Cultural adaptation among doctors: findings from sister hospital programme in East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia

Background East Nusa Tenggara (ENT) Province has adapted sister hospital (clinical contracting out) programme to decrease maternal and neonatal rate since 2010. The district hospitals from 11 regencies established partnership with larger hospitals from different places in Indonesia. Specialists from partner institutions (obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, anaesthesia) who conducted health services transferred their knowledge, management skills and culture of work. Cultural adaptation is important process of the internalisation of the new values. The aims of this study were to identify and understand the process of cultural adaptation between two different types of hospitals in order to anticipate potential conflicts.