Evidence-based management – healthcare manager viewpoints

• Published in: International journal of health care quality assurance Vol. 31; no. 5; pp. 436 - 448
• Main Authors: Janati, Ali, Hasanpoor, Edris, Hajebrahimi, Sakineh, Sadeghi-Bazargani, Homayoun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Emerald Publishing Limited 11.06.2018; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Decision making; Development plans; Education; Effectiveness; Evidence based research; Experts; Health administration; Health care; Health care industry; Health care management; Health services; Hospital administration; Interviews; Medical research; Morality; Personal characteristics; Qualitative research; Quality of care; Quality of service; Questionnaires; Skills; Social development; Hospital managers; Hospital; Evidence-based decision making; Evidence-based practice; Evidence-based management
• ISSN: 0952-6862; 1758-6542
• DOI: 10.1108/IJHCQA-08-2017-0143

Purpose Hospital manager decisions can have a significant impact on service effectiveness and hospital success, so using an evidence-based approach can improve hospital management. The purpose of this paper is to identify evidence-based management (EBMgt) components and challenges. Consequently, the authors provide an improving evidence-based decision-making framework. Design/methodology/approach A total of 45 semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2016. The authors also established three focus group discussions with health service managers. Data analysis followed deductive qualitative analysis guidelines. Findings Four basic themes emerged from the interviews, including EBMgt evidence sources (including sub-themes: scientific and research evidence, facts and information, political-social development plans, managers’ professional expertise and ethical-moral evidence); predictors (sub-themes: stakeholder values and expectations, functional behavior, knowledge, key competencies and skill, evidence sources, evidence levels, uses and benefits and government programs); EBMgt barriers (sub-themes: managers’ personal characteristics, decision-making environment, training and research system and organizational issues); and evidence-based hospital management processes (sub-themes: asking, acquiring, appraising, aggregating, applying and assessing). Originality/value Findings suggest that most participants have positive EBMgt attitudes. A full evidence-based hospital manager is a person who uses all evidence sources in a six-step decision-making process. EBMgt frameworks are a good tool to manage healthcare organizations. The authors found factors affecting hospital EBMgt and identified six evidence sources that healthcare managers can use in evidence-based decision-making processes.