The Role, Measurement, and Impact of Volunteerism in Hospitals

    Authors

    R. B. Hotchkiss; L. Unruh;M. D. Fottler

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Nonprofit Volunt. Sect. Q.

    Keywords

    volunteerism; professional volunteers; lay volunteers; health care; volunteers; service quality; clinical quality; cost savings; VALUING VOLUNTEERS; BENEFITS; Social Issues

    Abstract

    Volunteer programs are expected to positively impact the organizations in which they exist. This article reviews the literature on volunteerism, including what volunteers do, how their contributions can be measured, and the financial- and quality-related outcomes of volunteer programs. The focus is on volunteerism in health care settings, particularly hospitals. The article summarizes the existing theoretical and empirical literature concerning the roles of volunteers, the economic value of volunteers, cost-benefit analysis of volunteer labor, and the impact of volunteers on quality and patient satisfaction. The review indicates that the use of volunteers offers significant cost savings to hospitals and may positively impact profit margins. Volunteers are also likely to enhance quality indicators such as patient satisfaction and safety. Implications of these findings for management and future research are discussed.

    Journal Title

    Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly

    Volume

    43

    Issue/Number

    6

    Publication Date

    1-1-2014

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    1111

    Last Page

    1128

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000345227200010

    ISSN

    0899-7640

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