Leading processes of patient care and treatment in hierarchical healthcare organizations in Sweden – process managers’ experiences

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to gain better understanding of the roles and functions of process managers by describing Swedish process managers’ experiences of leading processes involving patient care and treatment when working in a hierarchical health-care organization. Design/methodology/approach – This study is based on an explorative design. The data were gathered from interviews with 12 process managers at three Swedish hospitals. These data underwent qualitative and interpretative analysis with a modified editing style. Findings – The process managers’ experiences of leading processes in a hierarchical health-care organization are described under three themes: having or not having a mandate, exposure to conflict situations and leading process development. The results indicate a need for clarity regarding process manager’s responsibility and work content, which need to be communicated to all managers and staff involved in the patient care and treatment process, irrespective of department. There also needs to be an emphasis on realistic expectations and orientation of the goals that are an intrinsic part of the task of being a process manager. Research limitations/implications – Generalizations from the results of the qualitative interview studies are limited, but a deeper understanding of the phenomenon was reached, which, in turn, can be transferred to similar settings. Originality/value – This study contributes qualitative descriptions of leading care and treatment processes in a functional, hierarchical health-care organization from process managers’ experiences, a subject that has not been investigated earlier.