Global Health Security Implementation: Expanding the Evidence Base

Assessing the future direction of sustainable development in public hospitals: Time-horizon, path and action

PURPOSE

To assess the future direction of sustainable development in public hospitals, focusing on their short- versus long-term time horizons, top-down versus bottom-up paths, and intra-organizational versus inter-organizational actions.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The selection of significant health care organizations was based on judgmental sampling. This study applied an inductive approach. The interviewees were identified according to their knowledge of the future direction of their organizations' sustainable development.

FINDINGS

The sustainable development of the studied public hospitals is aimed at the synchronization of actions with other hospitals in the public healthcare system. The public hospitals studied differ in their interconnected elements of time (short- versus long-time horizons), paths (top-down versus bottom-up) and specific actions (intra-organizational versus inter-organizational). RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/: implications Offers insights into how to assess the direction of sustainable development in public hospitals. We stress the importance of time, path and action in conjunction. Furthermore, this study provides a three-dimensional framework to assess the future direction of sustainable development in organizations as well as in industries. Both the former and latter characteristics are shaped by the elements of time, path and action.

MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS

Provides a three-dimensional framework of criteria to assess the direction of sustainable development in organizations. The assessment criteria may be used by organizations to assess the direction of other organizations in their industry. Industry associations or authorities may look into the status and future direction of sustainable development in industries or sectors as a whole. The assessment criteria provide an opportunity and foundation to benchmark against others in the same industry and insights to face pandemic as Covid-19.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

First study to consider a three-dimensional framework based on time, path and action to assess the future direction of sustainable development in an organization.

Policy and Science for Global Health Security: Shaping the Course of International Health

The global burden of infectious diseases and the increased attention to natural, accidental, and deliberate biological threats has resulted in significant investment in infectious disease research. Translating the results of these studies to inform prevention, detection, and response efforts often can be challenging, especially if prior relationships and communications have not been established with decision-makers. Whatever scientific information is shared with decision-makers before, during, and after public health emergencies is highly dependent on the individuals or organizations who are communicating with policy-makers. This article briefly describes the landscape of stakeholders involved in information-sharing before and during emergencies. We identify critical gaps in translation of scientific expertise and results, and biosafety and biosecurity measures to public health policy and practice with a focus on One Health and zoonotic diseases. Finally, we conclude by exploring ways of improving communication and funding, both of which help to address the identified gaps. By leveraging existing scientific information (from both the natural and social sciences) in the public health decision-making process, large-scale outbreaks may be averted even in low-income countries.