Pirminės sveikatos priežiūros įstaigų veiklos vertinimo sistemos analizė ir tobulinimas

Abstract

Aim of the paper: to analyze performance peculiarities of primary health care organizations (PHCO) and to propose possible ways for improvement. Methods: the analysis of scientific literature of Lithuanian and foreign authors, analysis of legal regulating documents, analysis of the results of the questionnaire of managers of PHCO, analysis of the results of the interview with experts. The object of research: performance assessment of primary health care organizations. Results: PHCO quality assessment and assessment performed by administrative organizations are the most often types of PHCO assessment in Lithuania. The results of the research show that data evaluating PHCO performance are fragmented and reflect only certain areas of PHCO activities. The quantity of the data does not correspond to the needs of PHCP managers in the strategic planning and implementation process. The assessment of PHCO performance is not dynamic and adjusted to the changing environment conditions. Experts unanimously pointed the need for the development of present PHCO performance assessment system and the need for its unification. Conclusions and practical recommendations: 1. Having done the analysis of scientific literature, we may conclude that problems of performance assessment are most often analyzed in business than in public sectors. The complex view to organization activities allows to analyze not only results of the organization, quality of performance but also to identify areas for improvement. Evaluation criteria are important for assessment organization activities at any moment and to take certain actions for improvement. 2. Though assessment of health care is one of the priorities in health care politics, the results of the analysis show that there are models evaluating secondary and tertiary health care organizations based on the case analysis of health disorder. Despite of the fact that primary health care is considered to be the priority field of health care system in Lithuania, there is no methodology for assessment of primary health care organizations. The complex assessment of PHCO would allow more rational use of the resources of the health care, would promote health maintenance and prophylactics. 3. In most often cases only quality of performance is assessed in PHCO in Lithuania. In most often cases administrating organizations duplicate the collected data, though in most cases areas for improvement are not identified. The results of the questionnaire of the PHCO managers and experts show that there is no complex PHCO assessment system in Lithuania. 4. The author of the master thesis proposes the implementation of the complex PHCO performance assessment model, which would contain assessment of performance of managers, identification of stockholders groups, their needs and expectations, assessment of PHCO activities results in all the organization levels, evaluation of quality achievements and identification.