THEORY OF HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT ASSOC.PROF.D-R PETKO SALCHEV, PhD

Notions and approaches to management First, managers anticipated, were guided to and used to seek a solution through “the one and only correct way” to achieve the goal, i.e. they expected to obtain and to some extent managed to obtain recipes to deal with concrete situations beforehand. It is clear to everyone that that in reality it is highly unlikely for a single approach or method to be able to cope with all problems; Second, health experts trained in applying management were addicted to the idea of quick solving all arising issues. An interesting approach is the one to embrace a newly appeared concept and apply it as a sort of panacea to all problems; Third, a new type of organization of management training has been developed – the application of yet newer methods of training and self-improvement – individual work, work in groups, application of psychological and behavioral models, etc.; Fourth, the gradual professionalizing of health experts engaged in management founded the statement that there is a number of skills and concepts which have to be adopted before someone is proclaimed a professional health manager. Managerial skills began to be looked at as a “briefcase of tools” and as a situation requires a certain tool, the manager has got to have the necessary knowledge to pull this required instrument out of the briefcase. It is perceived as well that the briefcase should be constantly filled with newer tools.

Healthcare management – main concepts, functions and specifics healthcare management is a complex category and non-equivocal notion, putting together specific features of management theory: 1) Goal-orientation; 2) Planning; 3) Management; 4) Regulation; 5) Control, and 6) Knowledge of health and systemic analysis of public health, all of which united in a sound scientific knowledge provide the opportunity to govern effectively resources in order to meet better the population health needs.

Healthcare management Healthcare management is a process of goal- oriented influence aiming to provide effective functioning of the health system, concordance in all of its subsystems and processes, to reduce entropy through planning, management, regulation and control with the purpose of achieving full satisfaction of the population health needs using allocated resources in a set environment.

Main concepts Goal-oriented influence – these are all forms of analysis, decision-making, conduct and actions on behalf of the manager, which lead to attaining the specific goal. We have two distinct categories here – influence and goal-orientation.

Main concepts Process – management is related to a certain cycle, not a single action. The management cycle includes: Situation analysis; Definition of goals; Decision making; Implementation; Monitoring; Assessment. The goals in a management cycle may vary as: 1) fundamental and specific; 2) intermediate and final; 3) short-term and long-term.

Main concepts Effective functioning of the system and harmonization of all its elements with the aim of reaching definiteness, regulation, clarity and denying any elements of uncertainty and chaos; Effective utilization of resources – in systemic aspect the fundamental resources in the process of healthcare management are financial, material, human and time, which in the process of providing health services are transformed in order to meet certain health needs (health and quality of life). Managerial decisions and actions appear as catalysts in the transformation of resources.

The healthcare manager as a professional 1. The only person in thee organizational structure, authorized with power – decision making, management and influence over the system, resources and results; 2. The person responsible for the management and utilization of resources; 3. Has a specific expertise in management; 4. Defines the vision (future) of the organization; 5. Exerts control over processes and people; 6. Assesses what has been achieved and decides on a change; 7. Is responsible for the results.

The eye of the manager Eye centered upon: Oneself (self- assessment) -abilities; -qualification; -motivation. Organization - resources; -structure; - interests; - communication. Processes - links; - methods; - clarity; -assessment. Aims and priorities - feasibility; - concordance; - achievability; - realism. Environment - factors; - forces; -influence. Future - clarity; -definiteness; - change.