Analysis on key aspects of cultural integration for cross-region specialists alliances of closed cooperation / 中华医院管理杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To analyze key aspects in cultural integration for cross-region specialists alliances of closed cooperation, for promoting such integration and identifying efficient operation of the practice.Methods:Quantitative and qualitative methods were used. 192 employees of primary hospitals participated in a questionnaire survey about their personal information and hospital culture self-evaluation on 18th February, 2019. Data so collected were subject to descriptive analysis. On February 21, 2019, the deans of the hospitals were invited for in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions were arranged for 7 doctors from the center hospital who had provided medical support for the primary hospital for more than half and a year, and for 5 doctors and 2 head nurses from the obstetric and neonatal department of the primary hospital respectively. The purpose is to understand the direction, key aspects, achievements and challenges of cultural integration between the two hospitals. Content analysis method was used to study recordings and interview documentation.Results:Employees of the primary hospital had a high satisfaction with indicators of organizational citizenship behavior, and the quality of medical care and team orientation, with the self-rated original scoring for the elements of hospital culture being 3.755, 3.754 and 3.698 respectively. On the other hand, they found insufficiencies in the innovation, poor orientation and incentive mechanism, with the self-rated original scoring for the elements of hospital culture being 3.469, 3.391 and 3.297 respectively. The self-rated total scoring was lower among medical technicians and those with bachelor′s degree or above, which were 3.029 and 3.202 respectively. Hospital culture integration is designed to strengthen technical guidance and care for doctors and patients, and to strengthen cooperation and support in HR training, scientific research innovation and spiritual culture construction. The key to integration is acceptance. The current roadblocks for efficient operation of this model come from medical insurance policy, material resources policy, logistics support, informationization management, personnel training and support and performance management.Conclusions:The cultural integration of cross-region specialists alliances of closed cooperation should be realized through the interactions of values, systems, behaviors and material resources dimensions. Government should play a leading and coordinating role and improve supporting measures.