[Development of organizations in Norwegian hospitals]. / Organisasjonsutvikling ved norske sykehus.

BACKGROUND: Hospitals in Norway are changing as a result of altered hospital environments and the constraints they are placed under. This article describes the organizational development in Norwegian hospitals from 1999 to 2005 and discusses whether the developments observed can be interpreted as a modernization of the Norwegian hospital system. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The article is based on a survey sent to all public hospitals in 2001, 2003 and 2005. In 2001 the hospitals were asked retrospectively about 1999. In 2005, 60 of 63 hospitals responded to the survey. RESULTS: Results indicate a consistent pattern of organizational development from 1999 to 2005. Some areas change to a greater degree than others; the most noticeable is decentralization in terms of financial routines and personnel responsibilities. Other major organizational developments include ring fencing of elective surgery, co-localization of hospital reception rooms and emergency wards, and increased use of computerized routines, both for patient management and treatment. INTERPRETATION: It has been demonstrated that Norwegian hospitals are able to change and adapt. Several standardized organizational and leadership structures recommended by official reviews are increasingly being adopted into practice. Hospitals are being modernized.