Lega Federico
Organization and Strategy Unit, Ce.R.G.A.S, Research Center on Healthcare Management, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy.
Health Serv Manage Res. 2005 May;18(2):86-99. doi: 10.1258/0951484053723135.
The last two decades have seen the significant emergence of multi-hospital networks (MHNs) in the health sectors of all industrialized countries. Such networks seem to represent an organizational choice, which provides interesting opportunities to cope with cost and quality issues stressing the health field. This work proposes and discusses a framework for strategies that can be implemented by MHNs to achieve projected benefits. The estimated advantages are then weighed against unexpected or underrated drawbacks and empirical evidence. The conclusions point out MHNs as viable future alternatives for freestanding hospitals looking to improve their efficiency and financial stability, on condition that a 'proper management' of their consolidation processes is carried out. This requires extensive pre-deal analysis to critically assess what benefits could be achieved through the network's formation, as well as post-deal perseverance in implementing consolidation strategies to their full. In this perspective, specific advices apt to minimize the risk of creating MHNs in the wake of a management fashion instead of through sound rational assessments are also discussed.
在过去二十年里，多医院网络（MHNs）在所有工业化国家的卫生部门大量涌现。这类网络似乎代表了一种组织选择，为应对困扰卫生领域的成本和质量问题提供了有趣的机遇。本文提出并讨论了一个框架，用于多医院网络可实施的战略，以实现预期效益。随后将估计的优势与意外或被低估的劣势及实证证据进行权衡。结论指出，对于寻求提高效率和财务稳定性的独立医院而言，多医院网络是可行的未来选择，但前提是要对其整合过程进行“妥善管理”。这需要在交易前进行广泛分析，以严格评估通过组建网络可实现哪些效益，以及在交易后坚持全面实施整合战略。从这个角度出发，还讨论了一些具体建议，这些建议有助于将跟风创建多医院网络而非通过合理评估创建网络的风险降至最低。
