STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PROCESS IN HOSPITALS

Abstract

  The purpose of the research is to study the strategic management process in Georgia's hospitals. As part of the quantitative research, a survey of managers of hospitals was conducted using a pre-structured questionnaire. A relatively small number of hospitals attended strategic planning lectures and pieces of training (13%), Only one hospital had a strategic planning committee (4.3%), 87% of hospitals had a documented strategic plan; Strategic planning was primarily engaged by the management board (69.6%), with doctors participating to a lesser extent (30.4%). Only 34.8% of hospitals develop their budget according to the strategic plan. Resources (43.5%), allocation of budget funds (47.8%) and identification of additional financial resources (47.8%) are not made in accordance with the goals of the strategic plan. Most hospitals are less likely to compare the evaluation results of goal achievement indicators with other hospitals (52.2%), and 43.5% report the values of actions taken to accomplish the 
strategic plan's goals to the hospital. Most of the hospitals rarely do benchmarking of other hospitals' goal-achieving measures (78.3%).
  Small number of clinics have a strategic management process that, as a consequence, affects their success in the healthcare market. Hospitals develop a strategy plan, but its implementation is poorly monitored and not based on scientific methods.
  It is reasonable for the state to impose a legal requirement that hospitals produce a written strategic plan. Providing educational training on the strategic management process in hospitals is essential.