Strategic management implementation in hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences

Background: Usage of effective and efficient managerial methods in administration of hospitals and other health centers has a significant role in improvement of organizational performance and quality of services. Objective: The essential goal of this study was to investigate the possibility of strategic management implementation in hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In this descriptive, and cross–Sectional Study, top and middle managers of six hospitals (total of 66) were selected and their responses to the questionnaires were analyzed. Data were collected in 2001. Findings: Based on the grading of likert scale (1=very low , 5=very high) results indicated that investigated managers’ awarness degree of strategic management principles have been 2.8 of 5(on average) they believed that implementation of strategic management in their hospitals was very useful (total score 4/2 of 5) and almost applicable (total score 3/18 of 5). They also believed that considering the environmental factors and internal situation of hospitals, implementation of such style have been possible a little a bove determined average (total score 43.31 of 75). Conclusion: Regarding of this study, the possibility of strategic management implementation in investigated hospitals is not very high now, but we can increase it through developing facilitators such as training of managers and eliminating barriers such as centralization in national health system.