Estudo exploratório de características da gestão de operadoras de planos privados de assistência odontológica no Município de São Paulo, em 2001

Abstract

This study presents a research on some aspects of Dental Health Maintenance Organizations (DHMOs) located in São Paulo's metropolitan area as well as their management attributions. These DHMOs act according to different dental group organizations: civil and corporate institutions, service management organization, self management system, co-operative system and dental insurance system. This research is composed of a collection of literary data, secondary data on the studied topic, as well as a field survey based on recorded interviews performed among highly regarded managers of DHMOs companies, according to a previously prepared script. The highlights are: the historical evolution of DHMOs, main features of those companies, profile of the interviewed managers, their opinion on which would be the negative and positive aspects of this kind of enterprise, regulatory agents of the entire process, management attributions and trends of this mode of health offering among the population. The focused management attributions were: Strategy, Marketing, Endomarketing, Human Resources, Logistics, Information Technology (IT), Finance and Operation Methods. IT is the field that has received the most amounts of investments by the DHMOs and Finance is the issue of highest concern among managers. The comparative analysis of the obtained data leads one to point out that even though the studied DHMO companies act in diverse society models, they appear to have similar management systems, what could be considered as a relevant interest on the professional aspect of management, in which field still there is much more to improve and innovate. This kind of organizations might be the link between population, who demands dental care as well as health maintenance and dental professionals, who are eager to work. This should represent the ability to fulfill the major part of the population needs, through shared actions between entrepreneurs and the benefactors, under government regulation, when appropriate management shall be the key towards success. This study advises that more investments in Human factor should be made, and also further studies on the subject of dental assistance management are recommended, in arder to deeply understand the issue.