Purpose To find the conditions of harmony between ethical and rational behaviour in the context of the National Health Service (the Italian health care system), considering both the needs of the organizations providing health care services and the customers. Design/methodology/approach The paper analyses the health care service complexity in a relational view, using, on the basis of the Viable Systems Approach (VSA), the concepts of value categories and interpretative structures to study respectively ethical and rational behaviour and to represent the emerging characters of the systemic instability. Findings The main findings consist in the formulation of a relational matrix to represent the essential levels of care from both the points of view of the organizations of the National Health Service and of the customers. The model is useful to analyze and compare their aims and expectations and define the areas of convergence and divergence. Practical implications The application of principles and concepts from the (VSA) to articulated structures such as health care enables to highlight “pathological” aspects and new interesting “therapeutic” prospects, so to guarantee the viability of the regional and national health care system. Originality/value The paper provides new methodological bases to evaluate the appropriateness of the health care in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability.
Harmony between ethical and rational behaviour in the HeathCare System. A relational model based on the Viable Systems Approach (VSA)
BASSANO, Clara;
2009-01-01
Abstract
Purpose To find the conditions of harmony between ethical and rational behaviour in the context of the National Health Service (the Italian health care system), considering both the needs of the organizations providing health care services and the customers. Design/methodology/approach The paper analyses the health care service complexity in a relational view, using, on the basis of the Viable Systems Approach (VSA), the concepts of value categories and interpretative structures to study respectively ethical and rational behaviour and to represent the emerging characters of the systemic instability. Findings The main findings consist in the formulation of a relational matrix to represent the essential levels of care from both the points of view of the organizations of the National Health Service and of the customers. The model is useful to analyze and compare their aims and expectations and define the areas of convergence and divergence. Practical implications The application of principles and concepts from the (VSA) to articulated structures such as health care enables to highlight “pathological” aspects and new interesting “therapeutic” prospects, so to guarantee the viability of the regional and national health care system. Originality/value The paper provides new methodological bases to evaluate the appropriateness of the health care in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
