Study of productivity status and related factors and determining at selected hospitals of Mazandaran province- 2010

Optimum resource utilization is one of the primary objectives of any organization. Hospitals as one of the most important elements of health systems, facing escalating costs and resource scarcity, are concerned with this issue as well. Productivity improvements can help hospitals to achieve this objective. If hospitals are planning to improve productivity, at first, they have to identify factors influencing productivity. This study aims to identify factors affecting productivity and measuring their status quo at selected hospitals of Mazandaran province. The present descriptive study was carried out cross sectionally. The research population, comprised of hospitals presidents, managers, nursing managers and supervisors (N=250), were all studied with no sampling technique. We used a questionnaire for data collection, its validity and reliability of which was verified. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics, chi square and T test through SPSS 16The mean score of influential factors and their status quo was measured as followed respectively: managerial factors (3.95±0.82; 2.55±0.86), employees job satisfaction and motivation factors (3.03±1.05; 2.4±0.92), customer orientation factors (3.28±0.7; 2.86±0.86), human resources development and training factors (3.15±0.92; 2.59±0.89), organizational culture factors (3.23±0.86; 2.6±0.84), hospitals technology and equipment factors (3.34±0.73; 2.61±0.79). Although the research population believed these factors have a great impact on hospitals productivity, but their current situation was not ideal in the hospitals. If these hospitals are determined on their way to improve productivity, designing interventions targeting these factors seems useful.