STRATEGIC KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT BASED IN THE MEDICAL PROTOCOLS DEVELOPMENT: THE SHARE OF BELIEFS BETWEEN STRATEGIC PARTNERS LIKE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Abstract

This qualitative study analyses the strategic process in the perceptions of medical managers in a private hospital and leaders of a health insurance company on medical care protocols. Study design and analysis of results followed theoretical principles of knowledge sharing, barriers to knowledge management, and partnership management. In-depth interviews were conducted according to results of previous focus group interviews. The interviews investigated: (1) the contextual barriers to knowledge management; (2) the means and procedures used to create and share knowledge; (3) and the degree of participation of health insurance companies in the development of protocols and in the process of sharing objectives and knowledge of healthcare processes. Results indicate that there are no important barriers to accept the new language introduced by protocols that express new paradigms. However, findings showed little top management involvement with the groups of specialists at the time of dealing with them as business units. It also identified difficulties in sharing ideas among the members of the technical team and between this team and the health insurance company.