Business planning in Hong Kong hospitals: the emergence of a seamless health care management process.

This paper examines the progress made by public hospitals in Hong Kong in implementing a business planning approach. A review of available literature suggests two main exploratory themes. The first establishes the key features of business planning in the private sector. The second theme discusses the problems of adapting this approach to the distinctive requirements of the public sector. The literature also suggests three dimensions for evaluating planning: incremental-developmental; reactive-proactive; ends-means. Qualitative data were collected by scrutinizing relevant organizational documentation and by discussions with focus groups formed by participants in the planning process. The data were analyzed against eight key elements of a business plan identified from the literature and from panels of business experts. These elements were found to be present in the Hospital Authority's plans but were less evident in hospital level plans. Because of the unitary nature of hospital organization in Hong Kong, it has been difficult for hospitals to break out of a reactive, incremental and ends-based pattern to a more imaginative identification of the distinctive business and market that they may be in. This is, however, changing rapidly and it is clear that there is in place a robust and 'seamless' health care management process.