Comparing healthcare systems: considering Japan and Portugal

Considering complexity in healthcare systems

A recent trend in the literature has been to characterize healthcare activities in terms of complex systems theory. Complexity has often been loosely and variously defined, with meanings ranging from "not simple" to "complicated" to "intractable." In this paper, we consider various aspects of complexity and how they relate to modern healthcare practice, with the aim of developing research appro...

Modelling and comparing hospitals’ information systems in Japan and Germany

Medicine and health care are developing to be and yet are driving economical factors worldwide and information and communication technology is one of their most important resources. Thus, there is a special need for effective and efficient information systems. These information systems have continually to be adjusted to changing demands stemming from innovation and trends in medicine (continuit...

International EMS systems: Portugal.

[Occupational stress and user satisfaction with primary healthcare in Portugal].

The Portuguese primary healthcare sector has suffered changes due to a reform on the lines of the conceptual framework referred to by some authors as "New Public Management." These changes may be generating higher levels of occupational stress with a negative impact at individual and organizational levels. This study examines the experience of stress in 305 health professionals (physicians, nur...

Toward More Compassionate Healthcare Systems; Comment on “Enabling Compassionate Healthcare: Perils, Prospects and Perspectives”

Compassion is central to the purpose of medicine and the care of patients and their families. Compassionate healthcare begins with compassionate people, but cannot be consistently provided without systemic changes that enable clinicians and staff to collaborate and to care. We propose seven essential commitments to foster more compassionate healthcare organizations and systems: a commitment to ...