title: Implementation status of accrual accounting system in health sector.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Management of financial resources in health systems is one of the major issues of concern for policy makers globally. As a sub-set of financial management, accounting system is of paramount importance. In this paper, which presents part of the results of a wider research project on transition process from a cash accounting system to an accrual accounting system, we look at the impact of components of change on implementation of the new system. Implementing changes is fraught with many obstacles and surveying these challenges will help policy makers to better overcome them.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study applied a quantitative manner in 2012 at Kerman University of Medical Science in Iran. For the evaluation, a teacher made valid questionnaire with Likert scale was used (Cranach's alpha of 0.89) which included 7 change components in accounting system. The study population was 32 subordinate units of Kerman University of Medical Sciences and for data analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics and correlation coefficient in SPSS version 19 were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Level of effect of all components on the implementation was average downward (5.06±1.86), except for the component "management & leadership (3.46±2.25)" (undesirable from external evaluators' viewpoint) and "technology (6.61±1.92) and work processes (6.35±2.19)" (middle to high from internal evaluators' viewpoint).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results showed that the establishment of accrual accounting system faces infrastructural challenges, especially the components of leadership and management and followers. As such, developing effective measures to overcome implementation obstacles should target these components.
authors.forename: Mohammad Hossien
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Mehrolhassani
authors.forename: Akram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khayatzadeh-Mahani
authors.affiliation: Corresponding Author: Master of Health Services Management, Research Center for Health Services Management, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. Address: Research Center for Health Services Management, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Haftbagh Highway, Kerman, Iran. Tel: +98-341-3205415, Email: emami.m@kmu.ac.ir.. emami.m@kmu.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Mozhgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emami
mesh_terms: D000066:Accounting / Q000379:methods*; D019981:Health Care Sector / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires