SWOT Analysis
SWOT analysis plays a significant role in any organization. The emergency department is a facility in every hospital specializing in acute care. The attendance in this department is unplanned; therefore, it provides treatment for a broad range of illnesses.
| S.W.O.T Analysis | |
| Helpful to Organization | Hurtful to Organization |
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|
Ø Quality Services Ø Highly experienced and qualified doctors Ø Reputation Ø Technology advantages
|
Ø High costs
Ø Staff management problems Ø Limited service lines Ø Marketing deficiencies |
| Opportunities | Threats |
|
Ø The increased cost of healthcare in western countries Ø New technology Ø Lack of dominant competition Ø New markets |
Ø Newer evolving hospitals Ø Insurance plan changes Ø Adverse government policies Ø Adverse demographic changes
|
Strengths
Quality services are among the most important features that distinguish emergency departments. A dedicated emergency department should attend to all severe cases. The successes of such departments depend on highly experienced and qualified doctors. A hospital is a combination of facilities and specialized doctors. Technology helps analyze and detect complications and reduce medical errors in the emergency room (Sammut-Bonnici & Galea, 2015). A good reputation enhances patients’ confidence towards the facility and the doctors.
Weaknesses
The emergency department is labor-intensive; therefore, the medical processes are costly. Such costs discourage patients from seeking services in case of emergencies. Another thing affecting the emergency department is limited service lines. Besides, the high cost of services has reduced the number of patients in the emergency department. Poor marketing has also affected the number of patients visiting a particular hospital. Patients lack adequate information about the emergency department; hence, they look for services from other hospitals. Staff management is another problem affecting service delivery and can affect the quality of care even in the most equipped hospitals.
Opportunities
Although the cost of emergency department’s services cost is high, the ever-increasing cost of healthcare witnessed in western countries is much higher. Thus, this increases the hospital’s opportunities for more patients if charges remain manageable. New technology has also improved service delivery in health facilities (Nazarko et al., 2017). Lack of dominant competition from other medical facilities is an opportunity for the hospital because patients keep increasing despite the emergence of new health facilities. Finally, new markets have created opportunities for the hospital.
Threats
The advent of technology has enhanced service delivery. The evolving hospitals have improved medical interventions, which is a significant threat to established hospitals. Changes in insurance plan have also affected service delivery. Adverse demographic changes affect the number of patients visiting a specified hospital. When people relocate, the process affects the patients’ influx in a given hospital. Finally, changes in government policies have posed a threat to many established hospitals.
A SWOT analysis plays a vital role in an organization’s strategic planning. Strengths and opportunities can help an organization identify critical areas of improvement to enhance growth and profitability while identifying potential threats and weaknesses. The analysis becomes a fundamental aspect of a strategic positioning as the firm makes a critical decision before allocating resources to improvement areas.
References
Nazarko, J., Ejdys, J., Halicka, K., Magruk, A., Nazarko, L., Skorek, A. (2017). Application of enhanced SWOT analysis in the future-oriented public management of technology. Procedia Engineering, 182, 482-490. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2017.03.140
Sammut-Bonnici, T., & Galea, D. (2015, January). SWOT Analysis. doi: 10.1002/9781118785317.weom120113