Outsourcing in public hospitals: a Greek perspective

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to investigate the extent of outsourcing, the decision‐making process, the impact of outsourcing, and the future trend of outsourcing in public hospitals in Greece.Design/methodology/approachA survey instrument was designed and mailed to a random sample of 100 public hospitals in Greece and 43 usable questionnaires were received, representing a response rate of 43 percent. The survey instrument focused on the extent to which public hospitals outsource services, the decision‐making process for choosing an external service provider, the impact of outsourcing, and the future trend of outsourcing in public healthcare organisations.FindingsPublic hospitals in Greece outsource a variety of activities. Cost savings and customer satisfaction are the main factors affecting the outsourcing decision. The cooperation with a contract service provider has led to significant improvement in service quality levels. Most users are satisfied with the performance of these companies and believe that there will be an increase in the usage of these services in the future.Practical implicationsIt provides a decision‐making framework regarding outsourcing in public healthcare organisations.Originality/valueThis research fills the gap in the area of outsourcing in public hospitals in Greece.