Organizational structure and the delivery of primary care to older Americans.
OBJECTIVE
To explore how internal factors, such as organizational size, mission, ownership, and managerial communication and control structures, affect the delivery of primary care to older Americans across a wide variety of practice settings: ambulatory practices, hospitals, nursing homes, and home healthcare agencies.


METHODS
Use of the structure/process/outcome paradigm and contingency theory to examine the empirical research linking structural factors to outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
Using these studies as a background, we consider the implications for the provision of primary care to older Americans including the impact of evolving intraorganizational structure in healthcare organization.
Zinn
J S
JS
School of Business and Management, Temple University, USA.
Mor
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D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D006302:Health Services Research; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000458:organization & administration; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010343:Patient Admission; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*