What is the difference between healthcare management and healthcare administration?

This is a great question and such an important one to clear up, especially if you're planning your next career move (or choosing a course)!

Here’s the simplest way to break it down:

Healthcare administration is all about the day-to-day operations. Think scheduling staff, handling budgets, overseeing patient records, managing departments – basically, making sure the ship runs smoothly. Admin roles often focus more on the internal workings of a clinic, hospital or health organisation.

Healthcare management, on the other hand, zooms out a little. It’s more big-picture and strategic – planning growth, driving organisational change, creating policies, leading teams and sometimes shaping the direction of entire services. You’re managing not just what happens, but why, how and what’s next.

So, in a nutshell:

• Administration = operations and systems
• Management = leadership and strategy

In the real world, these roles often overlap. Titles get used interchangeably and many people wear both hats at once, especially in smaller organisations. So don’t get too caught up in the labels. Look closely at the actual job descriptions (or course outlines) to see where your strengths and interests lie. Want to work behind the scenes, keeping things efficient and patient-focused? You might lean towards administration. More drawn to leadership, innovation or creating impact at a systems level? Management might be perfect! Either way, you’re helping make healthcare better.