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Transformational change in health care: changing the question
Barbara Bigelow1, Margaret Arndt
1Graduate School of Management at Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
Hospital Topics
|September 30, 2005
Summary
Transformational change in hospitals, defined as radical organizational shifts, has proven elusive. While aiming for a more business-like approach, it often offers only superficial solutions to long-standing issues.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Organizational Change
- Hospital Administration
Background:
- Hospitals face persistent challenges in adapting to evolving healthcare landscapes.
- The concept of transformational change is often discussed but rarely achieved in practice.
- Understanding the dynamics of radical organizational change is crucial for healthcare institutions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the experiences of hospitals undergoing transformational change.
- To examine the application and implications of reengineering as a model for transformational change.
- To critically assess the effectiveness and definition of transformational change in the hospital setting.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative exploration of hospital experiences with transformational change.
- Case study analysis using reengineering as an example.
- Critical examination of existing literature and theoretical frameworks.
Main Results:
- Transformational change in hospitals has been largely illusory.
- Reengineering, as an example, has not fundamentally altered hospital operations.
- The pursuit of a 'business-like' model has yielded limited, often superficial, results.
Conclusions:
- Hospitals struggle to implement true transformational change.
- Radical change initiatives often fail to address core operational inefficiencies.
- The definition and application of transformational change require re-evaluation in healthcare contexts.