TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of professional elites in healthcare governance
T2 - Exploring the work of the medical director
AU - Jones, Lorelei
AU - Fulop, Naomi
N1 - Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/5
Y1 - 2021/5
N2 - Medical leaders occupy a prominent position in healthcare policy in many countries, both in terms of the governance of quality and safety within healthcare organisations, and in broader system-wide governance. There is evidence that having doctors on hospital boards is associated with higher quality services. What is not known is how they have this effect. Analysing data collected from observations, interviews and documents from 15 healthcare providers in England (2014-2019), we elaborate the role of medical directors in healthcare governance as 'translation work', 'diplomatic work', and 'repair work'. Our study highlights the often enduring emotional effects of repeated structural changes to clinical services. It also contributes to theories of professional restratification, showing the work of medical directors as regional 'political elites', and as 'corporate elites' in publicly-funded healthcare systems.
AB - Medical leaders occupy a prominent position in healthcare policy in many countries, both in terms of the governance of quality and safety within healthcare organisations, and in broader system-wide governance. There is evidence that having doctors on hospital boards is associated with higher quality services. What is not known is how they have this effect. Analysing data collected from observations, interviews and documents from 15 healthcare providers in England (2014-2019), we elaborate the role of medical directors in healthcare governance as 'translation work', 'diplomatic work', and 'repair work'. Our study highlights the often enduring emotional effects of repeated structural changes to clinical services. It also contributes to theories of professional restratification, showing the work of medical directors as regional 'political elites', and as 'corporate elites' in publicly-funded healthcare systems.
KW - Delivery of Health Care
KW - England
KW - Health Policy
KW - Hospitals
KW - Humans
KW - Physician Executives
U2 - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113882
DO - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113882
M3 - Article
C2 - 33848720
SN - 0277-9536
VL - 277
JO - Social Science and Medicine
JF - Social Science and Medicine
M1 - 113882
ER -
