M.Comm. / Health care is recognised as a basic human right. The current position of private health care in South Africa is of great concern. Not only is health care almost unaffordable but the future quality of health care also causes great concern. With this in mind it is obvious that alternatives to conventional medical aids and health insurance are necessary to guarantee the continued availability of quality medical care to the South African public. Most people would agree that our private sector health care system is characterised by a depressing history of inadequate planning, control and management. It is for this reason that amendments to the Medical Schemes Act were considered necessary. Certain of these amendments will extend the role played by medical schemes in the management of health care resources. This will result in the traditional boundaries and relationships between the public, health professionals and health care facilities, and the financiers in our private health care system being altered. A new philosophy will evolve based on open and participative practices, as well as increased coordination, integration and cooperation (Veliotes et al, 1993: 12). Internationally, the health care objectives of most countries are to provide access to highquality care for all the people, and to provide this care efficiently and effectively. In the last decade the task of achieving these potentially conflicting objectives has become more difficult. At present, private health care is funded by medical schemes, health insurance companies, employers and individuals themselves. Neither medical aids nor health insurance companies are able to contain the rise in health care cost, which has led to the emergence of a new method of finding, namely Managed Health Care (MHC). Health care cost has accelerated at a rate far above the consumer price index(CPI). Rising health care costs in the private sector have been blamed on structural inefficiencies in the medical aid system. While patients have little incentive to minimise care expenditure, providers have an incentive to overuse the system.

Please read the abstract in the front of this document. / Dissertation (MMed)--University of Pretoria, 2004. / School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH) / Unrestricted

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis researches World Class Manufacturing Techniques (WCMT) and their applicability in a Non-Production Environment such as an inbound call centre in the financial services sector. These WCMT involve a set of innovative techniques and principles, which are applied by foremost manufacturing companies. These techniques however, are not sacred and one always needs to refer back to the objectives of World Class Manufacturing, namely to (a) Eliminate waste, (b) Improve quality, (c) Shorten lead times, (d) Reduce costs, and (e) Improve morale and seek other improvements. The importance lies in attaining the objectives in the context of the necessary manufacturing tasks. Companies applying these techniques demonstrate significant productivity gains, production synergies, reduced rework and more reliable on-time delivery. In the highly competitive global market, these offer a competitive advantage for such companies. A critical and essential element of a company's strategic vision is a clearly defined and healthy competitive advantage. It is imperative that a company's vision is clearly aligned to its business objectives and goals. The WCMT is a tool that aligns the business vision and strategic objectives to realize its competitive advantage. By aligning the vision to its competitive advantage, it is crucial that the company challenge its existing production processes and the way in which it operates. Existing production processes need to be continuously reviewed and adjusted where necessary to sustain the competitive advantage. This paper is a practical example of how a non-production organisation can apply these WCMT to sustain its competitive advantage. The WCMT such as Theory of Constraints (TOC), Just in Time (JIT) and Total Quality Management (TQM) are discussed and applied in the inbound call centre of a medical aid administration company. In a relatively short time span, some remarkable sustainable productivity improvements were achieved. This would imply that these WCMT could be applied in traditional non-production environments. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsings werkstuk ondersoek Wêreld Klas Vervaardigings Tegnieke (WCMT) en die moontlike toepassing daarvan in 'n nie-vervaardigings omgewing, soos 'n inbeldienssentrum in die finansiële dienste sektor. Hierdie WCMT omsluit 'n groep innoverende tegnieke wat huidiglik aangewend en toegepas word in die meeste vervaardigings ondernemings. Hierdie tegnieke is nie beperk nie en verwys altyd terug na die doelstellings van WCMT naamlik (a) Vermindering van afval, (b) Verbetering van kwaliteit, (c) Verkorting van wag periodes, (d) Verlaging van kostes, en (e) Verbeterende personeel moraal en die voortdurende soeke na ander verbeteringe. Die belangrikheid van WCMT lê in die bereiking van hierdie bogenoemde doelwitte binne die konteks van die noodsaaklike vervaardigings metodes. Ondernemings wat hierdie tegnieke toepas vind groot produksiekapasiteit verbeteringe, produksie sinergie, 'n verlaging in die oordoen van foutiewe werk en ondervind ook grotendeels meer gereelde op-tyd aflewering. In die hoogs kompeterende globale mark bied die WCMT die broodnodige mededingende voordeel aan hierdie ondernemings. Die kritieke en belangrike bestanddeel van 'n onderneming se strategie en visie is die onderneming se vermoë om 'n deeglike en gesonde mededingende voordeel bo sy mededingers te hê. Dit is van kardinale belang dat die onderneming se visie behoorlik in lyn is met die onderneming se strategiese doelwitte. Hierdie WCMT is 'n instrument wat die onderneming kan aanwend ten einde sy visie en strategiese doelwitte, asook sy kompeterende voordeel, te bereik. Dit is krities belangrik dat 'n onderneming se visie en sy kompeterende doelwitte gesinkroniseer en gelykgestel is en verder dat die onderneming ook sy huidige produksie prosesse herevalueer, asook die manier waarop die onderneming opereer. Huidige produksie prosesse moet voortdurend geherevalueer en aangepas word waar nodig, ten einde die onderneming se voortdurende kompeterende voordeel te behou. Hierdie navorsings stuk is 'n voorbeeld van die praktiese toepassing van WGMT en hoe hierdie tegnieke 'n onderneming behulpsaam kan wees ten einde sy kompeterende voordeel te behou. Die WGMT soos die Teorie van Beperkings (TOC), Net Betyds (JIT) en Totale Kwaliteit Beheer (TQM) word deeglik ondersoek en bespreek. Die navorser ondersoek voorts die moontlikheid om hierdie tegnieke toe te pas in 'n in beldienssentrum by 'n administrateur van mediese fondse. In 'n relatiewe kort periode het die navorser noemenswaardige en voortdurende produksie verbetering teweeg gebring deur die toepassing van WGMT. Die navorser het afgelei dat hierdie WGMT nie net beperk is tot die vervaardigings sektor nie, maar dat dit ook in die nie-vervaardigings sektor doeltreffend aangewend kan word.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This evaluation serves the purpose of illuminating concepts and ideas behind the moral impact of business values in healthcare and to establish a framework for the analysis of moral dilemmas found in the sphere ofbio-medical ethics. The historic developments of business in healthcare are examined, looking at how and why business became an integral part of the health care system. The concept of "managed healthcare" is introduced and used as the context in which the different institutional role-players are brought together. Managed healthcare is defined by a discussion of the different organisational structures through which it manifests itself. The policies, procedures and regulations that managed healthcare organisations implement and control to fulfil their general function are also examined. Some normative aspects pertaining to the concept of managed health care are explored, including the institutional values of business and that of medicine. A brief discussion of the economic system in which the business agents or role players function are included in the evaluation of the institutional values of business. Further arguments are made to show how the healthcare system with all its role players displays the characteristics of a complex system. Discussions on the fundamental values of medicine concentrate on the basic ideas behind virtues and principles of medical ethics. It is argued that the development of these virtues and principles are important foundations on which the medical profession stands. The moral impact of combining these institutional values within the context of managed healthcare relationships is examined and some important moral dilemmas or conflicts are identified. It is further argued that the fundamental relationships between all the role players in the health care system have changed as all the agents function within a complex system, giving rise to new organisational structures and relationships, with new conceptual roles, ideals, values and practices. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie evaluasie het dit ten doelom sekere konsepte en idees agter die morele impak van besigheidswaardes in gesondheidsorg te illumineer en om 'n raamwerk daar te stel vir die verdere analise van morele dilemmas in die sfeer van bio-mediese etiek. Die historiese ontwikkeling van besigheid in gesondheidsorg word verken deur die redes aan te voer waarom besigheid deel van die gesondheidsorgsisteem geword het. Die konsep "bestuurde gesondheidsorg" word gebruik as die konteks waarin die verskillende institusionele rolspelers bymekaar gebring word. Bestuurde gesondheidsorg word gedefinieer deur die verskillende organisatoriese strukture waardeur dit manifesteer. Die prosedures, regulasies en bereid wat bestuurde gesondheidsorgorganisasies implementeer om hul funksies te vervul word ook verken. Normatiewe aspekte van bestuurde gesondheidsorg word verken, waarby ingesluit word die institusionele waardes van besigheid sowel as dié van medisyne. 'n Kort beskrywing van die ekonomiese sisteem waarin die besigheidsagente, of rolspelers funksioneer word ingesluit by die evaluasie van die institusionele waardes van besigheid. Verdere argumente word gevoer om te wys daarop hoe die gesondheidsorgsisteem met al sy rolspelers die karakter toon van 'n komplekse sisteem. Die basiese idees agter deugsaamheid en morele beginsels van bio-mediese etiek word bespreek om die fundamentele waardes van medisyne te beskryf. Daar word geargumenteer dat die ontwikkeling van hierdie waardes 'n belangrike fondament is waarop die mediese professie staan. Die morele impak van die kombinasie tussen die institusionele waardes van besigheid en medisyne binne die konteks van bestuurde gesondheidsorg word geevalueer en belanrike morele dilemmas en konflikte word geidentifiseer. Verder word geargumenteer dat die fundamenrele verhouding tussen al die rol spelers in die gesondheidsisteem verander het danksy die funksionering van die agente binne hierdie komplekse sisteem. Dit lei op sy beurt na veranderinge in organisatoriese strukture en verhoudinge met nuwe konsepsuele rolle, idiale, waardes en praktyke.

Thesis (M.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of General Practice, 2005. / Includes publications published as a result of ideas developed in this thesis, inserted at end. "April 2005" Includes bibliographical references (leaves 210-242).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rand Graduate School, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 64-70).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--RAND Graduate School, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 309-317).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--RAND Graduate School, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 309-317).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1995.

Thesis (M.P.A.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 1999. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2928. Typescript. Abstract precedes thesis as preliminary leaves iii-iv. Includes bibliographical references 122-127.