While there is a growing awareness in the field of organizational sociology of the need for longitudinal research, there are few exemplars to serve as guides for those interested in the design of such research. Written to provide an overview of issues in this increasingly important area, this...

Organizations that provide health services are increasingly in need of systems and approaches that will enable them to be more responsive to the needs and wishes of their clients. Two recent trends, namely, patient-centered care (PCC) and personalized medicine, are first steps in the...

We present a description and analysis of the current reforms in the French system of “assurance maladie”, or its health insurance system, particularly as they bear on quality at the hospital level. The measurement and management of quality play a significant role in the reform, thus...