Information Resources for Hospital Administrator Healthcare Management Decision-Making

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Health Services Research
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Hospital administrators play a crucial role in healthcare management decision-making.
• Evidence-based management (EBMgt) integration is essential for optimizing healthcare delivery.
• Understanding administrator information sources and EBMgt barriers is vital for improving practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the primary information sources utilized by hospital administrators for decision-making.
• To determine the barriers that impede the practice of evidence-based management (EBMgt) among hospital administrators.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional, non-experimental study design was employed.
• One hundred eight questionnaires were distributed to hospital administrators.
• Data were analyzed using Spearman's correlation to assess relationships.

Main Results:

• Organizational data and personal experience were the most frequently used information resources.
• Lack of time emerged as the most significant barrier to practicing EBMgt.
• A significant correlation (p<0.01) was found between poor information searching skills and unfamiliarity with EBMgt.

Conclusions:

• Hospital administrators rely heavily on internal data and personal experience, indicating a potential gap in utilizing external evidence.
• Addressing time constraints and enhancing information searching skills are critical for promoting EBMgt in hospital settings.
• Interventions aimed at improving EBMgt should focus on building administrators' capacity in evidence retrieval and application.