UNIVERSITY INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Purpose of the study: One of the most important terms to solve the problems of the education system is the educational institution’s intellectual capital, which significantly transforms the role and functions of the modern educator. The purpose of the article is to identify the essence of the University's intellectual capital and to justify the trajectory of its development, due to the needs and capabilities of education stakeholders. Methodology: Based on the methodology of education quality management the article justifies the leading role of quality education as an imperative of the University development. Intellectual capital is considered from the standpoint of organizational resources that determine the cost of the final product – the quality of education and the competitive position of the University; its development is carried out based on the project-target approach. Results: Modern requirements for the intellectual capital of the educational organization are revealed, the role and essence of pedagogical activity of teachers of higher education institutions in its formation are shown. The importance of continuous improvement of hard and soft competencies of University teachers as a way of incrementing intellectual capital is shown. The adaptive model’s design of University teachers’ career strategies based on design-target mechanisms is presented that determines the organizational development of the University. Applications of this study: The results determined the possibility to consider organizational and human knowledge and competence as a special type of investment to improve the functioning of the University. The recommendations for the construction of models of the University intellectual capital management are presented. The article is intended for employees of the education system, educators, researchers, and heads of the University departments. Novelty/Originality of this study: The contribution is made to the theory of the University’s social and cognitive management based on expanding the powers of quality management in the field of intellectual capital management

Payment for performance (P4P): any future in Italy?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pay for Performance (P4P) programs, based on provision of financial incentives for service quality, have been widely adopted to enhance quality of care and to promote a more efficient use of health care resources whilst improving patient outcomes. In Italy, as in other countries, the growing concern over the quality of health services provided and the scarcity of resources would make P4P programs a useful means of improving their performance. The aim of this paper is to evaluate whether it is possible to implement P4P programs in the Lombardy Region, in Italy, based on the existing data set.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirteen quality measures were identified regarding four clinical conditions (acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure (HF), ischemic stroke and hip and knee replacement) on the basis of an international literature review. Data was collected using the database of three institutions, which included hospital discharge records (Scheda di Dimissione ospedaliera-SDO-) and letters of discharge. The study population was identified using both the Principal ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes and the discharge date. A Statistical Analysis System (SAS) program was used for the text analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>It was possible to calculate almost all the parameters pertaining to the three hospitals as all the data required was available with the exception of inpatient mortality in two hospitals and smoking cessation advice/counseling in one hospital.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>On the ground of this analysis, we believe that it is possible to implement a P4P program in the Lombardy Region. However, for this program to be initiated, all necessary data must be available in electronic format and uniformly collected. Moreover, several other factors must be assessed: which clinical conditions should be included, the threshold for each quality parameter, the amount of financial incentives offered and how they will be provided.</p