title: Knowledge management in Portuguese healthcare institutions.
abstract: Knowledge management imposes itself as a pressing need for the organizations of several sectors of the economy, including healthcare.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to evaluate the perception of healthcare institution collaborators in relation to knowledge management in the institution where they operate and analyze the existence of differences in this perception, based on the institution's management model.
  
  
  METHODS
  a study conducted in a sample consisting of 671 collaborators from 10 Portuguese healthcare institutions with different models of management. In order to assess the knowledge management perception, we used a score designed from and based on items from the scores available in the literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the perception of moderate knowledge management on the healthcare institutions and the statistically significant differences in knowledge management perception were evidenced in each management model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  management knowledge takes place in healthcare institutions, and the current management model determines the way staff at these institutions manage their knowledge.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cirurgia Vascular, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sofia Gaspar
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.affiliation: Unidade Científico-Pedagógica de Enfermagem Fundamental, Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria Manuela Frederico
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006268:Health Facilities; D006801:Humans; D058436:Knowledge Management; D008297:Male; D011174:Portugal