Designing a Management Model for Outsourcing Non-Clinical Services in Iranian Public Hospitals

Abstract

Background & aim: As health and financial resources become more complex and limited in health care organizations, outsourcing and proper management become more important. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine the dimensions of management and design a model for outsourcing management of non-clinical services in public hospitals. Methods: The present a descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2021. The study population included health system policy makers, outsourcing experts and managers of public hospitals. A 28-item questionnaire was used to collect data, the variables of which were extracted from comparative studies of selected countries. The validity of the structure was evaluated by experts and the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was determined to be 0.85. In order to obtain reliable results, the final questionnaire was distributed among 308 people in the research community. For sampling using the stratified method and data analysis, factor analysis was performed using statistical tests and the final model was extracted. Results: According to the final model, 6 main and effective factors on outsourcing management were identified, which included: planning, decision making, performance management, contracting, communication and knowledge management. Planning factors with coefficients of 0.94 had the most impact and knowledge management had the least effect with a coefficient of 0.34 in the outsourcing management of non-clinical services in Iranian hospitals. Conclusion: According to the model, there were various factors in effective management that dimensions related to planning and decision making are of special importance and it is necessary to pay more attention when outsourcing non-clinical services in public hospitals.

Keywords

• outsourcing
• hospital
• nonclinical services
• management