Designing a Governance Model for Crisis Management in the Health Sector
TL;DR
There may be a need to strengthen dimensions such as capacities, leadership, and legitimacy to enhance its effectiveness in the crisis management governance system in the health sector of North Khorasan Province.
Abstract
Crisis management governance in the health sector is a multifaceted phenomenon that extends beyond mere operational responsiveness. It plays a crucial role in fostering power, communication, and coordination among stakeholders in this domain and enables the mobilization of the full capacities of the public sector, private sector, and civil society during crises. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to design a governance model for crisis management in the health sector of North Khorasan Province. This research is applied in terms of its objective and descriptive-survey in nature. In terms of data collection, it adopts a mixed-methods approach (qualitative–quantitative). The qualitative phase includes a review of the literature from experts’ perspectives and semi-structured interviews with 16 academic and organizational experts selected through purposive and snowball sampling methods. A total of 16 interviews were conducted, and 21 dimensions and 141 components extracted from previous studies were examined and analyzed through expert input. Data analysis was carried out using thematic analysis, leading to the identification of 7 dimensions and 67 components. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population consists of over 5,600 employees in the health sector of North Khorasan Province. A sample of 361 individuals was selected using the Morgan table, and a questionnaire was distributed among them. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling with SPSS and PLS software. The model quality evaluation indicators confirmed the adequacy of the model. The results revealed that among the dimensions of crisis management governance in the health sector, structural factors (path coefficient = 0.929), environmental factors (0.907), resilience (0.899), behavioral factors (0.896), capacities (0.787), legitimacy (0.756), and leadership (0.747) respectively have the most significant impact on health crisis management governance. All examined factors were found to be statistically significant in influencing governance. The crisis management governance system in the health sector of North Khorasan Province is predominantly influenced by dimensions such as structural factors, environmental factors, resilience, and behavioral factors. However, there may be a need to strengthen dimensions such as capacities, leadership, and legitimacy to enhance its effectiveness.