Evidence-Based Health Care Management

This text introduces the principles and methods for drawing sound causal inferences in research on health services management. The emphasis is on the application of structural equation modelling techniques and other analytical methods to develop causal models in health care management. Topics include causality, theoretical model building, and model verification. Multivariate modelling approaches and their applications in health care management are illustrated. The primary goals of the book are to present advanced principles of health services management research and to familiarize students with the multivariate analytic methods and procedures now in use in scientific research on health care management. The hope is to help health care managers become better equipped to use causal modelling techniques for problem solving and decision making. Evidence-based knowledge is derived from scientific replication and verification of facts. Used consistently and appropriately, it can enable a health care manager to improve organizational performance.