Driving to contract management in health care institutes of developing countries

Public hospitals can privatize management activities by contracting with a private organization or person to perform the work. Management contract is a method which uses private sector for major government projects like hospitals. This study evaluates contract management in health care institutes of developing countries. Information has been collected by reviewing the management contract condition of selected countries. Different forms of public private partnership for private participation in hospitals were surveyed. The effects of management contract is expanding market opportunities to include public sector clients, capturing a market to be protected from competitors and providing a reliable and timely source of revenue. Contracting with non-governmental entities will provide better results than government provision of the same services. Contracting initiatives must be regulated and monitored at the highest level of government by experienced and astute policy makers, economists and operational personnel

assessment of inequality on geographical distribution of non-cardiac intensive care beds in Iran

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the inequality of geographical distribution of non-cardiac intensive care beds in Iran using the Gini coefficient. The population information of Iran's provinces in 2006 was obtained from The Statistical Center of Iran and the number of non-cardiac intensive care beds [including ICU, Post ICU and NICU beds] in all provinces was taken from published information of Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran in the current year. The number of beds per 100,000 populations of each province and the Gini coefficients for each bed were calculated. Iran's population was 70,495,782. The total number of ICU, Post ICU and NICU beds were 3720, 291 and 1129, respectively. Tehran had the highest percentage of each bed among all provinces. The number of each bed was 5.3, 0.4 and 1.6 per 100,000 populations of country, respectively. The calculated Gini coefficients for each bed were 0.17, 0.15 and 0.23, respectively. The findings of this study showed that, according to the Gini coefficients, non-cardiac intensive care beds have an almost equal geographical distribution throughout the country. However, the numbers of beds per population are less than other countries. Since such studies can be used as a base for health systems planning about correction of inequality of health services distribution, similar studies in other health care services are recommended which can be conducted at the national or provincial level

[Benchmarking records of administrators and officers at health deputy headquarters of Iranian universities of medical sciences: 2008 - 2010]

Benchmarking is used to identify the successful experiences and achievements of a business to develop and improve organizational performance. This study aimed to determine, firstly, the frequency of benchmarking made by administrators and officers at Health Deputy headquarters of Iranian universities of medical sciences and, secondly, the relationship of this frequency to individual and organizational factors. This cross-sectional study was conducted in spring 2010. The research population constituted administrators and officers at Health Deputy Headquarters of Iranian universities of medical sciences from which thirteen universities were randomized and stratified. All available administrators and officers in the selected universities were interviewed and, then, were asked to complete a reliable and valid questionnaire consisting of individual and organizational variables. From the 293 administrators and officers under study, 75 [26.5%] could exploit 167 cases of successful experiences and achievements of other organizations to improve and develop their organizational performance. While 46.7% of benchmarking was conducted through site visits, 86.2 % of all the process was performed by the health sector, and 91% of the activity was done within the country. Among individual and organizational factors, only the educational degrees of the participants showed a significant relationship with benchmarking rates [p=0.045]. To promote the low amount of benchmarking capita among the administrators and officers, it seems necessary to design and implement intervention programs

[ relationship between organizational climate and organizational commitment in teaching hospitals of Hamedan University of Medical Sciences]

Committed human forces to an organization besides reducing absences, delays and displacements, causes a great rise in the operation of the organization, mental freshness of the staffs and manifesting both organizational admirable targets and personal goals. Lack of commitment or a low-level one leads to negative results for the person and organization such as lapses from duty, absence excisions', unwillingness to stay in organization, deduction in the trust of the clients and decrease in income. Therefore, organizational commitment in the staff of a hospital who pace in creating a product named "protection, returning and qualifying human health" appears to be of great importance. It is the goal of the ongoing research to study the relationship between the organizational climate and the organizational commitment of the staff and the managers which leads to distinction between organizations. This survey is based on a cross-sectional method. The community of the research has been the whole managers and the staffs of teaching Hospitals of Hamedan University of medical science [Ekbatan, Besat, Farshchian and Mobasher Kashani].The samples were calculated in accordance with the coincidentally sampling formula of 137 individuals. Time scope of the research has been February up to June of 2008. The data is analyzed upon the tests of moment correlation coefficient of Pierson, t test, chi square test, regression and ANOVA test. Organizational climate has a positive and meaningful effect on organizational commitment of the staffs and managers. Among the compilations of organizational climate, group spirit, intimacy, engagement, consideration and thrust has positive effect and hindrance and production emphasis has negative impact on organizational commitment. All dimensions of the organizational commitment [affective, continuous and normative] also have positive and meaningful relation with organizational commitment. Also among personal characteristics gender, age, record of service, level and field of activity are of important relation on organizational commitment. Based on the results of the ongoing research, improvement on the organizational climate causes a rise in the commitment of the staffs and managers to the organization and also can lead to protecting the abilities and continual competing advantages

[Comparative study on health management of special patients and designing a model in Iran]

Health management for special patients is a serious challenge for policy makers. Because of chronic nature of these diseases the community has to cope with huge expenses, and a considerable part of health funds is allocated for the continuing care of these patients. Therefore, designing appropriate policies for organizing, financing and providing optimal health-care is of special importance. In this study, our main objective was to design a model for special patients' health management in Iran by studying the management strategies of similar patients from selected countries. We scrutinized studies done in England, Australia, United state, and Canada and used these as suitable references from which we selected applicable strategies and submitted these for approval to relevant experts to sketch out a service management model for health care management of special patients. The final model was developed by the use of 3-stage Delphi technique. In almost all of our references we found that: o Health and welfare ministries along with the private sector provide decentralized health care to special patients. o Health care programs for special patients encompass free services for regular check ups, vaccinations, life style training, acute illness care, health advisors, health aids and equipment, and laboratory services. o Policies are made by a committee named as "committee of health of special patients" having its base at the supreme council of health. o Finances are provided mainly by governmental funds and, subsequently by societies and NGO's with some participation of the special patients themselves [as premium and franchise]. Our model for management of special patients includes formation of "committee of health of special patients" in the supreme council of health, establishment of office of health of special patients in the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, and provision of decentralized provincial services. Finances should be provided through taxes, charity aids and supports from international organizations. Nongovernmental and charity aids may be increased to decrease the financial burden on governments

Designing an administrative model for Iranian Charity Hospitals

Healthcare is considered as one of the most important indicators for determining the level of development in all societies. To this end, hospitals play an important role and the role of the charity hospitals which provide healthcare for poor patients is of great importance. Therefore, understanding and analyzing the administrative manner of these hospitals is crucial. The main goal of this study is to design an administrative model for charity hospitals in Iran. Information from Library documents including books, scientific magazine, and domestic foreign texts; documents as e-mail, electronic database; and also contact with several charity hospital executive in several countries; and visiting charity hospitals in other countries were used. Further information gathered about weaknesses and strengths of charity hospitals in Iran, and several foreign countries charity hospital models. The primary model was designated and after analyzing various view points, reviews and criticism by scholars and experts, the final model was presented using the Delphi method. This study showed that charity hospitals in Iran are managed in different ways without any specific model and do not supported financially by the government. A number of these hospitals are not autonomous. In charity hospitals outside Iran, different management styles were being used, but they were not managed like Iranian charity hospitals and most of them were foundations or companies. Furthermore, a number of them were not managed as charity hospital since the nationalization of healthcare had taken place. Whereas the cost of healthcare in private sector is very expensive and most of them do not have contracts with insurance companies, charity hospitals can have an important role in providing healthcare for the society. Using model described in this paper could be helpful in responding to the needs of poor clients

[ comparative survey on mortality information management systems [MIMS] in England, United States of America and NewZealand and proposing a suitable MIMS model for Iran]

Background: Comprehensive, enough, accurate and up to date information is necessary for Planning

Objective: In this study, it was tried to do comparative survey on MIMS in USA, England and New Zealand and to determine differences and similarities of characteristics and proposing a suitable model for Iran

Methods: This is a descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study. The population of this study included MIMS in USA, England, New Zealand and Iran. The instrument for data collection was check list

Findings: MIMS in USA, England and New Zealand is decentralized. The sectors responsible for MIMS in USA and New Zealand are ministry of Registration and Health, and in England is Office of National Statistics

Conclusion: Findings caused that the researchers propose health ministry and vital registry organization as direct responsible for mortality information management system