This course is best suited for individuals currently in the healthcare sector, as a provider, payer, or administrator. Individuals pursuing a career change to the healthcare sector may also be interested in this course. In this course, you will have an opportunity to explore general business strategy concepts as they relate to the healthcare industry. You will also examine how strategic decisions are made within organizations.
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After an introduction to the different levels of strategy, through examples, you will look at each level in greater detail. You will also have the opportunity to conduct an external evaluation that explores market, environment, customer, and competitor analyses.
What You Will Learn
- Explain general business strategy concepts related to the healthcare industry
- Analyze market opportunities and challenges for purposes of formulating business strategies
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Module 1 - Welcome to Strategy
The healthcare industry has been changing dramatically of late and companies need to determine how they are going to change to meet these new challenges. Strategy is the process by which companies determine where they want to go and how to get there. There are three levels of strategy: corporate, business, and functional. In this module we will first go over the three levels of strategy and then focus on corporate strategy. By the end of the module you will have an understanding of the components of a corporate strategy.
WEEK 2
Module 2 - What is Business Strategy?
In order to decide what actions to take, a company must first analyze what is going on in the industry and what the competitors are doing. In this module, we will outline the parts of a strategic analysis and define what a strategic business unit is. Then we will go into detail on how to conduct industry and competitor analyses. By the end of the module you will have learned how to assess the strategic opportunities and threats your organization is facing.
WEEK 3
Module 3 - Environmental and Customer Analysis
In order to get a more nuanced understanding of industries and competitors, we need to take into account two more factors: the environment and customers. There are influences outside of an industry that can impact the future direction of that industry. These are termed environmental forces. Plus, every strategic move is designed with the customer in mind. However, in healthcare, the customer decision process consists of multiple people. In this module, we will discuss how to perform an environmental analysis and how to think about customers.
WEEK 4
Module 4 - Internal Analysis and the Value Chain
Whether an organization can take advantage of the opportunities discovered in an external analysis, or whether it can fend off the strategic moves of a competitor, depends on the capabilities of the organization. In this module we present frameworks for assessing an organization's strengths and weaknesses. The frameworks used are value chains and VRIO. Then, over the course of the next two weeks, you will apply these frameworks and conduct an individual analysis of a service line within your organization.
