Measurement for Management: Report of a Pilot Project to Quantify Ambulance Misuse for Managers of a Fife Hospital

1989 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald R. Coid
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Simple Technique ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Ambulance Service ◽  
Pilot Survey ◽  
Inappropriate Use ◽  
Available Information ◽  
Service Managers ◽  
Management Report

Ambulance services appear to be under increasing pressure to provide a full range of services to the Community. It is important, therefore, that the service is appropriately utilised by patients. Health Service Managers, however, have little readily available information which identifies ‘appropriate’ utilisation. A simple technique is suggested to measure ‘appropriateness’ of utilisation of ambulances and a pilot survey of ambulance use by patients attending Dunfermline and West Fife Hospital Out-Patient clinics is described. In each case of ambulance use a panel of health professionals evaluated the ‘appropriateness’ of the patient having utilised this service. In the clinics surveyed, 91% of the sample of 328 patients did not use an ambulance to travel to clinics; in only two cases was use of the ambulance considered to be ‘probably inappropriate’. Misuse of the ambulance service was minimal during this study. Health Service Managers have been provided with some evidence to refute suggestions of substantial, inappropriate use of the ambulance service.

Future Health Services Managers' and Health Information Managers' Views on Information Technology: A Pilot Survey

1996 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Braithwaite ◽  
Johanna I Westbrook
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Electronic Medical Records ◽  
Medical Records ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Disk Storage ◽  
Pilot Survey ◽  
Service Managers ◽  
Insight Into

This pilot survey examined the views of a sample of health service managers (HSMs) and health information managers (HIMs) undertaking tertiary studies about the application of information technology (IT) in health care. The survey was based on a questionnaire designed as part of a 1994 study of health service executives (HSEs) commissioned by the Australian College of Health Service Executives (ACHSE). We examined views about current and future IT expenditure, satisfaction with IT, impact of IT on quality and efficiency and the future use of electronic medical records and optical disk storage. Results identify differences and some similarities between respondent groups on these issues. The paper explores these differences and similarities and provides insight into the views held by future HSMs and HIMs.

The acceptability and safety of video triage for ambulance service patients and clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-58
Author(s):  
Fiona Bell ◽  
Richard Pilbery ◽  
Rob Connell ◽  
Dean Fletcher ◽  
Tracy Leatherland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Service Evaluation ◽  
Ambulance Service ◽  
Telephone Triage ◽  
Video Technology ◽  
Clinician Satisfaction ◽  
Technical Issues

Introduction: In response to anticipated challenges with urgent and emergency healthcare delivery during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust introduced video technology to supplement remote triage and ‘hear and treat’ consultations as a pilot project in the EOC. We conducted a service evaluation with the aim of investigating patient and staff acceptability of video triage, and the safety of the decision-making process.Methods: This service evaluation utilised a mixture of routine and bespoke data collection. We sent postal surveys to patients who were recipients of a video triage, and clinicians who were involved in the video triage pilot logged calls they attempted and undertook.Results: Between 27 March and 25 August 2020, clinicians documented 1073 triage calls. A successful video triage call was achieved in 641 (59.7%) cases. Clinical staff reported that video triage improved clinical assessment and decision making compared to telephone alone, and found the technology accessible for patients. Patients who received a video triage call and responded to the survey (40/201, 19.9%) were also satisfied with the technology and with the care they received. Callers receiving video triage that ended with a disposition of ‘hear and treat’ had a lower rate of re-contacting the service within 24 hours compared to callers that received clinical hub telephone triage alone (16/212, 7.5% vs. 2508/14349, 17.5% respectively).Conclusion: In this single NHS Ambulance Trust evaluation, the use of video triage for low-acuity calls appeared to be safe, with low rates of re-contact and high levels of patient and clinician satisfaction compared to standard telephone triage. However, video triage is not always appropriate for or acceptable to patients and technical issues were not uncommon.

scholarly journals New ethical standards set for health service managers

BMJ ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 324 (7351) ◽  
pp. 1416e-1416
Author(s):  
S. Hargreaves
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Ethical Standards ◽  
Service Managers

scholarly journals Developing Workforce Capability in Nonprofits Through Effective Leadership

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Byrnes Smoyer ◽  
Rocky J Dwyer ◽  
Janice K. Garfield ◽  
Brandon D. Simmons
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Full Range ◽  
The United States ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Full Range Leadership ◽  
Available Information ◽  
Nonprofit Leaders

Leaders of nonprofit organizations in the United States must build workforce capabilities to meet increasing demands for services. This single-case study explored strategies nonprofit leaders used to build workforce capability to address increasing service demands. The conceptual lens for this study was the full-range leadership theory. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with senior executives of a single nonprofit organization located in the Midwestern region of the United States, which included internal organizational and workforce performance data, strategy plans, annual reports internal and external financial documents, and publicly available information. Four major themes related to building workforce capacity emerged from a thematic analysis of the data: (1) an emphasis on employee development, (2) the expansion of technology systems, (3) a concentration on developing a culture of autonomy and trust, and (4) the introduction of processes and measurements. The findings from this study might contribute to positive social change by providing nonprofit leaders with strategies and data to support a deeper understanding of how to effectively build workforce capability to address increasing service demands.

PP35 The acceptability and safety of video triage for ambulance service patients and clinicians during the covid-19 pandemic: a service evaluation

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (9) ◽  
pp. A15.1-A15
Author(s):  
Fiona Bell ◽  
Richard Pilbery ◽  
Rob Connell ◽  
Dean Fletcher ◽  
Tracy Leatherland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Service Evaluation ◽  
Ambulance Service ◽  
Telephone Triage ◽  
Emergency Operations ◽  
Clinical Support ◽  
Clinician Satisfaction ◽  
Technical Issues

IntroductionIn response to anticipated challenges with urgent and emergency healthcare delivery during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (YAS) introduced video call technology to supplement remote triage and ‘hear and treat’ consultations as a pilot project in the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). We aimed to investigate patient and staff acceptability of video triage, and the safety of the decision-making process.MethodsThis service evaluation utilised a mixture of routine 999 call and bespoke data collection from participating clinicians who logged calls they both attempted and undertook. We sent postal surveys to a group of patients who were recipients of a video triage.ResultsBetween 27th March 2020 and 25th August 2020 clinicians documented 1073 video triage calls. A successful video triage call was achieved in 641 (59.7%) of cases. Clinical staff reported that video triage improved clinical assessment and decision making compared to telephone alone, and found the technology accessible for patients. Patients who received a video triage call and responded to the survey (40/201, 19.9%) viewed the technology, the ambulance staff and the care planning favourably.Callers receiving video triage that ended with a disposition of ‘hear and treat’, had a lower rate of re-contacting the service within 24 hours compared to callers that received clinical support desk telephone triage alone (16/212, 7.5% vs 2508/14349, 17.5% respectively.)ConclusionIn this single NHS Ambulance Trust evaluation, the use of video triage for low acuity calls appeared to be safe, with low rates of recontact and high levels of patient and clinician satisfaction compared to standard telephone triage. However, video triage is not always appropriate or acceptable to patients and technical issues were not uncommon.

scholarly journals ‘Doing more with less’: a qualitative investigation of perceptions of South African health service managers on implementation of health innovations

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie Brooke-Sumner ◽  
Petal Petersen-Williams ◽  
James Kruger ◽  
Hassan Mahomed ◽  
Bronwyn Myers
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Resistance To Change ◽  
Technical Skills ◽  
Routine Practice ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Health Innovations ◽  
Service Managers

Abstract Building resilience in health systems is an imperative for low- and middle- income countries. Health service managers’ ability to implement health innovations may be a key aspect of resilience in primary healthcare facilities, promoting adaptability and functionality. This study investigated health service managers’ perceptions and experiences of adopting health innovations. We aimed to identify perceptions of constraints to adoption and emergent behaviours in response to these constraints. A convenience sample of 34 facility, clinical service and sub-district level managers was invited to participate. Six did not respond and were not contactable. In-depth individual interviews in a private space at participants’ place of work were conducted with 28 participants. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. NVivo 11 was used to store data and facilitate framework analysis. Study participants described constraints to innovation adoption including: staff lack of understanding of potential benefits; staff personalities, attitudes and behaviours which lead to resistance to change; high workload related to resource constraints and frequent policy changes inducing resistance to change; and suboptimal communication through health system structures. Managers reported employing various strategies to mitigate these constraints. These comprised (1) technical skills including participatory management skills, communication skills, community engagement skills and programme monitoring and evaluation skills, and (2) non-technical skills including role modelling positive attitudes, understanding staff personalities, influencing perceptions of innovations, influencing organizational climate and building trusting relationships. Managers have a vital role in the embedding of service innovations into routine practice. We present a framework of technical and non-technical skills that managers need to facilitate the adoption of health innovations. Future efforts to build managers’ capacity to implement health innovations should target these competencies.

scholarly journals Models of maternal and child healthcare for African refugees: protocol for an exploratory, mixed-methods study

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. e038162
Author(s):  
Carolyne Njue ◽  
Andrew Hayen ◽  
Angela J Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Readiness To Change ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Models Of Care ◽  
Nominal Group ◽  
High Quality ◽  
African Refugees ◽  
Service Managers

IntroductionThere is a paucity of research examining models of maternal and child health (MCH) care for refugees in high-income countries. Attention has focused on tailoring existing healthcare services to meet the needs of this population and ensure accessible high-quality patient-centred care. This protocol reports the methodology of a study designed to identify models of care for African refugees in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, to determine the evidence for these models and the improvements necessary to best meet service needs that can be delivered in line with available resources, organisational readiness and capacity to implement.Methods and analysisThis multiphased, participatory research project will employ an exploratory, mixed-methods design. Preparatory activities involve a situational analysis of current MCH services for African refugees and associated policies and guidelines in NSW. We will consult key health service providers and analyse Australian census and settlement data to identify refugee communities and their relation to healthcare services. Phase 1 will ascertain the MCH care needs of African refugees and appropriate service models using: a Delphi survey with health service managers and providers, a nominal group process with African women refugees and; key informant interviews with senior health service managers. This data will be synthesised to provide insight into appropriate models-of-care that could be implemented. These will be discussed in a stakeholder workshop. Phase 2 will comprise a readiness-to-change survey with a selection of providers to explore the willingness, commitment and efficacy of staff members to adopt such models-of-care.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was granted by NSW Health. Findings will be disseminated to all stakeholders at a knowledge exchange forum to inform the development of a high-quality MCH service delivery model that can be feasibly implemented specifically for African refugee communities.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018095564.

Organising health services through modularity

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 925-945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mervi Vähätalo ◽  
Tomi Juhani Kallio
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Health Service Provision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Modular Systems ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Service Managers ◽  
Better Than

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the way in which the factors influencing a transformation towards or away from modularity, according to general modular systems theory, appear in the context of health services, and the extent to which the special characteristics of health services might support or prevent its application. Design/methodology/approach – The arguments constructed in the study are based on the theme of modularity, reflected against the special characteristics of health services identified in the context of health economics. Findings – The results include 11 proposition pairs that direct health services both towards and away from modularity. Research limitations/implications – Health services are highly heterogeneous in nature and the authors illustrate this with a wide range of examples from elderly care as the authors discuss the application of modularity in this context. Nevertheless, the authors recognise that modularity might suit some health services better than others. The findings provide potentially important information to health service managers and providers, enabling them to understand how modularity would benefit health service provision and where contradictions are to be expected. Originality/value – This study contributes to the discourse on service modularity in general, and complements the literature on modularity with reference to both public and private health services.

A health management competency framework for Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 958
Author(s):  
Zhanming Liang ◽  
Felicity Blackstock ◽  
Peter Howard ◽  
Geoffrey Leggat ◽  
Alison Hughes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Middle Level ◽  
Competency Framework ◽  
Competency Assessment ◽  
Australian Health ◽  
Assessment Program ◽  
Service Managers ◽  
And Training ◽  
Management Competency

ObjectiveThis study examined whether the management competency framework for health service managers developed in the Victorian healthcare context is applicable to managers in other Australian states. MethodsAn online questionnaire survey of senior and middle-level health service managers in both community health services and hospitals was conducted in New South Wales and Queensland. ResultsThe study confirmed that the essential tasks for senior and middle-level managers are consistent across health and social care sectors, as well as states. Core competencies for health services managers identified in the Victorian healthcare context are relevant to other Australian states. In addition, two additional competencies were incorporated into the framework. ConclusionThe Management Competency Assessment Program competency framework summarises six competencies and associated behaviours that may be useful for guiding performance management and the education and training development of health service managers in Australia. What is known about the topic?The evidence suggests that competency-based approaches can enhance performance and talent management, and inform education and training needs, yet there has been no validated competency framework for Australian health service managers. What does the paper add?This paper explains the process of the finalisation of the first management competency framework for guiding the identification of the training and development needs of Australian health service managers and the management of their performance. What are the implications for practice?The Management Competency Assessment Program competency framework can guide the development of the health service management workforce in three Australian states, and may be applicable to other jurisdictions. Further studies are required in the remaining jurisdictions to improve the external validity of the framework.

Differentiating between average and high-performing public healthcare managers: implications for public sector talent management

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 434
Author(s):  
Sandra G. Leggat ◽  
Zhanming Liang ◽  
Peter F. Howard
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Talent Management ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
High Performing ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Healthcare Sector ◽  
Service Managers

ObjectiveEnsuring sufficient qualified and experienced managers is difficult for public sector healthcare organisations in Australia, with a limited labour market and competition with the private sector for talented staff. Although both competency-based management and talent management have received empirical support in association with individual and organisational performance, there have been few studies exploring these concepts in the public healthcare sector. This study addresses this gap by exploring the perceived differences in demonstration of core competencies between average and higher-performing managers in public sector healthcare organisations. MethodsMixed methods were used to define and measure a set of competencies for health service managers. In addition, supervisors of managers were asked to identify the differences in competence between the average and high-performing managers reporting to them. ResultsSupervisors could clearly distinguish between average and higher-performing managers and identified related competencies. ConclusionsThe consistent pattern of competence among community health and hospital public sector managers demonstrated by this study could be used to develop a strategic approach to talent management for the public healthcare sector in Australia. What is known about this topic?Although there are validated competency frameworks for health service managers, they are rarely used in practice in Australia. What does this paper add?This paper illustrates the perceived differences in competencies between top and average health services managers using a validated framework. What are the implications for practitioners?The public health sector could work together to provide a more effective and efficient approach to talent management for public hospitals and community health services.

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