Service Managers
Service managers play an important part in the provision of care for palliative care patients. They enable and support the organisation and delivery of appropriate skills and resources to meet the needs of care recipients.
Palliative care services and programs are in a period of development and change. There are a range of service delivery models which influence the way that services are organised and managed and there is an increasing emphasis on the palliative approach in community and aged care settings. However the evidence base regarding service management and organisational development is still incomplete. For service providers and policy makers, there are many issues regarding the planning and development of services.
Working as a service manager
The service manager role can vary between different services. In smaller services a single person may take responsibility for clinical and administrative / managerial responsibilities. In larger services, there may be specialisation of roles with a medical / clinical director and an executive officer or facility manager. The role may be part of a broader health organisation or function as a stand alone incorporated body.
There are three core Palliative Care Australia (PCA) documents that guide the role of palliative care service delivery in Australia.They are:
Information on courses
There are different ways to develop your knowledge and skills in palliative care. Web based learning modules, short courses and specialist palliative care courses and training are offered in many organisations and universities. Further information can be found on the Education pages of CareSearch.
There are a number of general health service management courses in Australia that cover the major responsibilities involved in service management. This includes financial management, data management, human resources, planning and evaluation. Such courses are available from centres such as:
The Australian College of Health Service Executives is Australia's largest professional body representing health management.
Research
Many health professions may be interested in looking at palliative care research questions in their area of specialty. This may be work that is planned for the future. Any palliative care professional regardless of discipline is able to access the CareSearch Research Data Management System (RDMS).
Resources
There are general responsibilities that most service managers assume with regard to Australian legislation and regulations on industrial relations, tax and corporations’ law and occupational health and safety. Helpful Australian websites include:
There are several international online resources that provide a structured overview on the management processes associated with establishing and maintaining a palliative care service or program. These include;
There is also information for those who are developing a new service.
For established services, there will be an ongoing need to monitor and review activities. Helpful resources are:
Related CareSearch pages
This page was created on 29 April 2008 and is due for review in April 2010
Last updated 2 February 2010