7) solve a problem of allocation |
g) неограниченные потребности |
competing resources |
и ограниченные возможности |
|
h) решить проблему |
8) to get value for money |
распределения |
|
конкурирующих ресурсов |
9) intensive care treatment |
i) огромное политическое и |
|
экономическое давление |
10) unlimited wants and scarce |
j) интенсивная терапия |
demands |
|
Task 2. Read the text and get ready to speak about the cost of health care and problems of allocating resources.
THE COST OF HEALTHCARE CONTINUES TO RISE UPWARD
As the cost of healthcare continues to rise upward, it has become essential to improve our understanding of the clinical, economic, and social implications of the development and use of increasingly expensive biomedical technologies and the new role, which the government has in allocating such resources as it reshapes our healthcare economy.
Every week doctors have to make difficult decisions about medical treatment in their hospitals. The decisions are not only based on clinical need but also on the value of money that the hospital has to provide to its customers, so they have to solve a problem of allocation competing resources. Hospitals are being seen today not only as places where people are treated for a range of problems, they are also business units. In addition, they are subjected to economic pressure. There is enormous political and economic pressure to get value for money from the resources allocated. Hospitals consume a relatively large amount of national income
– around 17% of government spending. The National Institute for clinical Excellence( NICE) estimated the cost of intensive care treatment, it was &1,232 per bed per day (as an average in UK hospitals).( Source: NISE Appraisal Consultation Document, point 2.5).
The high degree of technology and medical care is expensive to provide. It is one of the classic economic problems – unlimited wants and scarce demands.
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Recent cases may serve to highlight the problems facing hospitals in allocating scarce resources. The table below shows the situation in Welsh hospitals. We can see the rise in the number of patients on the
waiting list for treatment. |
|
|
|
|
----------1999------ |
2000------ |
2001------ |
2002------ |
2003 |
Total --134,364-- |
160,844-- |
177,647-- |
212,740-- |
216,370 |
Despite a 40% increase in funding since 1999, waiting lists have risen by 85%. It’s necessary to note, that potentially serious diseases can be life threatening if not to cure early, so there are those, who would argue that the money ought to be put into reducing waiting lists.
To effectively solve healthcare problems we should find a proper balance between concerns of public health, economics and science.
Task 3. Answer the questions:
1.Who has to make difficult decisions about treatment in their hospitals?
2.Are the decisions based only on clinical need?
3.Do h ospitals consume a relatively large amount of national income?
4.Are hospitals being seen today as business units?
5.What was the cost of intensive care treatment?
6.Can potentially serious diseases be life threatening if not treated
early?
7.What is one of the classic economic problems?
Task 4. Find in the text synonyms and antonyms for the following words.
ANTONYMS |
SYNONYMS |
- decrease (n.) |
- immense( adj.) |
- late( adj.) |
- care (n.) |
- easy (adj.) |
- profit (n.) |
- private (adj.) |
- price (n.) |
- cheap( adj.) |
- illness (n.) |
- high (adj.) |
- calculate (v.) |
- old(adj.) |
- customers (n.) |
|
|
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Task 5. Say whether the sentences given below are true or false:
1.As the cost of healthcare continues to reduce, there is no need to improve our understanding of the clinical, economic, and social implications of the development and use of increasingly expensive biomedical technologies.
2.Every week doctors have to make difficult decisions about treatment in their hospitals.
3.Hospitals are being seen today only as places where people are treated for a range of problems.
4.The decisions are not only based on clinical need but also on the value of money that the hospital has to provide to its customers, so they have to solve a problem of allocation competing resources.
5.Hospitals consume not very large amount of national income.
6.The high degree of technology and medical care is not expensive to provide.
7.Potentially serious diseases can be life threatening if not to cure early.
Task 6. Match the following words from the text with their definitions from the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English:
1. a doctor |
a) to help people to recover |
from |
|
illnesses |
|
2. a hospital |
b) a person who has received medical |
|
|
treatment |
|
3. to improve |
c) a person who can give medical |
|
|
treatment |
|
4.a waiting list |
d) a place where people are treated for |
|
|
a range of medical problems |
|
5. a patient |
e) to make better |
|
6. to treat |
f) a document which gives information |
|
|
about quantity of people waiting for |
medi- |
|
cal treatment |
|
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Task 7. Fill in the correct prepositions:
1. As the cost … healthcare continues to rise upward,
it has become essential to improve our understanding of the clinical, economic, and social implications … the development.
2.The decisions are not only based … clinical need but also on the value … money that the hospital has to provide to its customers
3.Hospitals consume a relatively large amount … national income – around 17% of government spending.
4.The table below shows the situation … Welsh hospitals.
5.The high degree … technology and medical care is expensive to provide.
6.Waiting lists have risen … 85%.
Task 8. Translate the following text into English using the dictionary:
Экономические факторы, влияющие на тяжесть производственной травмы или болезни
Изучение экономических условий, которые влияют на тяжесть производственного травматизма или заболевания, а также экономические последствия производственного травматизма или болезни для работников, дает рекомендации по оптимальному распределению ограниченных ресурсов в области безопасности и гигиены труда. Кроме того, экономическая перспектива фокусируется на том, как инвестиции в знания, навыки, безопасность и здоровье работников влияют на производительность, заработок и общее благосостояние работников, работодателей, организаций, стран и всего мира. Таким образом, применение экономики в области безопасности и гигиены труда помогает выявить экономическую неэффективность, связанную с плохими показателями безопасности и здоровья.
Ниже приведены некоторые примеры экономических факторов, которые могут повлиять на характеристики работы и рабочего места, которые, в свою очередь, влияют на риск травм и заболеваний на
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рабочем месте.
•Компании, которые испытывают серьезное финансовое или конкурентное давление может возникнуть соблазн сэкономить, уменьшив внимание к безопасности и здоровью. Например, рост затрат на топливо и энергию может заставить компании, особенно малые и средние компании, перераспределить деньги, которые могли бы быть направлены на улучшение безопасности и здоровья на оплату растущих эксплуатационных расходов, чтобы оставаться в бизнесе.
•Многие работники продолжают работать после «нормального» пенсионного возраста по своему выбору или по необходимости. Общее старение работающего населения может привести к более высокому риску производственного травматизма и заболеваний.
•Лицам, работающим неполный рабочий день, не предоставляются те же льготы, что и тем, кто работает полный рабочий день и, следовательно, вынуждены работать на нескольких работах.
•Есть много рабочих-иммигрантов и меньшинств, чей основной язык не является местным, и поэтому он может быть менее эффективно обучаемым и менее осведомленным об опасностях и безопасных методах работы.
•Быстрое внедрение новых мер безопасности в аэропортах и портах могут подвергать работников новым рискам, связанным с новыми технология и основными кадровыми изменениями.
•Другие новые технологии могут повлиять на безопасность и здоровье работников еще неизученным образом. Например, быстрый рост нанотехнологий подвергает работников воздействию механических наночастиц, чье воздействие на здоровье работника еще не полностью ясно.
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