Sustainable Hospital Management by a Cross SWOT Analysis in a Medium-Sized Hospital

Abstract

The medical working environment in small and medium-sized hospitals is becoming more intense, and the coronavirus epidemic has threatened the hospital management base in Japan. To establish the future sustainable management of hospitals using internal and external environmental data, a cross SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis may be a very useful tool. A cross SWOT analysis considers four strategies: an offensive strategy (SO), a confrontation strategy (ST), a strengthening strategy (WO) and a defense strategy (WT). Here, using a cross SWOT analysis, we consider the future direction of an older medium-sized hospital as one case. The most important issue is to balance the interests of hospital management with those of patients. As a sustainable strategy for this purpose, we forecast the medical situation in the Fukuoka-Itoshima Medical Area, including the Fukuoka-Nishi area in Japan, and the future profitability of a medium-sized hospital for the next 30 to 40 years. Based on the data, we used a cross SWOT analysis to analyze the current situation at the hospital and formulated measures to realize innovations at the hospital that respond to the needs of patients and the community. According to this analysis, for the future sustainable management as a hospital, we should plan to become a more community-based by increasing our capacity to treat elderly inpatients and outpatients with cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases and to increase the number of beds dedicated to community comprehensive care. Furthermore, through close cooperation with highly specialized and advanced medical institutions, we need to create a new type of regional medical cooperation that can bridge the gap between regional medical care and advanced medical care. We also need to open a cardiovascular-rhythm center and a gastrointestinal endoscopy center and establish an appropriate working system for staff. The future direction for this older hospital should include plans for relocation and reconstruction, considering the balance between expected changes in income and expenses. In conclusion, we performed a cross SWOT analysis with SO, ST, WO and WT. The analysis can be a very useful tool for planning the future direction of hospitals using internal and external environmental data, and our older hospital should eventually be able to achieve sustainable developmental innovations by rebuilding while working on various strategies.