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

VL - 277

JO - Social Science and Medicine

JF - Social Science and Medicine

SN - 0277-9536

M1 - 113882

ER -