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Book Review: The Health Care Consultant as a Change Agent

Book Review: The Health Care Consultant as a Change Agent Book Reviews Title: The Health Care Consultant as a Change Agent ings of Getting In, Getting the Picture, Getting It Done and Getting Out. A case that illustrates the application Authors: Ellis, J.A.N. and Helbig, S. of this model is described. Publisher and Distributor: American Medical Record The topic covered in Chapter 4 is that of mobilising Association, Suite 1850, 875 North Michigan Avenue, The authors give a picture of the resources a resources. Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA consultant needs to do the job, both physical and human. 'The Health Care Consultant as a Change Agent' has The chapter then explores ways of putting that informa­ been written for prospective consultants from any health tion to work and provides some guidelines for capturing care discipline. The book effectively combines theories those resources. Many topics of organisational theory of change, organisations, communication, interpersonal are discussed and the authors emphasise the need for relationships and marketing with practical advice on the successful health care consultants to have developed a consultation process. The authors make good use of theoretical base that will permit a clear analysis of the examples to illustrate their points and, because one of organisation in health and in distress. the authors is a medical record administrator, many of The final chapter explores the Marketing of the Ser­ the examples concern this discipline. The book also pro­ vice. The chapter defines marketing, particularly in rela­ vides models and questionnaires that assist the reader tion to selling a service, and what clients might look for. in identifying their own strengths and weaknesses, as The chapter provides suggestions on how to go about well as providing "How to do it" guidelines. marketing yourself as a consultant and likens the pro­ There are five main areas concerned in the book, each cess to the consultation process. The authors emphasise of which forms the subject of a chapter. that both processes require effective problem iden­ These topics include: tification and planning to be successful. The conclusion 1. Consultation in Health Care: Who, What and Why. of the chapter describes five key steps to developing 2. Status Quo and Change. successful marketing strategies. 3. The Consultation Process. The book is well-written and easy to read. The work­ 4. Mobilizing the Resources. sheets and models provide useful guides that encourage 5. Marketing the Service. readers to assess their own attitudes and skills. The way Chapter 1, "Consultation in Health Care: Who, What the authors have combined theory and practice makes and Why," provides a conceptual view of consultation the book a useful resource for anyone contemplating and examines whether health care consultation is dif­ becoming a consultant. Libby Owen ferent to consultation in any other field. The chapter Victoria includes two useful worksheets: one is designed to help you as the consultant to interact with your client and to Title: Cost Analysis Through Work Sampling Medical decide if a consultation relationship is the best answer; Record Departments and the other is designed to help the consultant recognise some of the values health care consultants subscribe to Author: McConnell, C. and to identify your own values in relation to consulta­ Publisher and Distributor: American Medical Record tion work with others. Association, Suite 1850, 875 North Michigan Avenue, The authors urge all consultants to develop their own Chicago, Illinois, 60611, USA . theory of change in Chapter 2 when they discuss change This monograph defines the role of cost analysis in the from a theoretical perspective. They talk about some operation of a Medical Record Department. Tasks from ideas of how to effect change using a design described by a sample Medical Record Department are fitted into a group of researchers from the University of Michigan. nine broad categories, and in step-by-step sequence the They also discuss some special aspects of change efforts author outlines the use ofthe 'work sampling' method to in health care, and have related these back to consulta­ identify the actual activity of each task. These activity tion and the actual role of the consultant in health care. figures are compared with a normal range of expected The work-sheet in this chapter is a Leadership Inven­ figures drawn from similar studies conducted in the tory which is designed to give the reader a snapshot view USA. The formulas are then given to determine the cost oftheir preferred consultant leadership style when working of each activity. Several different uses of this cost ana­ with health care personnel individually or in teams. It is lysis are presented, including departmental budgeting. useful in identifying your own style and how that style Apart from the rather oversimplified medical record might be perceived by others. tasks, the figures used were outdated, and possibly not Chapter 3 describes the consultation process as a suitable for comparison in Australia. However, the meth­ problem solving/planning process and provides a con­ odology of work sampling and its usefulness in cost sultation model. This model is described under the head- AMR JOURNAL, DECEMBER, 1988 173 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Australian Medical Record Journal SAGE

Book Review: The Health Care Consultant as a Change Agent

Australian Medical Record Journal , Volume 18 (4): 1 – Dec 1, 1988

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Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© 1988 Health Information Management Association of Australia Limited
ISSN
0817-3907
eISSN
1833-3575
DOI
10.1177/183335838801800414
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Book Reviews Title: The Health Care Consultant as a Change Agent ings of Getting In, Getting the Picture, Getting It Done and Getting Out. A case that illustrates the application Authors: Ellis, J.A.N. and Helbig, S. of this model is described. Publisher and Distributor: American Medical Record The topic covered in Chapter 4 is that of mobilising Association, Suite 1850, 875 North Michigan Avenue, The authors give a picture of the resources a resources. Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA consultant needs to do the job, both physical and human. 'The Health Care Consultant as a Change Agent' has The chapter then explores ways of putting that informa­ been written for prospective consultants from any health tion to work and provides some guidelines for capturing care discipline. The book effectively combines theories those resources. Many topics of organisational theory of change, organisations, communication, interpersonal are discussed and the authors emphasise the need for relationships and marketing with practical advice on the successful health care consultants to have developed a consultation process. The authors make good use of theoretical base that will permit a clear analysis of the examples to illustrate their points and, because one of organisation in health and in distress. the authors is a medical record administrator, many of The final chapter explores the Marketing of the Ser­ the examples concern this discipline. The book also pro­ vice. The chapter defines marketing, particularly in rela­ vides models and questionnaires that assist the reader tion to selling a service, and what clients might look for. in identifying their own strengths and weaknesses, as The chapter provides suggestions on how to go about well as providing "How to do it" guidelines. marketing yourself as a consultant and likens the pro­ There are five main areas concerned in the book, each cess to the consultation process. The authors emphasise of which forms the subject of a chapter. that both processes require effective problem iden­ These topics include: tification and planning to be successful. The conclusion 1. Consultation in Health Care: Who, What and Why. of the chapter describes five key steps to developing 2. Status Quo and Change. successful marketing strategies. 3. The Consultation Process. The book is well-written and easy to read. The work­ 4. Mobilizing the Resources. sheets and models provide useful guides that encourage 5. Marketing the Service. readers to assess their own attitudes and skills. The way Chapter 1, "Consultation in Health Care: Who, What the authors have combined theory and practice makes and Why," provides a conceptual view of consultation the book a useful resource for anyone contemplating and examines whether health care consultation is dif­ becoming a consultant. Libby Owen ferent to consultation in any other field. The chapter Victoria includes two useful worksheets: one is designed to help you as the consultant to interact with your client and to Title: Cost Analysis Through Work Sampling Medical decide if a consultation relationship is the best answer; Record Departments and the other is designed to help the consultant recognise some of the values health care consultants subscribe to Author: McConnell, C. and to identify your own values in relation to consulta­ Publisher and Distributor: American Medical Record tion work with others. Association, Suite 1850, 875 North Michigan Avenue, The authors urge all consultants to develop their own Chicago, Illinois, 60611, USA . theory of change in Chapter 2 when they discuss change This monograph defines the role of cost analysis in the from a theoretical perspective. They talk about some operation of a Medical Record Department. Tasks from ideas of how to effect change using a design described by a sample Medical Record Department are fitted into a group of researchers from the University of Michigan. nine broad categories, and in step-by-step sequence the They also discuss some special aspects of change efforts author outlines the use ofthe 'work sampling' method to in health care, and have related these back to consulta­ identify the actual activity of each task. These activity tion and the actual role of the consultant in health care. figures are compared with a normal range of expected The work-sheet in this chapter is a Leadership Inven­ figures drawn from similar studies conducted in the tory which is designed to give the reader a snapshot view USA. The formulas are then given to determine the cost oftheir preferred consultant leadership style when working of each activity. Several different uses of this cost ana­ with health care personnel individually or in teams. It is lysis are presented, including departmental budgeting. useful in identifying your own style and how that style Apart from the rather oversimplified medical record might be perceived by others. tasks, the figures used were outdated, and possibly not Chapter 3 describes the consultation process as a suitable for comparison in Australia. However, the meth­ problem solving/planning process and provides a con­ odology of work sampling and its usefulness in cost sultation model. This model is described under the head- AMR JOURNAL, DECEMBER, 1988 173

Journal

Australian Medical Record JournalSAGE

Published: Dec 1, 1988

There are no references for this article.