Journal of management in medicine
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In a study of 195 patients visiting the urgent care department of a hospital in the UK, we examined the effects of three elements of process control on patients' fairness and satisfaction perceptions. Patients who believed they had a voice in the triage process had higher fairness perceptions and waited a shorter period of time than those who believed they did not have a voice in the triage process. In addition, patients who were told the expected waiting time and were kept busy while waiting had higher satisfaction perceptions. We identify implications for hospital employees in managing the patient waiting process.
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Clinical governance is a new policy introduced by the UK government to improve quality of care in the National Health Service; it imposes a "duty of quality" on all NHS organisations, and aims to bring together managerial, organisational and clinical approaches to improving quality of care. Infrastructures have been established to support quality improvement in NHS organisations and priorities for quality improvement have been established. Initial approaches are largely educational. ⋯ What has not yet been shown is that quality of care has improved. It is too early to say this yet. Given the magnitude both of the vision and the work required, it is unlikely that change will be rapid, or seen on a widespread scale.
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Explores the relationship between doctors, lawyers and the government in the context of the explosion in clinical negligence litigation, clinical governance and the introduction of the Human Rights Act 1998. Examines these issues from a legal perspective. Concludes that successful risk management, careful monitoring and the implementation of authoritative guidelines hold the key to legal change.
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The Dutch health care sector has become familiar with innovation of care delivery in order to meet the changing demand of the steadily ageing population, in need of complex care. Innovations often concern the implementation of shared care models, implying collaboration and substitution of care. Whereas ageing is a European-wide phenomenon, the development of such new care arrangements can be observed not only in The Netherlands, but also in the UK, Scandinavia, Italy and other countries. ⋯ The central question is how structure, culture and power can offer change managers a starting-point for improving their innovative capacity. To illuminate our discussion we make use of a number of event-descriptions from five Dutch shared care projects. Also, we give some practical recommendations for change managers.