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In the Asia Pacific Management Forum's upcoming review of Asian industry prospects (to be published late this month), health care is classified as one of the fastest growing industries in the region. Several reasons underlie this, apart from the already fast growth. Most imprtantly, we are seeing countries, China in particular, experiencing rapid growth in the workforce. Many who previously could not afford professional health care will be demanding better services, and industries who depend on a healthy local workforce will be funding better corporate health services for employees. Secondly, as affluent lifestyles become more common, populations are exposed to new "modern" risks related to less healthy diets, decreased exercise, polluted cities and stress. At the same time the newly affluent are demanding higher quality health care and have demonstrated they are willing to pay for it through private health care. Health is just one of the examples of infrastructure not being able to keep up with the rapid growth in recent times. Health education and awareness in many Asian countries is poor. All is resulting in rising cases of such diseases as AIDS, tuberculosis and mosquito-borne diseases. Preventative medicine has been given second priority, due to difficulties with ministering to such large and diverse populations. Many of the most talented medical professionals have for years been lured to higher paying jobs in Western and developed countries. The free journals this week focus on health, but both are oriented mainly to the UK. Because of this there are only a few articles abstracted here that relate specifically to Asia but professionals and researchers interested specifically working in Health Care will find over 600 articles to choose from this week. We also suggest you see the very useful links provided below in the "Related Resources" section which are specifically related to Asia, and check the Anbar search on the left for brief citations from over 600 journals. Links to the World HEalth Organization and some excellent link directories are in the former, and the latter contains many citations, for which you can access full abstracts and articles on registration or as a trial subsciber.
A glossary of terms encountered in quality and customer service
A glossary of terms and definitions relating to the fields of quality and customer care, exemplified by reference to health care.
Keywords: Customer service, Health care, Quality, Terminology
The soya bean: so small yet so mighty
The role of diet in contributing to the incidence of coronary heart disease, cancer and other common Western diseases is attracting increasing attention. Foods which provide different biologically active compounds, such as phyto-oestrogens, have been extensively studied and epidemiological evidence suggests that populations consuming a diet high in phyto-oestrogens have a lower risk of these diseases. This paper reviews some of the key studies on soy isoflavones which suggest that the incorporation of soy protein into the British diet may offer important health benefits. Non-steroidal dietary oestrogens are found in high concentrations in the traditional diets of the Far East, and by vegans who consume large amounts of soy protein. Consumption of isoflavones across Asia varies considerably and it is estimated that between 25 to 45mg of isoflavones is consumed daily, compared to as little as 5mg daily in Western countries. It is well established that modification of dietary fat, especially saturated fat, soluble fibre and total calories have a role in coronary heart disease risk. In a meta-analysis of 38 controlled trials on soy proteins, it was concluded that significant reductions in serum and total LDL cholesterol could be achieved. A wide range of epidemiological data shows strong correlations between a diet high in soy protein and vegetables and a reduced risk of breast cancer. The incidence of osteoporosis in Japanese women is significantly lower than in Western women and dietary factors such as soy protein intake may be important in sustaining this protection.Keywords: Disease, Food Article Type: Theoretical with worked example Content Indicators: Research Implication- **, Practice Implication- **, Originality- ***, Readability- * Tofu on the net
The Cauldron Foods’ Website has lots of information with facts and handy hints for using tofu including how it is made, why it is good for us and why it is still popular in the Far East after over 2,000 years. The product was actually created 2,000 years ago for a Taoist prince. The Website also has recipe suggestions and visitors can e-mail Cauldron Foods with any feedback and enter a competition. Visit Cauldron Foods Website at: www.cauldron foods.co.uk
Using the Business Excellence Model to develop a strategy for a healthcare organisation
This article examines the appropriateness of the Business Excellence Model in developing a strategy for Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust to measure organisational performance. The need for a strategy to measure organisational performance and to improve organisational performance was highlighted with the production of the Government White Paper, The New NHS: Modern and Dependable. At the heart of recommendations there is emphasis on improving quality and driving efficiency. Greater emphasis will be placed on organisations measuring their performance. By utilising the conceptual framework, which consisted of The European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Model, it became evident that, although tools were in existence within Bolton Hospitals to measure organisational performance, several critical areas needed addressing. By addressing these key areas, the organisation could begin to work towards its goal of business excellence. The conclusions drawn from this project demonstrated that there was scope for Bolton Hospitals to improve on organisational performance. It was highlighted that the Trust was functioning well in some areas of the EFQM Model, but not in others. For Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust to improve organisational performance, the EFQM Model should be adopted.Keywords: Business Excellence Model, Health care, Performance measurement, Strategy Article Type: Theoretical with application in practice, Case study Content Indicators: Research Implication- *, Practice Implication- **, Originality- **, Readability- ***
As always we have only skimmed the surface of relevant articles this week and only those that are particularly relevant for Asia-Pacific managers. Many other articles are available as well including those focusing on other countries and international perspectives
The WWW Virtual Library maintains an excellent set of links to Asian Health Care management issues at http://www.ldb.org/vl/geo/asia/index.htm. This is possibly the definitive starting point for Web-based information on this topic. As usual for the WWW-Virtual Library, very well updated and comprehensive. You may also want to try the World Health Organizations South East Asia site, and a few offerings from MedWeb on Public Health in Asia. Also see the Web site of one of the finest private hospitals in Asia, Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok, who are a model for using the Web in the health industry. You can search for a specialist of your interest and even make an appointment from their Web site.
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