| Abstract [eng] |
The master's thesis analyses the collaboration of hospitals increasing the resilience of the health care system in the Šiauliai region. The goal of this work is to theoretically analyse and empirically substantiate the factors determining the collaboration of hospitals in the Šiauliai region seeking to achieve resilience of the health care system. Three objectives are set to achieve the goal and are implemented by developing the concept of hospital resilience and the factors that influence resilience in the theoretical and empirical parts. Attempts are also made to substantiate inter-institutional collaboration as one of the most important factors that increase the resilience of hospitals by the case of hospitals in the Šiauliai region. The master's thesis consists of three parts. The conceptual part reveals the concept of resilience of the public management system, as well as the health system, the importance of inter-institutional collaboration in the public sector distinguishing the common features of hospital inter-institutional collaboration with other public sector institutions and identifying the factors that promote or obstruct collaboration of hospitals. The applied qualitative study strategy is presented in the methodological part. The method of scientific literature analysis is employed in the theoretical part and the empirical part is based on the methods of content review and analysis and the method of written survey. The empirical part of the work evaluates the influence of public policy of the European Union and the Republic of Lithuania on promoting collaboration among institutions (hospitals) while focusing on increasing the resilience of the health care system. Attempts are made to clarify how the management structure, models, methods, inter-institutional collaboration, and its management changed in the hospitals during the pandemic of 2020-2021 and how hospitals prepare for future challenges. The acquired results of the study are introduced through the analysis of written survey, and the conclusions and recommendations are also presented. The study sample included the informants, who participate in the inter-institutional collaboration processes of hospitals: managers who worked or are working in the hospitals of Šiauliai region, their deputies or heads of departments and/or units. The study revealed that the concept of resilience of the health system is identical to the concept of resilience of systems in general. Only the health system is prioritized and placed first during the period of challenges. General (improving public services through modern public administration and innovative tools, exchanging information, knowledge, available resources) and specific (improving the availability and quality of health care, reducing health inequalities, managing patient and specialist flows, sharing modern medical equipment, developing the scope of telemedicine services and efficient use of information technologies) features of inter-institutional collaboration among hospitals were identified. |
