A new study is to examine whether the introduction of best-practice management policies and partnership models in Irish hospitals could be beneficial for patients' outcomes.
New research to be commissioned by the National Centre for Partnership and Performance and the Health Service National Partnership Forum will examine the role and potential of workplace partnership and strategic human resources management in hospitals in the delivery of benefits to patients, staff and the health service generally.
The project is being overseen by a steering group which includes representatives of the HSE, the main Dublin teaching hospitals, hospital consultants, the Irish Nurses Organisation and unions such as Siptu and Impact as well as employers' group Ibec.
The research, which will involve data being collected in each of the 55 acute hospitals across the State, is due to be completed by this time next year.
A background paper on the project says that although hospitals now account for up to 70 per cent of overall health expenditure - more than €6 billion annually - there has been little research carried out to date in the State to identify the management policies and practices that promote efficiency and effectiveness in hospitals.
The new study will aim to measure the impact of the use of human resources practices that have been shown to produce higher performance as well as workplace partnership on key outcomes for patients, staff and the organisation in general.
The background paper maintains that there is evidence from the private sector that the use of strategic human resources practices and workplace partnership can contribute to reduced staff turnover and increases in productivity, profitability and innovation.
It also argues that "there is evidence from the UK and US that strategic human resources practices impact positively on outcomes for both patients and staff".
The role of the research consultants is to identify which human resources and workplace partnership-style practices are most relevant in the Irish acute hospital setting.
"The project is not an attempt to construct a 'league table' of hospitals. It is instead an attempt to identify the type of management practices that have an impact on outcomes for patients, staff and the organisation," the background paper states.