Is social capital as perceived by the medical director associated with coordination among hospital staff? A nationwide survey in German hospitals

Abstract

Effective coordination among all members of hospital staff has been shown to be associated with better quality of care. The literature indicates that social capital, a form of organizational resource, may facilitate the task of coordination. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has yet examined this link within a healthcare setting. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between social capital and coordination among hospital staff, as perceived by the medical director being a key informant of the hospital. In 2008, we surveyed the medical directors of 1224 German hospitals by the use of a standardized questionnaire. We conducted stepwise multivariate linear regression and controlled for hospital size, ownership and teaching status. In total, 551 medical directors (45%) responded to the survey. We found social capital to be a significant predictor of coordination (β = 0.444, p < 0.001). The regression model explained 28% of the variance in coordination. Higher levels of social capital can be associated with better coordination among members of hospital staff, as perceived by the medical director. Therefore, investment in social capital may facilitate better organization of work processes in hospitals and may therefore help to improve patient outcomes. However, longitudinal studies are needed in order to explain the causal relationship between social capital and coordination among hospital staff.

The Relationship between Social Capital and Quality Management Systems in European Hospitals: A Quantitative Study

“…The development of the items was based on sociological principles and central statements relating to social capital described by Coleman [10], Putnam [11,12], and Fukuyama [21]. The variable consisted of six items (see Table S2 in Supporting Information) and has been used in several previous studies [6,14-16]. The reliability of the social capital scale is high with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.83 [13].…”

“…Previous studies found a strong relationship between social capital within hospitals and hospital performance [14-16]. Others have investigated the role of trusting relationships in health care settings [17].…”

The relationship between nurse practice environment, nurse work characteristics, burnout and job outcome and quality of nursing care: A cross-sectional survey

“…Social capital is potentially protective against feelings of emotional exhaustion; whereas workload has potentially deleterious influences through burnout dimensions on quality of care and job outcomes. Previous research showed that social capital perceived by 551 hospital medical directors in Germany was associated with better care coordination among members of hospital staff (Gloede et al, 2013). The authors concluded that investment in social capital might facilitate better organization of work processes in hospitals and thereby improve patient outcomes.…”

Can a stressed oncologist be good in a consultation? A qualitative study on the oncologists' perception

“…; Gloede et al . ). One study of three intensive care units was able to show an association between physician–nurse collaboration and the patient outcomes of death and readmission (Baggs et al .…”