This is the page which i decided to dedicate for my research in healthcare specialisation (MBA in HealthCare Management). I intend to include my thoughts, findings and reports for the course. The MBA course is consisted of 12 modules plus the track specialization. The track specialisation is consisted of two modules plus the dissertation thesis. I have already attended the modules during the study week (31 March-07 April 2012) which were the following:
(A) Health Systems, Policies and Economics (Module Leader Dr Janet Harris),
(B) Contemporary Issues in HealthCare Management (Module Leader Dr Janet Harris)
The learning experience was very impressive and significant. Lots of material, discussions, knowledge and opportunities for thinking beyond limits.
The first paper i have submitted on Health Systems Policies and Economics, was on the ambiguous issue of generic drugs. In particular my study is on The Adoption of Generic Drugs in the Greek Healthcare System especially now (2012), that Greek economy is under recession and cutting-costs policies are the upmost concern. The assignment was marked by Dr Harris with 63.
The second paper submitted in track, on Contemporary Issues, was actually an intervention healthcare proposal. The emerging age group of 65+ is expected to be the next challenge not far from now. The study is about longevity and ageing and precisely the subject is Elderly Care: Coping with Long-Term light-care Conditions (LTC). I have tried to describe the health needs of such group, to design an equity audit and to discuss the commissioning issue by accommodating evaluation-based information and literature. This assignment was marked by Dr Harris with 61.
This paper has been accepted for oral presentation at the 6th International Conference for Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Regional Development (ICEIRD-2013) , which will take place in Istanbul, Turkey (21-23 June 2013). Here is the paper as submitted for approval (version 1) and here you can read the paper in camera-ready format (version 2). The second version does not include all tables and figures but will be included in the proceedings of the conference. Prefer the first version since this is the complete report.
Here is the booklet of Conference Proceedings.
You may find here the Conference Programme and my paper as included in the proceedings.
The next step is to begin my dissertation. I have intentionally left Research Proposal as the last paper in the row in order to get first accustomed to the healthcare mindset. The previous two track papers gave me the opportunity to look in depth in similar subjects, dig a little deeper and enrich my perspectives in this sector. Nevertheless, i consider a great opportunity to incorporate in my thesis the survey and my thoughts on current economic recession that Greece experiences. It is a unique momentum to accommodate literature, findings and analysis of different think tanks on Greek Depression. There might be an effective move to start through finding common schemes among economic recession and healthcare.
In mid August 2012, i have submitted my research proposal for the dissertation thesis. The research proposal is actually the assignment for the module of Research Methods. Research Methods, is the last in the row module (before track specialisations) and concerns the research process that we have to follow during our dissertation. I was in a big dilemma in terms of finalising my subject for dissertation. I wanted to work on a subject which wouldn't necessarily incorporate health and healthcare. This was not approved since my track in healthcare. Actually, given the situation in Greece, and my hidden love for reading and digging on finances, I had in my mind to dedicate my dissertation efforts trying to capture the big picture for Greece within the next years. I saw this as a nice opportunity for me, to work and study on crisis issues, purely from economics and finance side. Nevertheless, I had to re-orientate and re-think my subject.
Summer of 2012, was a period of continuous search and evaluation on different material, papers, statistical analysis and various opinions and reports from think tanks. I have decided to combine, three areas and to work on them in order to reach the first stage of my dissertation (Research Proposal). That were: (a) monetary change, (b) complexity, (c) health, healthcare governance.
The subject of my proposal is: Greece, before - during - after Euro zone: The Complexity of Challenges and Implications for Healthcare Governance (the research proposal).
The truth was that nobody so far had tried to present the advantages and disadvantages of both scenarios for the country, in a scientific way, trying to demonstrate real practices and consequences. And i mean an holistic presentation. Not individual opinions and reporting on isolated issues as parts of the whole. The country lives in a turbulence. Clearly, there are two options: the one of remaining in eurozone and follow what European Offices demand or leaving and changing currency, probably being found in international isolation. Its almost globally admitted that Greece performs an experiment. Anyway, my intention was not to provide solutions, or point to directions rather than raise queries and trigger the minds of readers. In any case, this is the first time that a country belonging in a currency consortium is facing such consequences.
Well, in preparing and structuring my research proposal I had followed a specific pathway inspired by the lectures attended and some additional reading i did. I found it useful to prepare a mind map plan which could help me, technically, on my way to study and work on this assignment.
Mind mapping, trully, is an ultimate strategy to organise your study both in terms of literature review and paper discussion. I have prepared a mind map to organise my material and thoughts on the subject of Greek complexity. Moreover i had linked this material with two other mind maps which i had enriched as well, in the meantime and during the research proposal preparation. These maps were related to health systems policy and economics and to health needs assessment, inequalities, commissioning and health governance issues.
The first stage helped me to clarify the subject of my research and decide what i really wanted to do in my dissertation. More to come...
(Just a parenthesis: few days ago, i found out that the dissertation of my previous masters degree (in Technology, Innovation, Entrepreneurship) was accepted and uploaded in the Social Science Research Network (SSSN). It is widely published now and approachable to the community of students and scholars. Here is the link to see more details.)
After continuous thought and meeting with my supervisor Dr Psychogios, we have agreed to restrain the subject since this was by itself too big to cover in a masters thesis. In parallel, my involvement and passion with the subject pushed me to study literature related to complexity. This is possible, i mean the trap of too-big-to-cover subject. Probably this is stemed from the enthusiasm to create something big and important. Nevertheless, big is not always successful. I have been involved and read various literature, not only healthcare, complexity etc but politics, governance, resilience and economics. I found out that, when working on a subject, sometimes may be u
I have decided to combine healthcare and complexity giving the case of Greece, as the country which is currently under structural reforms. The turbulence of changes that is happening in the country, probably never done before, is an opportunity for study. Healthcare is one of the sectors that have been directly impacted by the imposed decisions and is remains in the center of interest.
I have almost completed my literature review (November 2012), at least what i consider as the backbone of the study. I have used and based on the material processed on my research proposal but with a more focused and a slightly re-orientated mindset. The subject of my thesis now has been changed to: USING COMPLEXITY AS A GUIDE FOR ACTING IN HEALTHCARE. It uses the case of Greece but the inspiration comes from a series of thoughts and findings that i have revealed through my study.
After the research proposal, the second stage is to submit my interim report. I am working on it and i think i ll be ready by the end of December or little earlier. I still want to prolong this stage, since i believe that it will enrich my perspectives and enable me to see more important ingredients of the study.
Interim Report was submitted on 22nd of December 2012. After discussion and feedback given by the supervisor i have decided to make some changes in terms of giving more focus in Complexity and its relation with Healthcare. The version of interim report can be seen here.
I have received the approval from my supervisor to proceed for the final stage, do my qualitative analysis and work on results, findings, comparisons and discussion with literature as well as suggestions and conclusions. On 30 April 2013 i have submitted my thesis. The final title of my work was the following:
UNDERSTANDING HEALTHCARE SERVICE IN A COMPLEXITY CONTEXT. Lessons from the turbulent Greek Healthcare Sector. (download version)
The dissertation was evaluated as First Class. This evaluation enabled me to graduate with First Class.
My intention is to publish my work in conferences or even in a journal, if this would be possible.
