La colaboración: una condición necesaria para el desarrollo de los hospitales públicos

Abstract

In the context of reforms of the health system which were introduced in Chile in the eighties, much is said about the convenience of modernizing the management of public hospitals through competition among them. We show, through the experience of Hospital San Martin, Quillota, that collaboration —instead of competition— among public hospitals is necessary, productive, motivating, gratifying and infectiuns, as a way to provide more and better care. We conceive collaboration as going beyond the usual transmission of scientific information that normally takes place in Medicine. We try operate in a network where success and difficulties are shared. Collaboration generates interinstitutional links that favour the achievement of common objetives of coverage and quality of service, as well as the cost-effectiveness of some processes. The examples given include exchange with foreign hospitals.