Diane
Thanks for your response
>Does that mean that large public hospitals have a limited lifespan because
>their ability to learn is significantly curtailed by excessive 'baggage'?
>Therefore they will not be able to respond appropriately to today's
>turbulent climate.
No, large institutions have enormous capabilities to learn, but only if
they look outside themselves. The key knowledge structures in health are
across institutions, not within them. This has been demonstrated, I
believe, by the National Anaesthetic Incident monitoring study, the IT
consortiums in NSW and the National Demonstration Hospitals Project. I
refer also to the recent study I did for the Australian College of Health
Service Executives which revealed that nearly all the really beneficial
developments involved cooperation between institutions.
I believe the solutions are much more in networks across the health system
rather than within institutions, and especially within departments. I
think this has been the weakness of the quality movement in health.
Yours
Gray Southon
Gray Southon
Senior Lecturer in Health Management
University of New England, Armidale, NSW.
Consultant in Health Management Research and Analysis
15 Parthenia St., Caringbah, NSW 2229, Australia
Ph/Fax +61 2 9524 7822, mobile +61 414 295 328
e-mail gsouthon@ozemail.com.au
Web Page: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~gsouthon/
--Gray Southon <gsouthon@ozemail.com.au>
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