Health Sector

NELSON MANDELA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY

MA (HEALTH AND WELFARE MANAGEMENT)

HEALTH AND WELFARE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

VWM 501

COMPILED BY: MRS AG KLOPPER

January 2008

Copyright reserved

PREFACE

Welcome to this phase of your study programme. In this module we provide you with information regarding the variety of systems available for the management of health and welfare services. In other words I would like you to view this as a comparative study of management systems, and here I use the term “management systems” to specifically describe the structural and functional aspects of management and not the use of Information Technology (IT) or computerisation within the services. Information technology is an aid to effective management rather than a management system as such.

I trust that you will find the information in this module interesting and applicable to your work situation – whether you need to introduce new strategies or in order to understand how the various systems were developed and are being maintained. Remember that it is not always possible to apply this theory in its purest form – but this is where your creativity comes into the picture. You can best achieve this creativity by assessing each feature in the module in relation to your specific work situation and drawing conclusions. Remember that you, as the people in the “real” situation, may at any time be asked to advise the policy makers on possible changes in structures and for this you will need to have a broad base of knowledge. As the present or future leaders in service management you also need to be able to assess prevailing situations and circumstances and apply innovative solutions in your decision-making. I trust that the information you acquire from this module and the recommended readings listed in the bibliography will provide you with the insight into possible scenarios.

FORMAT OF THE STUDY MATERIAL

The study material takes the form of a...