Cpt: Managed Care: Methods/Techniques, Types and Impact Analysis – Cultures for
Book Name Change in Advances in Medicine and Biology. Volume 60. Copyright Nova Publishers.Abstract
Abstract
Managed care is an approach to financing and delivering health care that seeks to control costs whilst ensuring or improve quality of care through a variety of methods. This chapter will explore the role of culture when managing care in any organization. Both patients’ culture and the organizational culture will be explored and discussed in the context of managing care effectively. Culture has important implications for organizations and managers since organizational culture is said to be the personality of the organization (McNamara 2000). The cultural beliefs and values of a population influence the meaning of management and also show up differences in structure of organizations. Every organization is the product of the way its members think and interact. Inside an organization culture are the psychological and social aspects of an organization that influence how people think, what they see as important and how they behave and interact at work (Mannion et al 2005). Culture is clearly an important ingredient of effective organizational performance. The pervasive nature of organizational culture means that if change is to be brought about successfully, then the changes will involve culture. Organizational change can be initiated deliberately by managers, it can evolve slowly within a department, it can be imposed by specific changes in policy or procedures or it can arise through external pressures. Most planned organizational change is triggered by need to respond to new challenges or opportunities presented by the external environment, or in anticipation of the need to cope with potential future problems. Change is essential for continued economic performance and competitiveness and new ideas and innovations should not be perceived as threats by any member of the organization (Mullins 2007). Significant organizational change must include not only changing structures and processes but also addressing the current underlying organizational culture (Kimball 2005). In no country is there complete satisfaction with the existing method of delivery of healthcare and there is a continuing search everywhere for healthcare organizations to change and improve (Walshe 2003). Exposing people to alternative ways of understanding their work culture may encourage them to consider changing their current work practice.