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International Journal of Health Sciences and Research
www.ijhsr.org ISSN: 2249-9571
Review Article
Role of Human Resources Management in
Healthcare Organizations: A Review
Mrs. Mohana Pillai1, Dr. Oviya Senthilraj2, Dr. Swaminathan.S3
1AVP (HR, BO &Legal Affairs), 2Corporate Manager, 3Director of Laboratory Services& Consultant
Biochemist,
Techmed Health Centre & Diagnostics Pvt Ltd, No.1 Siva Building, Krishna street, Off North Usman Road,
T. Nagar, Chennai-600017.
Corresponding Author: Dr. Swaminathan.S
ABSTRACT
Background: This paper addresses the role of Human Resource Management in improving the staff
performance thereby indirectly improving client satisfaction and delivering better healthcare service.
The main aim of quality healthcare should be Safe, Patient Centered, Timely, Efficient & Equitable.
The HRM should promote training, motivate, retain, implement new strategies, systematic planning
for optimal utilization of the available sources. In the current scenario, inadequate training and lack of
mastering the competencies are prevailing among wide range of Healthcare employees. Patient
centered care has become a critical component in delivery of safe healthcare.
Findings: With the emerging blooming and transition in Healthcare Industry, HRD should adapt the
latest methods to compete and sustain in the competitive healthcare sectors. The role of HRM also
extends to monitor the rules & regulations governing the Health care system in relation to its
employees. For delivering quality healthcare, identifying the root cause of errors, strategies to reduce
chance of further errors, the gap analysis, incorporating appropriate available skills to close the gap,
Diversifying the work among the available team, employing quality improvement methodologies to
form a interdisciplinary team for better patient centered healthcare.
Keywords- HRM, Competency, Healthcare, Employees training, Management.
INTRODUCTION clinical and non-clinical staff who are
Human Resources Management directly involved in the management of
(MRM) plays a significant role in healthcare Public and Individual health systems and
delivery system and a systematic intervention. The outcome of the
management is critical. The HRM not only performance and benefits that HRM could
implement an existing methodology, but achieve are largely based on knowledge,
focus on research, analysis and skills and motivation of those individuals
implementation of new strategic plans for who forms the entire healthcare
training and evaluation of the competency organization. [1]
of both new and existing staff. There are In a Hospital/Clinical Laboratory
three basic principles involved in HRM. based healthcare organization, it is
Along with health system inputs, physical, important to assess the performance of all
capital and consumables should also be levels of staff at the beginning and the
looked into. HRM mainly focus on assessment should be done at periodical
healthcare based on different kinds of time intervals. The main task of the HRM
International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 228
Vol.9; Issue: 1; January 2019
Mohana Pillai et.al. Role of Human Resources Management in Healthcare Organizations: A Review
involves job analysis, man power employing lay workers, non- professional
requirement, organization of workforce, health care workers, caregiver‟s could play
measurement as well as appraisal of active role with proper supervision will be
performance, reward implementation, able to detect, diagnose, treat and individual
professional development and constant monitoring could improve the status of all
maintenance of workforce. HRM in every mentally affected people. Unless adequate
organization is essential for efficient funding by HRM is provided, a wide range
delivery system, effective medical services of mentally ill staff will increase. An
in order to achieve patient satisfaction. effective feasible approach, investment,
Many studies done in the past on HRM innovative thinking and effective leadership
stress the importance of HRM to achieve the are the need of the hour to improve mental
goal of healthcare organization and health status of staff. [4]
emphasize the importance of training and For a better management of HRM, it
development for all levels of staff at is important to work out the size,
periodic intervals to improve the quality of composition and proper management and
healthcare services. Well motivated and distribution of health care workforce,
highly trained medical professionals are training based on the need of economic
critical for the success of national healthcare development, socio-demographic and
forum. If the existing practices associated cultural factors. In a case study done in a
with HRM are not adequate, alternate midsized private hospital in New York, it
approaches for practicing HRM should be was observed that examining the shape of
designed and put to use for better outcome. the organizations corporate culture plays a
All senior level managers should chalk out significant role for overall health delivery.
new innovations and strategies to achieve Steps were taken to define values, behaviors
better outcome in HRM. [2] and competence of the existing culture with
Studies have shown that in hospitals, a set of goals prefixed. Training was
HRM has achieved better performance imparted to HRM professional to empower
among its staff if incentives and motivation employees with training goals to make them
to work, bonuses based on performance more creative and innovative. Nursing staff
rated competency of individuals make a were trained on team based approach to
significance difference in the overall patient care and several nursing stations
improvement of the organization.HRM were setup in the hospital premises for easy
should also focus on maintaining the mental access to patients need. Training was also
health of its employees. Lacunae exist in the given to employees to prepare themselves
low and middle income countries for for marketing of internal resources as well
effective management of its employees to as encouraging employment opportunities
prevent poor mental health of its staff. This outside the organization. [5] [6]
may lead to serious short fall in the For developing countries, accessing
performance of such staff unless effective good quality healthcare services will be an
strategies are followed at the primary arduous job and it‟s equally prevalent in
healthcare setup itself. [3] rural areas also. At times medical personnel
It has been well established that and resources may not be available for
lacunae exists in low and middle income much rural residents and for migrant
countries about HRM resources to maintain workers, the situation will still be worse as
mental health and new strategies are they migrate from one country to another
required to update them. It may reach a since such migrants are based on incentives
serious proportion unless effective steps are offered by other countries. [7]
taken to improve it. Better mental health HRM plays a significant role in
could be delivered at primary health settings global healthcare systems. Specific
through Community based programs healthcare reforms should be in place in
International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 229
Vol.9; Issue: 1; January 2019
Mohana Pillai et.al. Role of Human Resources Management in Healthcare Organizations: A Review
every HRM to improve the standard of staff and management. Such strikes may
overall healthcare of the patients. Three disrupt service delivery, training program,
basic trends identified by HRM are increased morbidity and mortality of
efficiency, equity and quality objectives. patients, loss of public confidence in the
There are many HRM initiatives available to organization. This could be overcome by
increase the efficiency, one of which is recognizing staff wage agreement, its
outsourcing of services to convert fixed implementation necessitating that only
labor into various costs as a means of properly trained managers should be
improving efficiency. The other goals that appointed as head of health care
may be followed by HRM are contracting organizations. [11]
out, performance contracts, as well as Behavioral changes of workers
[8]
internal contract. should be periodically monitored and
HRM is considered as the epicenter Community Health Volunteers (CHV) role
of healthcare Industry. India has become a may be useful to achieve this. A study done
Medical Tourism due to the emergence of in Kenya, under Ministry Of Health has
many innovative healthcare organizations revealed that, while the role of CHV‟s may
and the role of HRM is critical in achieving be effective in rural healthcare systems,
organizational goal and success. Human such CHV‟s may not be effective in urban
capital investment has been recognized as based health delivery organization. The
the organizations life blood and it needs to main role of those CHV‟s is to induce
be developed continuously keeping in pace behavioral changes in healthcare workers.
with its demand. The Human Capital Lack of compensation for CHV‟s was noted
Investment should be based on sound as the demotivating factor along with
knowledgeable work force, skilled in the challenges faced by social environment
area of occupation with flexible altitude and were observed as the main reason for less
HRM plays a crucial role in the aspect. Both motivation to encourage behavior changes
quantity and quality should be an integral in local communities. Similar trends were
part. [9] also observed in urban environments. In
A study done in Mozambique, it has order to achieve optimal performance by
been found out that Performance Based CHV‟s, it is important to allot more
Financing (PBF) has shown improvements resources, better co-ordination and
in institutional arrangements accountability additional training in modern methods of
and overall improvement in income. Under inducing behavioral changes are required to
this protocol, employee‟s motivation, implement health care programs. [12]
reinforcement of Internal and external Global consensuses are increasing
factors, self efficiency, goal settings, health about the education of healthcare
competition and job satisfaction have all professionals to keep pace with scientific,
shown positive results. Such PBF program social and economic changes that are
helped staff to get recognition from constantly transforming the healthcare
management committees and colleagues due environment. Best healthcare professional
to enhanced accountability and governance. could be produced through cooperative,
Hence PBF could kick start the feedback comparative and by health professional
loop, responsibility, achievement and educational methods based on the nation‟s
recognition. It is recommended that policy need. A national assessment bound to be
makers should devise their own PBF setup to serve as resources centre for
[10]
protocol based on their company‟s need. countries like India, Bangladesh, China,
It has been observed that healthcare Thailand and Vietnam to plan HRM related
workers may strike to work due to poor staff future actions. [13]
welfare, salary, leadership management and A study undertaken in Sierra
failure to implement agreements between Leones‟s health outcome has predicted the
International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 230
Vol.9; Issue: 1; January 2019
Mohana Pillai et.al. Role of Human Resources Management in Healthcare Organizations: A Review
worst type of HRM system in the world. HRM also could not be accounted
High rate of attrition was cited as the reason for the failure of an organization in
for the shortage of Healthcare Workers achieving desired results, but agents inside
(HCW). All HCW‟s lacked accurate and outside also should be monitored. It is
information about entitlements, policies and the responsibility of companies to choose its
procedures laid down by HRM department. best model of HRM department based on
This has driven rural HCW‟s towards job corporate choice, its responsibilities in
dissatisfaction and attrition. A system achieving the desired results. A large
oriented, low cost initiative by HRM may number of organizations have proved very
address these concerns among HCW‟s. The useful in identifying a wide range of
outcome of this study could be applied by behavior in the distribution of HRM
[18]
other countries facing HCW‟s retention responsibilities.
challenges and could be considered as a HRM services are more concerned
model for developing global HCW retention with the development of both health
[14]
strategies. workers in private and public health
It has been widely accepted the role services. HRM professional‟s roles are to
of line manager‟s in implementing HRM carryout fundamental activities in
policies. A study done in two trust hospitals monitoring daily routine activities of
have observed that positioning line healthcare workers as well as regulate and
managers in HRM services decision making implement staff recruitment performance
bodies have shown improvements in the and appraisal. They should be competent to
changing process. With increasing assess complex skills, motivations of their
workloads and high expectations, tensions staff through evolving training and
may mount which may have been a role development workshops on staff
conflict inherent to their position. This is engagement and performance. The crucial
due to under resourced line managers who elements in promoting healthcare quality
may find lack of time to manage their staff services and safety of patients entirely
effectively. The changing nature of staff depend on an effective HRM management.
may be a problem to manage them Hence HRM should find qualified
[15]
effectively by HRM. candidates for various positions in
A study has suggested the method of healthcare institutions and working closely
tailoring of HRM practices to suit local with them, training them on their
circumstances the impact of certain HRM responsibilities to achieve the desired
[19] [20]
policies, motivation, and Job satisfaction to results.
assess the performance of staff working in A study done in Nigeria for a health
healthcare organizations. HRM should care system has recommended that the
encourage health researchers, managers and measure of the duties and responsibilities of
policy makers among their staff. HRM HRM head will bear a direct relationship on
should also study the relationship between the outcome of achieving the best results.
the range of HRM practices, policies, The HRM managers should engage
system to performance of staff. A study has healthcare workers in the higher practical
found out failure in the outcome of responsibilities in order to motivate them
resources even when the hospital has with confidence in their daily discharge of
prepared quality plans, organizational duties. The HRM manager should also
structure based on scientific method. This address health workers annual increment in
was later attributed to lack of motivation of remuneration, and performance incentives.
hospital Director and various categories of Further research is required to propose more
workers such as Doctors, Technicians and strategies for effective HR services delivery
[16] [17] [21]
Administrators. in healthcare settings.
International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 231
Vol.9; Issue: 1; January 2019
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