Department of Health Studies, College of Human Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa.
Int J Health Plann Manage. 2019 Apr;34(2):e1272-e1292. doi: 10.1002/hpm.2773. Epub 2019 Mar 15.
Research on outsourcing in a developing country using a mixed methods approach can provide insights on outsourcing decisions and practices. This study investigated motivations, practices, perceived benefits, and barriers to outsourcing by general hospitals in Uganda. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used. Quantitative data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire from managers in 32 randomly selected hospitals. Qualitative data were latter collected from eight purposively selected managers using an interview guide. Quantitative data were statistically analyzed using SAS 9.3. Qualitative data were managed using ATLAS ti 7 and coded manually, and content analysis was conducted. Quantitative findings indicate that outsourcing of support services was prevalent (72% of hospitals). The key motivation for outsourcing was to gain access to quality service (68%). Limited availability of service providers was a key challenge during outsourcing (57%). Managers perceive improved productivity and better services as key benefits of outsourcing (90%). The main barrier to outsourcing is limited financing. These findings were confirmed and explained by the qualitative data. Findings and recommendations from this study are critical in developing interventions to encourage effective outsourcing by hospitals in Uganda and other developing countries.
采用混合方法研究发展中国家的外包，可以深入了解外包决策和实践。本研究调查了乌干达综合医院外包的动机、实践、感知收益和障碍。采用解释性顺序混合方法设计。使用自填式问卷从 32 家随机选择的医院的管理人员收集定量数据。随后使用访谈指南从八名有针对性选择的管理人员中收集定性数据。使用 SAS 9.3 对定量数据进行统计分析。使用 ATLAS ti 7 管理定性数据并手动编码，并进行内容分析。定量结果表明，支持服务的外包很普遍（72%的医院）。外包的主要动机是获得优质服务（68%）。外包过程中服务提供商的有限可用性是一个关键挑战（57%）。管理人员认为提高生产力和更好的服务是外包的主要收益（90%）。外包的主要障碍是资金有限。这些发现得到了定性数据的证实和解释。本研究的结果和建议对制定干预措施以鼓励乌干达和其他发展中国家的医院有效外包至关重要。
