Health systems management
Encyclopedia
Health systems management or health care systems management describes the leadership and general management of hospitals, hospital network
s, and/or health care systems. In international use, the term refers to management at all levels. In the United States, management of a single institution (e.g. a hospital) is also referred to as "Medical and health services management" "Healthcare management" or Health Administration
.
Health systems management has been described as a “hidden” health profession because of the relatively low-profile role managers take in health systems, in comparison to direct-care professions such as nursing and medicine. However the visibility of the management profession within healthcare has been rising in recent years, due largely to the widespread problems developed countries are having in balancing cost, access, and quality in their hospitals and health systems.
, and has accredited programs of numerous degree types, including Master of Business Administration
(MBA), Master of Health Administration
(MHA), Master of Public Health
(MPH, MSPH, MSHPM), Master of Science
(MS-HSM, MS-HA), and Master of Public Administration
(MPA).
, the Healthcare Financial Management Association, and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
. Institutional membership groups are joined by organizations; they typically focus on organizational effectiveness, and may also include data-sharing agreements and other best-practice sharing vehicles for member organizations. Prominent examples include the American Hospital Association
and the University Healthsystems Consortium.
Hospital network
A hospital network is a network or group of hospitals that work together to coordinate and deliver a broad spectrum of services to their community. A hospital system or health care system is 2 or more hospitals owned, sponsored, or contract managed by a central organization...
s, and/or health care systems. In international use, the term refers to management at all levels. In the United States, management of a single institution (e.g. a hospital) is also referred to as "Medical and health services management" "Healthcare management" or Health Administration
Health administration
Health administration or healthcare administration is the field relating to leadership, management, and administration of hospitals, hospital networks, health care systems, and public health systems...
.
Background
In the United States, the first modern health systems management program was established in 1934 at the University of Chicago. At the time, programs were completed in two years – one year of formal graduate study and one year of internship. In 1958, the Sloan program at Cornell University began offering a program requiring two years of formal study, which remains the dominant structure in the United States and Canada today (see also "Academic Preparation").Health systems management has been described as a “hidden” health profession because of the relatively low-profile role managers take in health systems, in comparison to direct-care professions such as nursing and medicine. However the visibility of the management profession within healthcare has been rising in recent years, due largely to the widespread problems developed countries are having in balancing cost, access, and quality in their hospitals and health systems.
Academic Preparation
A master's degree is considered the "standard credential" for most health systems management positions within the United States. There are multiple recognized degree types that are considered equivalent from the perspective of professional preparation. The Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education, (CAHME) oversees accreditation master's-level programs in the United States and Canada on behalf of the United States Department of EducationUnited States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
, and has accredited programs of numerous degree types, including Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
(MBA), Master of Health Administration
Master of Health Administration
The Master of Health Administration is a master's-level professional degree granted to students who complete a course of study in the knowledge and competencies needed for careers in health administration, involving the management of hospitals and other health services organizations, as well as...
(MHA), Master of Public Health
Master of Public Health
The Master of Public Health and the Doctor of Public Health are multi-disciplinary professional degrees awarded for studies in areas related to public health....
(MPH, MSPH, MSHPM), Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
(MS-HSM, MS-HA), and Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
(MPA).
Professional Organizations
There are numerous professional associations related to health systems management, which can be subcategorized as either personal or institutional membership groups. Personal membership groups are joined by individuals, and typically have individual skill and career development as their focus. Larger personal membership groups include the American College of Healthcare ExecutivesAmerican College of Healthcare Executives
The American College of Healthcare Executives is an international professional association of healthcare executives Its central offices are located at 1 N. Franklin Street in Chicago, Illinois, USA. ACHE is one of the healthcare industry's top professional associations...
, the Healthcare Financial Management Association, and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality, safety, cost-effectiveness, and access to healthcare through the best use of information technology and management systems. Originally founded in 1961 as the Hospital...
. Institutional membership groups are joined by organizations; they typically focus on organizational effectiveness, and may also include data-sharing agreements and other best-practice sharing vehicles for member organizations. Prominent examples include the American Hospital Association
American Hospital Association
The American Hospital Association is an organization that promotes the quality provision of health care by hospitals and health care networks through such efforts as promoting effective public policy and providing information related to health care and health administration to health care...
and the University Healthsystems Consortium.
See also
- Acronyms in healthcareAcronyms in healthcareThe following is a partial list of acronyms commonly used in health care. The terms listed are used within the health care systems of various countries.- A :*A&E Accident and Emergency Department...
- Health careHealth careHealth care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
/ Healthcare system / Health care providerHealth care providerA health care provider is an individual or an institution that provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to individuals, families or communities.... - Health center / ClinicClinicA clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
/ HospitalHospitalA hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays.... - MedicineMedicineMedicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
/ Doctor's visitDoctor's visitA doctor's visit, also known as "doctor's office visit" or "physician office visit", is a meeting between a patient with a physician to get health advice or treatment for a symptom or condition...
/ NursingNursingNursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death.... - Philosophy of healthcarePhilosophy of healthcareThe philosophy of healthcare is the study of the ethics, processes, and people which constitute the maintenance of health for human beings. For the most part, however, the philosophy of healthcare is best approached as an indelible component...
- Social service / Social determinants of healthSocial determinants of healthSocial determinants of health are the economic and social conditions under which people live which determine their health. They are "societal risk conditions", rather than individual risk factors that either increase or decrease the risk for a disease, for example for cardiovascular disease and...
- Family medicineFamily medicineFamily medicine is a medical specialty devoted to comprehensive health care for people of all ages. It is a division of primary care that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, sexes, diseases, and parts of the body...
/ Preventive medicinePreventive medicinePreventive medicine or preventive care refers to measures taken to prevent diseases, rather than curing them or treating their symptoms...
/ Social medicineSocial medicineThe field of social medicine seeks to:# understand how social and economic conditions impact health, disease and the practice of medicine and# foster conditions in which this understanding can lead to a healthier society.... - Community health service / Community health centers in the United StatesCommunity health centers in the United StatesA Community health center in the United States is a Community health center in the United States.Community Health Centers are unique in that at least 51 percent of all Governing Board Members must be patients at the CHC. Access to care is improved by decreasing the cost of care with a sliding fee...
- Direct primary careDirect primary careIn the USA Direct Primary Care is primary care offered direct to the consumer, without insurance intervention. It is an umbrella term which incorporates various health care delivery systems that involve direct financial relationships between patients and health care providers.One niche variant of...
(United States)
- Social service / Social determinants of health
- Health policy
- Health insuranceHealth insuranceHealth insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
/ InsuranceInsuranceIn law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
/Social health insurance / Subsidies - Health care reformHealth care reformHealth care reform is a general rubric used for discussing major health policy creation or changes—for the most part, governmental policy that affects health care delivery in a given place...
/ Health care reform in the United StatesHealth care reform in the United StatesHealth care reform in the United States has a long history, of which the most recent results were two federal statutes enacted in 2010: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , signed March 23, 2010, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 , which amended the PPACA and... - Healthy cityHealthy cityHealthy city is a term used in public health and urban design to stress the impact of policy on human health. Its modern form derives from a World Health Organization initiative on Healthy Cities and Villages in 1986, but has a history dating back to the mid 19th century...
/ Alliance for Healthy CitiesAlliance for Healthy CitiesThe Alliance for Healthy Cities is a cooperative international alliance aimed at protecting and enhancing the health and health care of city dwellers. It is composed of groups of cities, urban districts and other organizations from countries around the world in exchanging information to achieve...
- Health insurance
- Universal health careUniversal health careUniversal health care is a term referring to organized health care systems built around the principle of universal coverage for all members of society, combining mechanisms for health financing and service provision.-History:...
- Health care in the United StatesHealth care in the United StatesHealth care in the United States is provided by many separate legal entities. Health care facilities are largely owned and operated by the private sector...
as a private system - Healthcare in the United Kingdom as a private system under unified insurance
- Healthcare in Cuba as a state owned system
- Health in GermanyHealth in GermanyAccording to the World Health Organization, Germany's health care system was 77% government-funded and 23% privately funded as of 2004. In 2004 Germany ranked thirtieth in the world in life expectancy . It had a very low infant mortality rate , and it was tied for eighth place in the number of...
as a private system under state controlled insurance - Primary Health OrganisationPrimary Health OrganisationPrimary Health Organisations , in New Zealand, are health care providers that are funded on a capitation basis by the New Zealand Government via District Health Boards...
(New Zealand)
- Health care in the United States
- Medical classificationMedical classificationMedical classification, or medical coding, is the process of transforming descriptions of medical diagnoses and procedures into universal medical code numbers...
- ATC codes (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system)
- Classification of Pharmaco-Therapeutic ReferralsClassification of Pharmaco-Therapeutic ReferralsThe Classification of Pharmaco-Therapeutic Referrals is a taxonomy focused to define and group together situations requiring a referral from pharmacists to physicians regarding the pharmacotherapy used by the patients. It has been published in 2008...
(CPR) - ICD-10ICD-10The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision is a medical classification list for the coding of diseases, signs and symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances, and external causes of injury or diseases, as maintained by the...
(International Classification of Diseases) - International Classification of Primary CareInternational Classification of Primary CareThe International Classification of Primary Care is a classification method for primary care encounters. It allows for the classification of the patient’s reason for encounter , the problems/diagnosis managed, primary or general health care interventions, and the ordering of the data of the...
(ICPC-2) / ICPC-2 PLUSICPC-2 PLUSICPC-2 PLUS is an extended terminology classified to ICPC-2 International Classification of Primary Care, which aids data entry, retrieval and analysis. ICPC-2 PLUS takes into account the frequency distribution of problems seen in primary health care...
External links
- American College of Healthcare Executives
- Association of University Programs in Health Administration
- Healthcare Financial Management Association
- Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
- Healthcare Leadership Alliance
- Journal of Health Administration Education
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - Reviews of health systems
- World Health Organization - 'Making Health Systems Work' series