Complex Governance Does Increase Both the Real and Perceived Registration Burden: The Case of the Netherlands; Comment on “Perceived Burden Due to Registrations for Quality Monitoring and Improvement in Hospitals: A Mixed Methods Study”

Document Type : Commentary

Authors

1 Radboud Institute of Health Sciences (RIHS), Nijmegen, The Netherlands

2 Amsterdam Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Abstract

The burden of registrations for professionals should be more firmly on the policy agenda. In a rigorous study, Marieke Zegers and colleagues make a compelling argument why that should be the case. In Dutch hospitals, the average professional spends 52.3 minutes a day on quality registries and monitoring instruments. Many more administrative duties exist. These represent substantial resources and ultimately could become a drag on the intrinsic motivation of the care professions. We agree with Zegers et al that we are in need for more operational efficiency. However, the issue at hand is very complex and also intensely connected to the entire healthcare system and its different levels. More operational efficiency alone will not solve this problem. We are also in need for better governance of data-issues at the macro-system level.

Keywords

References

  1. Zegers M, Veenstra GL, Gerritsen G, Verhage R, van der Hoeven HJG, Welker GA. Perceived burden due to registrations for quality monitoring and improvement in hospitals: a mixed methods study. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2020. doi:10.34172/ijhpm.2020.96
  2. Meyer GS, Nelson EC, Pryor DB, et al. More quality measures versus measuring what matters: a call for balance and parsimony. BMJ Qual Saf. 2012;21(11):964-968. doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2012-001081
  3. van de Ven WP, Beck K, Buchner F, et al. Preconditions for efficiency and affordability in competitive healthcare markets: are they fulfilled in Belgium, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands and Switzerland? Health Policy. 2013;109(3):226-245. doi:10.1016/j.healthpol.2013.01.002
  4. Maarse H, Jeurissen P, Ruwaard D. Results of the market-oriented reform in the Netherlands: a review. Health Econ Policy Law. 2016;11(2):161-178. doi:10.1017/s1744133115000353
  5. Hagenaars LL, Klazinga NS, Mueller M, Morgan DJ, Jeurissen PPT. How and why do countries differ in their governance and financing-related administrative expenditure in health care? an analysis of OECD countries by health care system typology. Int J Health Plann Manage. 2018;33(1):e263-e278. doi:10.1002/hpm.2458
  6. Berwick DM, Hackbarth AD. Eliminating waste in US health care. JAMA. 2012;307(14):1513-1516. doi:10.1001/jama.2012.362
  7. Himmelstein DU, Jun M, Busse R, et al. A comparison of hospital administrative costs in eight nations: US costs exceed all others by far. Health Aff (Millwood). 2014;33(9):1586-1594. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2013.1327
  8. Larjow E. Administrative costs in health care-a scoping review. Health Policy. 2018;122(11):1240-1248. doi:10.1016/j.healthpol.2018.08.007
  9. Hanekamp M. Administratieve Belasting Langdurige Zorg Verder Gestegen. Berenschot. September 24, 2019. https://www.berenschot.nl/actueel/2019/september/administratieve-belasting/.
  10. van Hassel D. Working Hours of General Practitioners: Identifying Differences in Working Hours with Data Obtained by a Real Time Measurement Tool. Utrecht: Nivel; 2020.
  11. Lau F, Price M, Bassi J. Toward a Coordinated Electronic Health Record (EHR) Strategy for Canada – Creating Strategic Change in Canadian Healthcare. McGill University Press; 2014.
  12. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Strengthening Health Information Infrastructure for Health Care Quality Governance: Good Practices, New Opportunities and Data Privacy Protection Challenges. Paris: OECD; 2013.
  13. World Health Organization. A System of Health Accounts 2011: Revised Edition. Paris: OECD; 2017.
  14. Auener S, Kroon D, Wackers E, Dulmen SV, Jeurissen P. COVID-19: a window of opportunity for positive healthcare reforms. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2020;9(10):419-422. doi:10.34172/ijhpm.2020.66
International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 11, Issue 4
April 2022
Pages 533-535

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 13 October 2020
  • Revise Date: 28 December 2020
  • Accept Date: 29 December 2020
  • First Publish Date: 06 January 2021

Share

How to cite

Statistics