Developing a framework to assess day hospital maturity

Date
2017-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The development and distribution of day hospitals in South Africa is still a relatively new concept for which there are no fully-established or developed operational guidelines. In the highly competitive private hospital industry, healthcare leaders and managers require structured guidance on how to operate and manage day hospitals appropriately, in order to facilitate the realisation of organisational goals and the development of enterprise maturity and performance. To address this need, this research study reviews best practices of the day hospital industry in order to propose a maturity model framework for day hospitals within the private healthcare sector of South Africa. The purpose of this maturity model is to provide a framework that enables day hospitals to assess and potentially advance their capability maturity in pursuit of increased efficiency, performance and profitability. An in-depth literature study of the interconnected fields of the problem forms the foundation of the framework. The three key fields studied include: the context of the day hospital industry; the fundamentals of maturity models; and best practices within the day hospital industry. The framework is developed through integrating these three domains which are relevant to the stated research problem. The resulting framework consists of four maturity stages portraying progressive maturity. The framework further consists out of five main focus areas constituting twenty sub-dimensions. These sub-dimensions are obtained from investigating all the various best practices of the day hospital industry. The framework was refined and validated based on interviews and questionnaires completed by four subject matter experts within the day hospital industry. The validation process demonstrated that the framework addresses the identified problem by providing a maturity model that enable day hospitals to assess their capability maturity in pursuit of increased efficiency, performance and profitability. Thus, this research study makes a contribution to the day hospital industry by providing a framework that enables day hospital managers to assess the maturity of their facility, and identify weaknesses that prohibits day hospital efficiency.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ontwikkeling en verspreiding van daghospitale in Suid-Afrika is steeds ‘n relatiewe nuwe konsep waarvoor daar tans nog geen ontwikkelde operasionele prosedures bestaan nie. In die hoogs kompeterende privaathospitaal bedryf benodig leiers en bestuurders in die day hospitaal bedryf, gestruktureerde riglyne rakende hoe om daghospitale te bedryf en te bestuur met die doel om die onderneming se doelwitte te bereik en om die volwassenheid en prestasie van die maatskappy te ontwikkel. Hierdie studie bestudeer beste praktyke van daghospitale om hierdie probleem aan te spreek. Na verloop van die bestudering van beste praktyke, sal ‘n vermoëns-volwassenheidmodel raamwerk wat Suid-Afrikaanse daghospitale in die privaat sektor verteenwoordig voorgestel word om sodoende die bestaande behoefte aan te spreek. Die doel van die vermoëns-volwassenheidmodel is om ‘n raamwerk te ontwikkel wat daghospitale in staat sal stel hul volwassenheid te evalueer om moontlike verbeteringe aan hul vermoë volwassenheid te kan aanbring in die poging om hul doeltreffendheid, prestasie en winsgewendheid te verhoog. ‘n Omvattende literatuur studie van die verwante velde van die probleem vorm die basis van die raamwerk. Die drie hoofvelde van die studie sluit die volgende in: die konteks van daghospitale in die industrie, die grondbeginsels van vermoëns-volwassenheidmodelle, en die beste praktyke in die daghospitaal industrie. Die raamwerk is ontwikkel deur die drie velde ten opsigte van die probleemstelling te integreer. Die voorgestelde raamwerk bestaan uit vier vlakke wat progressiewe groei tot volwassenheid voorstel. Die raamwerk bestaan uit ‘n verdere vyf hoof fokus-areas met twintig onder-afdelings Deur na al die verskeie beste praktyke van die daghospitaal industrie te kyk, kon die onder afdelings bepaal word. Die raamwerk was aangepas en gevalideer deur vier industriespesialiste vanuit die daghospitaalbedryf wat vraelyste voltooi het en insette gelewer het tydens onderhoude. Die validasie proses wys dat die raamwerk die geïdentifiseerde probleem aanspreek deur ‘n vermoënsvolwassenheidmodel te verskaf wat daghospitale in staat stel om hul vermoëns-volwassenheid te assesseer terwyl hulle hul doeltreffendheid, prestasie en winsgewendheid probeer verhoog. Die studie lewer dus ‘n bydra aan die daghospitaal industrie deur ‘n raamwerke te ontwikkel wat hospitaal bestuurders in staat stel om die vermoëns-volwassenheidvan hulle fasiliteit te assesseer en swakhede wat daghospitaaleffektiwiteit verhinder uit te wys.
Description
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2017.
Keywords
Medical care, Day hospitals, Capability maturity model (Computer software), UCTD
Citation