Choosing a career in the Health care system makes you part of a rapidly expanding and thriving industry. Although, physicians and healthcare workers have many challenges to overcome, like the uncertainties and complexities of value-based care and the increasing cases of physician’s burnout, occupations in healthcare are still extremely personally and financially rewarding. New technologies and daily challenges of electronic health records, may be speeding up retirement for many doctors, creating many employment positions for those coming through the ranks.
It is widely accepted that Europe‘s health systems are contributing to the high social protection and cohesion that its members enjoy. European Union healthcare systems are diverse and reflect the different social choices. Despite the differences to the organization and funding, they are established in common values such as universality, access to good quality healthcare, equality and solidarity. What is more, there is a need for health systems to become financially viable in such a way that they will preserve these values for the future.
Over the last decade, European health systems face similar growing common challenges.
- The European population is aging and more exposed to multiple chronic diseases. Therefore, we have an increasing demand for healthcare services and a financial pressure on our healthcare systems
- The cost of innovative technologies and drugs is growing, building a burden for public finances
- Health professionals are not evenly distributed, with observed shortages in some areas
- Access to healthcare is not equally distributed, therefore various societies lack access to financially affordable, preventive and curative good quality healthcare
The need to fortify the healthcare systems all over the world is imperative as the COVID–19 pandemic have demonstrated. There will be an increasing demand on health facilities and healthcare workers, to operate effectively in an oncoming outbreak. WHO recently released guidelines to help countries maintain essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will lead to increased job security as more and more fulfilling, lucrative positions are being created for people driven to make a difference in their communities.
That is why the health sector is contributing at an exceedingly high rate in creating employment positions. Even though, it is commonly said that technology will replace 80% of doctors in the future. Instead, technology will finally allow doctors to focus on what makes them good physicians: treating patients and innovating, while automation does the repetitive part of the work. While every medical specialty will benefit from digital health, some will especially thrive thanks to these innovations. For what is more, the sector “health and social care” is the area that noted the largest increase in employment in recent years, with over 2.6 million new jobs (between the first quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of 2017 in the European Union).
Never forget the fact that will never change: You will wake up every day knowing that you have the ability to positively impact patients’ lives.
By Ioannis Vairamis, MD Pediatrician