Management Control In Hospitals

For years, problems related to health-care efficiency have been at the top of the priorities of many hospitals systems and governments. The growing cost of health care, and particularly hospitals, is a significant factor in the increasing pressure for improvement of hospitals’ efficiency while maintaining a high quality of services. Hospitals are recognized as organizations in which waste, unnecessary administrative burdens, failures of care coordination, failures in execution of care processes, and even fraud and abuse are frequently identified as causes. Adoption of management control as a response to hospital problems is consistent with the conviction that control is a critical management function that has the greatest impact on organizational performance. Research proves that the lack of adequate control, adapted to modern organizational solutions, causes many harmful consequences, such as faulty services, dissatisfied patients and employees, inability to effectively compete on market, low flexibility and innovativeness, and, consequently, poor performance of the organization. This book comprehensively presents issues related to management control and develops a breakthrough theory about management control in hospitals. It is the result of many years of research and outlines the concept of control and related theories, which are discussed in detail, taking into account the unique characteristics of medical services, the health-care market, and hospitals as public organizations. Research has shown that the main elements of management control in hospitals are information systems, diagnostic control, interactive control, innovativeness, manager’s trust in physicians, and perceived uncertainty. And that proper relationships between these elements positively influence the hospital’s performance. This book describes how the success of the entire control process is based on the hospital’s top management and its interaction with clinical managers, department heads, and directors of other medical departments as well as clinicians. After reading this book, the implementation of the solutions suggested will help hospitals improve their performance, including the quality and effectiveness of the provided medical services and patient care.

"It is a provocative and useful compendium of ideas and historic perspectives that are current and applicable. It is a worthy contribution to the health care literature."

In 2001, we gathered a group of researchers in Nice, France to focus discussion on performance measurement and management control. Following the success of that conference, we held subsequent conferences in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009. This title contains some of the exemplary papers that were presented at the most recent conference.

"Japan has achieved the world's highest life-expectancy under a universal health coverage system. The purpose of this book is to discuss effective management accounting methods for solving various issues now faced by the healthcare system in Japan (low birth-rate and aging society, issues in medical public finance, issues attendant to advancements of healthcare services, etc.). This book is written by Japanese researchers who are active at the forefront of management accounting research for healthcare, such as Takami Matsuo, Kazunori Ito, Yutaka Kato, and so on. This book shows the actual use of cost information, cost-management, and management-control methods for healthcare organizations in Japan, and examines how to adopt management accounting methods used by companies to healthcare management, which would be a useful reference for future healthcare management in countries that might face similar issues as Japan in the future"--

This book offers a panoramic view of the state of management research and practice in Africa. One of its objectives is to recognize current advances in management, applied economics and organizational research in some of the 54 nations that form the continent. The focus will be on new developments across the region with a particular emphasis on the defining cultural and traditional elements and innovations that make African management different.

The health service is considered as whole in this book, which deals with organizational issues relating to health service provision, including hospitals and personnel management. It includes analysis and discussion of issues of international relevance, particularly health planning, human resource management, information systems, and financial and supplies management. It is ideal for managers with limited health service experience as well as established health professionals. An active approach is encouraged and exercises for individual or group use are included, to provoke further discussion of the concepts and ideas covered.