ServiceFriday: Six Key Terms to Attaining Brilliance in Health Service Management
Excellence in health services management is a goal that many health care organizations, hospitals, and other medical care facilities aspire to. Yet, achieving that excellence is not necessarily easily attainable. This begs the question, what are the key factors that characterize not only excellence, but “brilliance” within the field of health care management? Recent research from the Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources takes a look at this issue.
Through conducting interviews with post-graduate students who had worked in the field of health care services, the researchers identified six key factors that are considered to contribute to brilliant performance in health management: teamwork, leadership, innovation, exceptional individuals, empowerment, and patient-centered care. In order for these qualities to be effectively attained and executed, they require a network of many individuals, all working closely together.
“According to half of the participants, brilliance was epitomized by teamwork. Brilliance was demonstrated by individuals who worked well with others, identifying, planning, developing and/or implementing strategies to improve performance. Some also referred to teamwork as ‘team effort’, ‘collaboration’ and a ‘dedicated team of experts’, implying multidisciplinary teams: ‘The teamwork of everyone involved was the reason behind the success.’ The staff also demonstrated how effectively they worked together as a team to identify and address service issues and implement a strategy, which has served to improve team productivity and performance.”
Brilliance was also reflected in innovation, and in an individual’s willingness and ability to embrace change. In addition, having the support of management was noted to play a critical role. “The role of leadership in brilliant health service management is shaped by management support. Some participants noted that, for brilliance to emerge from leadership, managers are required to be encouraging, empathetic, open and honest communicators, and accommodating of staff needs and preferences: ‘I have a manager who truly supports and cares for staff; she encourages, supports and develops with selflessness.’”
The findings point to the ways in which managers need to adopt an understanding of service innovation and clinical innovation, with the purpose of providing patient-centered care. Brilliance in health care management is ultimately a result of every individual’s contributions, and a shared commitment to quality and excellence.
To access the full article from the Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, visit the Wiley Online Library at this link: https://bit.ly/2GJadgN (A fee may apply.)