Trends and Emerging Practices in Healthcare Project Management: The Role of Corona Crisis Management Room to Control COVID-19 Spread in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Emirate of Aseer Province, Saudi Arabia, has established the Corona Crisis Management Room (CCMR) to help support the health affairs and eliminate all the risks associated with the virus within the region. The study aimed at establishing the trends and emerging practices in healthcare project management with a concerted interest in determining the role played by the CCMR in controlling and stopping the spread of the virus in Aseer region. The study adopted the exploratory research approach which sought to investigate the research phenomenon. The CCMR formed the focus of the study. 17 participants working in the CCMR were selected using the purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using in-depth interviews where a clear and detailed description of the phenomenon under research was obtained. The collected data were subjected to thematic analysis and classified into three thematic areas. The findings of the study established that the CCMR had a critical role in coordinating government activities within Aseer region. New management practices were based on the experiences of the pandemic and ranged fromevidence-based decision making, use of modern technology, and collaboration of various entities. The pathological spectrum was key in risk assessment. Key words: Covid-19; Corona virus; risk management; project management; crisis management; healthcare; qualitative research; Emirate of Aseer Province; Saudi Arabia