7 Emirates have their individual government. Healthcare policy followed in one Emirate is not similar to other and this creates political conflicts (Government.ae, 2019).
Economical	High GDP of UAE enable them to develop appropriate healthcare service
Social	Inhabitants of UAE maintain quality lifestyle. High little indicates that they are capable to available better healthcare services
Technological	Robotics and RFID is being used extensively by many healthcare organisations in UAE
Legal	Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is followed in UAE for monitoring and controlling healthcare services (Government.ae, 2019). DHA (Dubai Healthcare Authority) is the governing body related to healthcare services in UAE.
Environmental	Less environmental factors can influence the health of inhabitants of UAE.

Table 1: PESTLE Analysis

In order to improve the effectiveness of healthcare planning, it is essential to identify factors that influence the efficacy of care strategies and addresses healthcare requirements. In this regard, major factors or determinants that orchestrates adequacy of healthcare plans include social and economic environment, physical environment, initiatives of Government, technological aspects and individual characteristics and behaviour of patients (Tan, El-Serag&Hou, 2017). For instance, social approach in terms of formulating an idea of health care services can influence care strategies especially in case of mental health care programmes. Moreover, economic environment comprising of financial strength of healthcare organisations holds significant impact on healthcare planning.

Apart from this, introduction of technological advancements has also influenced healthcare professionals to develop care strategies and support needs of patients (Song et al. 2015). Inclusion of technology in healthcare has enabled opportunity for healthcare professionals to allow RFID and robotics in supporting medical needs of people. In addition, health status of population and risk behaviour of population towards a threat related to health are also crucial factors for controlling efficacy of healthcare planning process. According to Aldhizer &Juras (2015), available resources and facilities in care sector can control effectiveness of planning process in terms of appointing professionals for delivering care services and managing needs of individual patients.

Along with these, initiatives of government to spread awareness and provide sufficient funding for delivering effective care services is also important to develop health care planning (Sherifaliet al. 2018). Moreover, initiatives of respective healthcare authority to provide training and educational programmes can support care professionals and medical practitioners to improve skills and knowledge for developing appropriate healthcare strategies. Besides, severity of illness and perspectives and awareness of individual patients and society towards the illness also facilitates opportunity to improve strategic planning (Strong et al. 2017). In this context, cooperation and collaboration of family of patients can be identified as major determinant to adopt effective healthcare planning process for catering to the needs of patients.

At present, there are about 10.75 million inhabitants in UAE and providing healthcare services to such huge number of population is quite difficult. Important stakeholders associated with healthcare service provider in UAE are government, healthcare organisation and large number of populations in UAE.

Figure 1: Population in UAE

(Source: Statista.com, 2019)

 (b) Proposing Strategies to Address Challenges

            Extensive research on current scenario of health and care prospects have identified that lack of effectiveness of health strategies and care programmes affected quality of care services. Moreover, the inability of medical practitioners to diagnose patients for providing appropriate care has influenced overall health statistics. Hence, focus on implementing technological advancements can support professionals to diagnose health status of patients in an appropriate manner (Guidetti et al. 2019). It would also be effective to identify solution for improving quality of healthcare services through updating medical equipment and devices. In addition, attempt to provide training and developmental programmes to professionals would be effective to enhance knowledge and understanding while spreading awareness of healthcare services for promoting health standards (Aldhizer &Juras, 2015).

By assessing the current medical practice being adopted in healthcare in UAE, two challenges that have been identified are lack of technological infrastructure within healthcare organisation and inappropriate resource allocation. Modern day technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence), robotics helps in diagnosing patient health condition properly and can be used in performing crucial and dedicated surgeries (Chen, Zoga & Vaccaro, 2017). Replacing tradition data recording process with modern technology increases efficiency of healthcare services that are provided to patients.

Another technological challenge faced is the use of traditional data recording system where multiple copies of health report of single patients are stored in system; this creates the problem of lack of memory space and data duplicity. In order to solve this challenge EMR (electronic medical reports) system needs to adopt by healthcare organisation (Caputo, 2016). EMR is beneficial in recording data that are transmitted to a number of healthcares through digital media. Advantages of EMR are that multiple copies of patent records need not be created and at the same time, proper analysing of patient health condition can be performed. As for example, DHA (Dubai Health Authority) has developed strategies to implement EMR technology for data storage in many healthcare organisations (Itu.int, 2019). Hospital Information System (HIS) would be improved by implementing EMR as predicted by authorities of DHA.

Second channel faced by healthcare organisations in UAE is lack of appropriate resource allocation technique. Most important resources of business organisation are capital, human resource, and technological infrastructure. Adequate training and development program are not provided to of healthcare employees, as a result patient health condition are not diagnosed properly. Budget that would be spent in implementing technical gadgets as well as providing training and development to staff are not people performed. In order to minimise this challenges appropriate training and development programs needs to be conducted where staff are provided training related to practical cases.

Question 2

Since Health Pro aims to provide effective healthcare services to patients while improving operational efficiency and profit margin, it is essential for the organisation to adopt appropriate strategies to improve organisational performance. Now, the organisation has encountered issues to ensure patient safety that led to affect brand image through being involved in unexpected malpractice lawsuits. In order to mitigate the issue, Health Pro has developed operational plans to address number of registered complaints and cater to patient safety. In addition, it has also focused on improving financial performance for achieving business goals.

(a) Focus of the Operational Plan and Its Effectiveness

            Assessment of given case study highlights that Health Pro has applied a beneficial strategy to combat increasing number of complaints related to patient safety and improve operational efficiency. Moreover, a growing number of complaints on grounds of safety issues of patients have resulted in affecting brand image of this organisation through engaging medical practitioners in cases of malpractice lawsuits. Now, as the healthcare organisation is facing issues of malpractice lawsuits regarding patient safety while struggling to meet expected profit margin, adoption of a strategy to address the rising number of complaints can be identified as a problem based approach. As opined by Ciasullo, Cosimato & Palumbo (2017), problem based learning (PBL) in healthcare is essential for allowing practitioners to identify areas of development and improve personal and professional skills for meeting care needs.

            In this particular case, Health Pro has applied a problem based approach for resolving issues of increasing complaints regarding patient safety. It has attempted to reduce the number of complaints on grounds of appropriateness of healthcare services to improve patient safety. Although the healthcare organisation is struggling to cope with financial performance in terms of handling decline in profit margin, it has developed an operational plan for reducing the number of complaints and addresses the issue of malpractice in healthcare. However, the case identified that implementation of this operational plan has supported Health Pro to improve patient safety, which has been a major issue of this organisation. Thus, it can be interpreted that the organisation has been able to improve operational efficacy through addressing patient safety (Mikula, Abraham & Townshend, 2019).

            On the other hand, lack of changes in financial performance in terms of addressing decline in profit margin reflects inappropriateness of the operational plan. This also suggests that the aforementioned organisation has not been able to deliver quality services to patients and cater to their needs for achieving business goals (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017). Apart from this, close analysis of given information in case study also indicates that increasing events of severe issues related to patient safety has emerged in the following year. This implies inappropriate approaches of medical professionals to resolve identified issues of patient safety. Now, based on this, it can be quoted that,Health Pro needs to focus on monitoring and evaluating operational activities. This can be effective to identify gaps in implementing operational plan while allowing opportunities to develop potential mitigating strategies for further growth (Glen, 2017).

Positive and negative aspects of the Health Pro are mentioned in below table:

Positive Aspect	Negative Aspects
Feedback of clients are addressed appropriately which helps them in formulating appropriate plan for mitigation issues	Less monitoring activities are performed by the authorities of this organisation for evaluating the healthcare practice by medical practitioner.
Problem based learning approach has been adopted by the authorities of the organisation for locating the main source of issue and decision appropriate plan to reduce issues.	Profit margin decline as less monitoring activities are conducted to check regular financial performance of organisation.
Initiatives are taken to improve health care service which in turn helps in enhancing brand name of organisation	Less or no use of ICT (information technology) for gathering indispensable data about business operation by the concerned authority of this organisation

Table 2: Positive and Negative Aspect of the Chosen Organisation 

Question 3

(a) Describing Population Health and Health Care System in UAE

            In case of evaluating health care system of UAE (United Arab Emirates), it is important to mention that Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD), Ministry of Health and Prevention, Emirates Health Authority (EHA) and Dubai Health Authority (DHA) play the role of major authorities to regulate health care services (Uae-embassy.org, 2019). Availability of comprehensive health care services that are government-funded allows population of Dubai to receive standard quality of health care services that is regulated in both Emirate and Federal level. Moreover, skilled medical professionals and standard quality of medical services has instigated chances for the country to promote medical tourism. In addition, improved healthcare structure of this country signifies adequate healthcare system that avails 181 doctors per 100,000 people (Internations.org, 2019).

            Apart from this, effective healthcare system of UAE has improved standards of population health through supporting healthcare financing and improving healthcare reform approaches (Koornneef, Robben & Blair, 2017). It has also essential to combat infectious diseases such as poliomyelitis, malaria and measles. Moreover, population health has been maintained through ensuring supply of clean water in rural areas and providing facilities of sanitation. Besides, attention has been given on postnatal and prenatal care that reflects in reducing mortality rates of infants to 7 per 1000 and 5.54 per 1000 for new-born (Uae-embassy.org, 2019). Along with this, maternal mortality has been reduced to 0.01 for 100,000 while ensuring life expectancy rate to be 76.8 years.

UAE commit to build a world class healthcare system, one of the health reform is the highest hospital accreditation.

JCIA teaches us for the best practises ever (one way to force the health system to improve)

Public health KPI for improving high life expectancy and high level of chronic diseases.

Health system inUAEchanged to health system reforms. The National strategy of UAE,target to increase life and reducing tobacco consumption. The reform focuses on introduction of health insurances.

(b) Evaluating Health Reform System of Abu Dhabi

            The prime focus of health reform system in Abu Dhabi revolves around ensuring quality of health care services while introducing compulsory private health insurance policies and developing functions of private health care organisations (Koornneef, Robben & Blair, 2017). It has also focused on delegating regulatory responsibilities of Government for supporting health and care needs. In this regard, the main objectives of health care reform in UAE includes improvement in quality of healthcare services; instigating shift from public to private care service providers;introducing new financing model for supporting care needs and expanding accessibility to care services (Uae-embassy.org, 2019).

(c) Strategies Implemented in Health System Reform Programme in UAE

            As opined by Koornneef, Robben & Blair (2017), the Ministry of Health in Dubai is committed to; provide world class health care services to its people while reducing the burden of disease and introducing a new financing model. In this context, health system reform programmes of this country aim at improving public health standards and achieving patient satisfaction. Considering this, partnership with renowned global institutions has been encouraged. Moreover, strategies to invest in research and development for improving health care standards have also been adopted through launching Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) in 2002 and establishing free-zoned laboratory named Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park for supporting knowledge-based economy and improving health system reform programmes (Uae-embassy.org, 2019).

Question 4

            In case of evaluating health system of Dubai while commenting on effectiveness of care strategies and health care planning process, it is essential to evaluate strengths, weaknesses along with threats and opportunities of health strategies of this country. It would also deliver chances to identify areas of potential growth and propose strategies for further development.

Strengths	Weaknesses
●       Mandatory healthcare facilities in both public and private organisations  ●       Free public healthcare services (Internations.org, 2019) ●       Ensuring accessibility of healthcare services to people for improving standards of public health ●       Quality of health care services and improved standards of health care system ●       Government support ●       Medical tourism to make Dubai leader in 2021 ●       Cultural diversity (200 nationalities) ●       Establishing ministry of happiness ●       Security and stability ●       JCIA accreditation ●	●       Uncertainty of financial model (Koornneef, Robben & Blair, 2017)  ●       Increasing burden of diseases due to unhealthy lifestyle in terms of tobacco consumption, poor diets and lack of physical exercise (Koornneef, Robben & Blair, 2017) ●       Excessive cost of healthcare services (Dha.gov.ae, 2019) ●       Insurance policies which complicate things. ●       No unified electronic claim system ●       Lack of Research ●       Competitors from private sectors ●       Cultural conflicts and difference ●       Variances in adopted guidelines ●
Opportunities	Threats
●       Supporting long term care  ●       Innovative system to deal with health insurance aspects ●       Strengthening private service quality and improving regulatory approaches of DHA (Dha.gov.ae, 2019) ●       Promoting Medical Tourism (Qasimet al. 2019) ●       UAE is gaining international ranking in many industries e.g. with daughters	●       Required costs containment for pharmaceuticals  ●       Rapid growth of population especially young population ●       Lack of maturity in health care model (Koornneef, Robben & Blair, 2017) ●       Terrorism ●       War in the region ●       Economic crisis

Table 3: SWOT Analysis of Health System of Dubai

(Source: Developed from Koornneef, Robben & Blair, 2017)

Strengths

            Assessment of health system of Dubai highlights that is mandatory for people living and working in this country to have a health insurance policy. Effort of Dubai health ministry to direct both public and private organisations for availing this opportunity to employees has instigated chances to improve standards of health care approaches and promote accessibility of care services (Internations.org, 2019).

Weaknesses

             Uncertainty of innovative financing model introduced by the Dubai Government to support health insurance approaches and manage financial aspects is one of the major weaknesses of this health system (Dha.gov.ae, 2019). However, uncertainty of newly implemented financial model to manage details of health insurance is a crucial weakness that can be mitigated through focusing on monitoring and evaluation strategy. In addition, increasing burden of diseases and required cots for meeting care needs of people can be addressed through developing adequate budget planning and focusing on alternative funding for improving standards of public health (Koornneef, Robben & Blair, 2017).

Opportunities

            Initiative of Dubai Government to support long term care and manage health insurance facilities for improving quality of healthcare services can be effective to meet the long term goals of this country. Moreover, attempt to improve regulatory approaches of DHA and promoting medical tourism can support long term goals for increasing the quality of lives of people (Al-Hosani & Salam, 2018).

Threats

            Since growth of young population and lack of maturity in health model have been issues for aforementioned country to improve health care approaches, focus on adopting patient-cantered care model can deliver opportunity to modify health initiatives (Dha.gov.ae, 2019). It can also instigate chances to communicate with patients while educating medical practitioners for improving knowledge and understanding to meet care needs and achieve long term goals (Chaudhary, 2017).

Question 5

            As Dubai Government has aimed to improve standards of healthcare services to promote public health standards, aspects of medical tourism have been a major element in improving health standards of this country. Intention to improve health standards of this country and support initiatives of Ministry of Health to encourage medical tourism following strategies can be essential to maintain quality of healthcare services-

• Implementing New Health Care Model

            Hamidi&Akinci(2015) have identified that availability of free public healthcare services has allowed Dubai to enhance standards of public health while modifying health care system to cater to the needs of its population. In this context, the initiative of Dubai Government to implement new healthcare model can be effective to support medical tourism while explaining its features and attributes for further improvement of healthcare system. In this regard, focus on completing electronic medical record for storing and circulating data would be effective to improve operational efficacy (Qasimet al. 2019). It can also support attempt of Dubai Government to promote medical tourism and collaborate with other organisations for ensuring integrity of new healthcare model.

Updating Regulatory Policies

            Attempt of Health Ministry of Dubai and DHA to revise and update regulatory policies would also be an effective strategy for supporting accreditation while regulating authority of health regulation sectors (Kennedy, Amacher& McLaughlin, 2017). This can also allow health care organisations in this country to adopt technology and improve care model and approaches for maintaining global standards of healthcare services. Moreover, it would expand opportunity for both public and private healthcare organisations to participate in international conferences and improve care perspectives for serving to the needs of patients (Ashtaret al. 2017). It can also reduce frauds in health care insurance through protecting the rights of people and supporting efficiency of healthcare approaches (El Serganiet al. 2015).

Adopting a Sustainable Approach

Medical tourism is a crucial part of healthcare model of UAE that instigates opportunity to collaborate with international communities and support an integrated healthcare model (Dha.gov.ae, 2019). In this context, adoption of sustainable approach can be essential to support medical tourism while supporting ecosystem. It can contribute to enhancing the value of healthcare model and healthcare system through following regulatory guidelines related to medical tourism and justifies environmental needs (Guidetti et al. 2019).

Raising Fund

            Emphasis on raising funds for supporting innovative healthcare models and health insurance of employees can be appropriate for Dubai Government to improve efficacy of medical tourism. This can also instigate chances for health care organisations in UAE to improve marketing approaches for addressing business goals and controlling financial model to regulate health insurance of people (Dha.gov.ae, 2019). Besides, focus on raising funds would also deal with potential risks of excessive costs of healthcare services and can support adoption of technological facilities including RFID to improve health standards (Ayach et al. 2016). Apart from these, hiring skilled professionals and providing additional training and educational programmes would also support the improvement of medical tourism while ensuring increase in standards of healthcare services in UAE.