Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• . Hasan Abolghasem Gorji
• . Noureddin Niknam ¹
• . Zeinab Ghaedchukamei ²
• . Abdulsamad Gharavinia ³
• . Mehdi Safari ⁴
• . Maasumeh Elahi ⁵
• . Razie Rahmati ⁵
• . Nezamaddin Mengelizadeh ⁶
• . Nahid Aghaei ⁷
• . Hamid Alaee Ghojogh ⁸
• . Khosro Shakeri ⁹

¹ Department of Public Health, Torbat Jam Faculty of Medical Sciences, Torbat Jam, Iran

² Department of Health Services Management, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran,

³ Department of Health Services Management, Maraveh Tappeh Health Care Network, Maraveh Tappeh, Iran

⁴ Department of Health in Disaster and Emergencies, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,

⁵ Department of Nursing, School of Nursing, Larestan University of Medical Sciences, Larestan, Iran,

⁶ Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Research Center of Health, Safety and Environment, Evaz Faculty of Health, Larestan University of Medical Sciences, Larestan, Iran

⁷ Department of Medical‑Surgical Nursing, School of Nasibeh Nursing and Midwifery, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran,

⁸ Department of Health Services Management, Gonbad‑e Kavus Health Care Network, Gonbad‑e Kavus, Iran

⁹ Tehran Emergency Center, Tehran, Iran,

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Today, hospitals need managers who, in addition to having the necessary skills for
management and leadership, are accountable to stakeholders, especially the community. Accordingly,
the purpose of this study was to evaluate the social accountability of managers of public and private
hospitals in Tehran.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is descriptive‑analytical and cross‑sectional and
was performed on 155 managers of selected public and private hospitals in Tehran. The research
tools included a demographic characteristic questionnaire and a researcher‑made social accountability
questionnaire for managers. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics
in SPSS 22 software.
RESULTS: The situation of social accountability in the managers of public hospitals was at a
weak level and in the managers of private hospitals in Tehran was at a good level. In comparing
the status of social accountability and its dimensions in the managers of public hospitals with the
managers of private hospitals, the status of social accountability in the dimensions of human resource
management, quality improvement, executive management, and overall social accountability were
significantly different from each other (P ≤ 0.05). However, in terms of governance, the status
of social accountability of public hospital managers was not significantly different from private
hospitals (P ≥ 0.05). Overall, the results of social accountability in private hospitals were better
than in public hospitals.
CONCLUSION: The social response status of managers in private hospitals was better than public
ones. Lack of attention of managers to social accountability affects the quality of other educational,
health, and medical services. This fact raises the need for managers to pay more attention to the
issue of social accountability.

Keywords

• Hospital
• manager
• social accountability