Challenges for Healthcare Administrators in Obesity & Diabetes

Healthcare administrators face many challenges because of overlapping medical issues that coexist with patients who have diabetes and obesity. In a 2004 position paper, the International Obesity Taskforce reported that "obesity and diabetes currently threaten the health, well-being and economic welfare of virtually every country in the world." The American College of Surgeons echoes this view, reporting that morbid obesity can be directly related to diabetes.

Varied Patient Environments

• Patients live in a multitude of surroundings.

  According to the Diabetes Spectrum, these "... patients live their lives in a multitude of surroundings ..." Healthcare administrators must assess the varied environments and the associated challenges to develop treatment options that work in any situation. These situations can include patients in prisons, in substandard housing, those with limited access to treatment facilities,or residents of unsafe neighborhoods. Administrators are challenged to provide quality care in spite of adverse living environments or life situations.

Providing the Right Tools

• Administrators must be able to provide the tools and resources that patients with obesity and diabetes need for better health. Because it is often unrealistic to change the patients' circumstances, "...providing the skills, materials, and personnel to manage diabetes effectively is challenging."

External Factors

• Many external factors create challenges for dealing with patients with diabetes and obesity. These include an increased number of military veterans who need these services, the fact that diabetes is on the rise in the United States, and numerous other socioeconomic factors that can hinder treatment.

At-Risk Populations

• Financial situations are challenges for administrators.

  Healthcare administrators are challenged by vulnerable populations and sometimes work in unusual ways to meet their needs. They are challenged to employ flexible clinical interventions to deal with these more vulnerable populations, for example, racial/ethnic minorities and patients who receive insurance coverage from public sources. The financial status and resources for patients with obesity and diabetes have an impact on their healthcare outcomes. Administrators must accept that "...diabetes care and management choices are often limited for those with low or fixed incomes and little or no health insurance coverage."

Renovations to Hospitals and Health Facilities

• Medical equipment and furniture must accommodate diabetic, obese patients.

  A national survey, "2010 Bariatric Report," conducted by Novation, confirms that 28 percent of hospitals have or will need to address significant challenges to accommodate obese patients. Renovations are one way that this challenge manifests. The report indicates that physical renovations are increasing, such as installing load-bearing toilets, accessible door and shower openings, bedding and seating. Other challenges for administrators include reviewing and modifying furniture, medical devices and entrances to parking lots and offices.

Worker Protection

• Healthcare administrators must also ensure that their medical staffs receive the physical protection and training they need to care for diabetic and obese patients. Some of these challenges include providing training on how to properly lift or handle patients to ensure that clinicians remain healthy plus education on how to communicate with sensitivity.