ABSTRACT
Emergency and crisis management pose multidimensional information systems challenges for communities across North America. In the quest to reduce mortality and morbidity risks and to increase the level of crisis preparedness, regional emergency management networks have evolved. Integrated Crisis Support Systems (ICSS) are enabling information technologies that assist emergency managers by enhancing the ability to strategically manage and control these regional emergency networks efficiently and effectively. This article underscores the ICCS development, control and leadership issues and their promising implications for regional emergency management networks.
Subject(s)
Disaster Planning/organization & administration , Emergency Medical Service Communication Systems/organization & administration , Regional Health Planning/organization & administration , Systems Integration , Canada , Civil Defense , Humans , Leadership , North America , United StatesABSTRACT
Executive support systems (ESSs) complement information technologies and add value to the work of senior health executives by enhancing management effectiveness, efficiency and productivity. This article examines the characteristics of executive support systems and their promising implications for executives in health services delivery. The systems' critical success factors are highlighted through a review of key development and management implementation strategies. The article concludes with a commentary on the fundamental significance of ESSs for health service leaders and managers.
Subject(s)
Decision Support Systems, Management , Health Services Administration , Leadership , Administrative Personnel , Canada , Computer Systems , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Health Planning , Humans , Planning Techniques , User-Computer InterfaceABSTRACT
Trauma is a significant multidimensional health problem in North America. An important organizational response to this problem has been the creation of regional trauma care systems. This article focuses on the need to assess the effectiveness of such systems from a regional management perspective.
Subject(s)
Management Audit/organization & administration , Regional Medical Programs/organization & administration , Trauma Centers/organization & administration , Humans , Models, Organizational , Ontario , Organizational ObjectivesABSTRACT
A growing theme in the management education literature is that of effectiveness assessment. Integrated effectiveness assessment systems represent an important challenge in health management education in Canada. This article examines the service effectiveness paradigm that evolved from comprehensive auditing developments in the public domain. It presents an integrated model of effectiveness assessment systems and the barriers that currently impede its full development and implementation in Canada. Finally, the evolving effectiveness assessment challenge--which will fundamentally change health management education in Canada--is examined.
Subject(s)
Education, Graduate/standards , Hospital Administration/education , Canada , Education, Graduate/organization & administration , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Models, Educational , Program Evaluation/methods , Schools, Health Occupations/organization & administration , Schools, Health Occupations/standards , Social ResponsibilityABSTRACT
A comprehensive audit of the Health Program Guidelines in Canada was undertaken between January and September 1992. This review examined the strategic effectiveness and operational efficiency of the guidelines developed under the auspices of the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Advisory Committee on Institutional and Medical Services (ACIMS). To assess the perceived management utility of the guidelines, over 185 structured mail questionnaires were sent to a random representative sample of health care managers stratified by type of health-related organization and Canadian province and territory. With a response rate of over 80.5%, a profile of management perceptions of the need for the current Program Guidelines was created. In tandem an internal review of the efficiency and effectiveness of the design and development of the Guidelines was conducted using over 45 structured interviews with key informants. Both components of the comprehensive audit provided the basis of report recommendations that are relevant to the Canadian health system community.
Subject(s)
National Health Programs/organization & administration , National Health Programs/standards , Canada , Efficiency, Organizational , Health Planning Guidelines , Organizational Innovation , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
A comprehensive assessment of the Health Program Guidelines (HPG) in Canada was undertaken between January to September 1992. This review examined the strategic effectiveness and operational efficiency of the guidelines under the auspices of a Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Institutional and Medical Services (ACIMS). To assess the perceived needs for the guidelines, over 185 structured mail questionnaires were sent to a sample of health care agencies, institutions and organizations across Canada. A key informant approach was also used to assess the perceived effectiveness and efficiency of the guidelines. Based on the results of the questionnaires the findings and recommendations were made, that are relevant to the international health system community.
Subject(s)
Guidelines as Topic , Health Planning Guidelines , National Health Programs/standards , Canada , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Health Services Research , National Health Programs/organization & administration , National Health Programs/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
A comprehensive assessment of the Health Program Guidelines (HPG) in Canada was undertaken between January and September 1992. This review examined the strategic effectiveness and operational efficiency of the guidelines under the auspices of the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Committee on Institutional and Medical Services. To assess the perceived needs for the guidelines, over 185 structured mail questionnaires were sent to a sample of health care agencies, institutions and organizations across Canada; the response rate was over 80.5%. A key informant approach was also used to assess the perceived effectiveness and efficiency of the guidelines. Based on the results of the questionnaires, over 45 interviews and an extensive content analysis of key documents, recommendations were made that may be relevant to the Canadian health system community.
Subject(s)
Health Planning Guidelines , Management Audit/statistics & numerical data , Public Health Administration/standards , Canada , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Health Planning Organizations/statistics & numerical data , Health Services Research , Insurance, Health , National Health Programs/organization & administration , National Health Programs/standards , Public Health Administration/organization & administration , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
This paper examines key issues of comprehensive audit systems in health care in Canada. The concept of comprehensive auditing preparedness is explored and a synopsis of the central challenges are presented. The need for sound accountability structures, strategic effectiveness targets and effectiveness control systems in health care facilities as solid management building blocks is underlined.
Subject(s)
Delivery of Health Care/standards , Hospital Administration/standards , Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care/methods , Quality Assurance, Health Care/organization & administration , Canada , Information Systems/statistics & numerical data , Organizational ObjectivesABSTRACT
An essential need of a Quality Assurance Program (QAP) in an ambulatory care setting is accurate and reliable information characterizing the encounter between patient and provider. This information includes identification of the patient's reason for visit, the provider's diagnostic impressions, and procedures performed. Such data can be used to maintain an informational index on the nature of patient care. Based upon this index, a wide variety of special studies in the assessment and assurance of the quality of care can be conducted. A primary consideration in the development of such an index is the choice of a Medical Care Classification System (MCCS) to be used to code encounter-related data. The objective of this paper is to provide a methodology and evaluative framework in which available Medical Care Classification Systems can be assessed as to which one best meets the needs of the quality assurance programs within ambulatory care settings.
Subject(s)
Ambulatory Care Information Systems , Ambulatory Care/standards , Computer Systems , Quality Assurance, Health Care/organization & administration , Ambulatory Care/classification , Evaluation Studies as Topic , User-Computer InterfaceABSTRACT
The article proposes the concept of technostress and makes a strong recommendation for conducting research based on key researchable hypotheses. A conceptual framework of technostress is suggested to provide some focus to future research. A number of technostress management strategies are put forward, including strategic technological planning, organization culture development, technostress monitoring systems, and technouser self-development programs. The management of technostress is compared to the chaining of Prometheus, which, left uncontrolled, can create havoc in an organization. The authors believe that organizations have a responsibility to introduce, diffuse, and manage computer technology in such a way that it is congruent with the principles of sound, supportive, and humanistic management.
Subject(s)
Occupational Diseases/prevention & control , Personnel Management/methods , Psychology, Industrial , Stress, Psychological/prevention & control , Technology , Diffusion of Innovation , Female , Humans , Male , Models, TheoreticalABSTRACT
An information system to support strategic planning for burn care services could help to structure decisions and help indicate to planners those areas of critical relevance to the issue of which burn patient will survive and which will not. This is, therefore, the essence of the need for information system support for strategic planning for appropriate burn care services: to help to identify those critical areas that reflect the real needs of burn patients in terms of survival and nonsurvival that are amenable to changes through planning. Strategic planning for appropriate burn care services involves highly unstructured decision problems, that must be made by individuals who have a thinking-intuition psychological mode. Planning for the real needs of patients with burn injuries necessitates not only formalized, structured information systems, but information systems that are designed for the psychological modes of these planners of burn care services.
