Hospital managers' skills required and onward challenges: A qualitative study

Introduction: The qualification of managers in terms of management skills is one of the most important factors in the continuous success of each organization, and utilizing such skills can have a positive contribution in the effectiveness of the organization while improving the performance of the employees in line with the objectives and goals of the organization. The study's primary objective was to examine the necessary skills of the hospital managers and their capabilities to manage the challenges in providing health care facilities to their patients and employees. Materials and Methods: This study is a qualitative that deep interviews were performed with 22 managers (senior and middle managers) of educational hospitals of Kermanshah city, and the sample size was 22 individuals. The interviews were analyzed by a MAXQDA software application after transcription. Results: This study includes 8 themes and 23 subthemes. The strategic skill, the perceptive skill, the human relations skill, work experience, and personal characteristics were among the skills necessary for hospital managers. Some of the challenges facing the hospital managers included rapid changes in the policies, the limitations of financial resources, and lack of proportion between the educational and occupational spheres. Conclusion: Because of their existential philosophy and differences with other service sectors, managing hospitals poses a particular sensitivity. In this regard, the role of the hospital manager is very important. Therefore, in order to meet the satisfaction of those receiving services, decision.makers and policy.makers must think twice when selecting and appointing hospital managers and evaluate and appraise this group in terms of abilities and skills necessary for managing such an important service section. © 2020 Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Analysis of Compatibility between the Need and Utilization of Health Services in West of Iran: Panel of Two Cross-Sectional Studies

Background: Individuals with the same needs are eligible to use required healthcare services, which is rarely taken into account in health systems. The present research evaluated this issue by investigating the determinants of the need for outpatient healthcare services and subsequent utilization in Kermanshah, western Iran. Methods: This was a before-after cross-sectional study which used two utilization surveys before (2006) and after (2015) the Health Transformation Plan (HTP) in Iran. The surveys were performed in a multi-stage sampling manner, and the data were obtained through face-to-face interviews with household members. 2626 (before) and 2089 (after) subjects who were ≤15 years old completed the surveys before and after the HTP, respectively, and were included in the analysis. The logistic regression was used to analyze the determinants of the needs and utilization of outpatient healthcare services. Results: The need for outpatient healthcare services increased from 19.73% before the HTP to 27.09% after it. The utilization of such services in this period also increased from 44.78% to 57.95%. The logistic regression analysis showed that most factors caused an inverse relationship between the studied outcomes before and after HTP, except for supplementary insurance, which increased both the need for outpatient services and subsequent use. Conclusion: Despite the increased utilization of outpatient services, it seems that some groups still have insufficient access to required healthcare services. Future healthcare reform in Iran must provide enough healthcare services to vulnerable groups