From the globalEDGE Team

With the resumption of classes, we at globalEDGE are looking for new and updated Course Syllabi for our Academy section. We would greatly appreciate any submissions our readers may have, which can be made here!

Fact of the Month

Japanese cell phone providers have recently released RakuRaku “Health Phones,” which contain everything from a pedometer, personal health diary, built-in fingertip heart rate scans, as well as a self diagnosis guidebook.

Feature of the Month: Healthcare Industry

The healthcare industry deals with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of various medical ailments and conditions. Health care initially existed in only a reactionary medium based on trial-and-error. However, advancements in biological, chemical, and technological advances have ushered in the age of modern medicine, which in turn spawned the health care industry as we know it today.

The industry is highly fragmented and operates out of a variety of locales, which range from hospitals to private practice offices, and even family doctors that conduct house-calls. Healthcare systems vary greatly depending on the country. Many rely on the government as a provider, while others use a combined system which includes aspects of government care as well as private health insurers. Although hospitals provide the largest amount of service administration by percentage, the largest players in the healthcare industry are the companies or federal institutions which facilitate the payment for this care via insurance. Increasing the expediency and cost-efficiency of relations between those that facilitate payments and those that provide the care remains one of the largest challenges looming for the health care industry.

From the globalEDGE Blog

In light of the ballooning global cost of providing healthcare to patients, there has been much discussion as to how operations in the healthcare industry can be implemented in a more smooth and cost-efficient manner. One major solution could lie in the efforts of various supply-chain management firms and programs to help hospitals and health care systems reduce their supply chain costs. In addition to supply chain revamps, technological revisions of documentation in the health care industry should have a significant impact in cost-cutting and time-saving.

• Read more on the globalEDGE Blog!

Featured Resources

Compendium of Trade Laws
Produced by the member law firms of Lexwork International, this Compendium provides trade law summaries for over 30 jurisdictions prepared by law firms located there. Includes most significant US trading partners. An excellent resource for companies intending to do business in foreign countries and some US states. Summaries are listed below with the marking “a Lexwork International exclusive.”
Category: Trade Law

Economist - Country Briefings
Provided by the Economist.com, in partnership with the Economist Intelligence Unit, this site contains comprehensive information on 86 countries including country profiles, recent news, political and economic forecasts, statistics, and more. Also provided are Country Forecasts, which provide mid and long-term economic projections for these countries for a subscription fee.
Category: Multi-Country

• For a more comprehensive list of resources, check out globalEDGE's Resource Desk!

Featured Academy

The World is Open for Business
This module was created in cooperation with the U.S. Commercial Service and is the first chapter of the book A Basic Guide to Exporting. In this module, we will cover: Why you should sell globally; agencies that specialize in helping small to medium-sized businesses export successfully; old assumptions about exporting that may not be accurate; and how to transform yourself and your business through exporting. A case study on the company Domes International is also included.
Category: Online Course Modules

Sage Publications
SAGE Publications is an independent international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media aimed at diverse fields.
Focus: Entrepreneurship, Management, Marketing, MIS, Operations & Supply Chain Management.
Category: Academic Publishers

• For more links to academy resources, check out our Academy Page on globalEDGE!

globalEDGE Business Review

"How flat is the world?"
By: Tomas Hult
In his 2005 bestseller, The World Is Flat, Thomas L. Friedman argues that countries compete on an increasingly level playing field. But, does that argument hold over time when tested empirically? In some economic sectors the answer is "maybe," while in most sectors the answer is a simple "no." So, what does this mean for global business strategy?

• If you wish to share your expertise on an issue in international business, visit our gBR Homepage to see how and where to submit your entry.

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