The Role, Measurement, and Impact of Volunteerism in Hospitals

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nonprofit and voluntary sector quarterly 2014-12, Vol.43 (6), p.1111-1128
Main Authors: Hotchkiss, Renee Brent, Unruh, Lynn, Fottler, Myron D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Client Satisfaction
Cost benefit analysis
Cost control
Cost engineering
Economic analysis
Health care
Health Care Services
Hospitals
Impact analysis
Indicators
Literature Reviews
Management
Management theory
Patient satisfaction
Patients
Profits
Quality of care
Quality of Health Care
Studies
Value (Economics)
Volunteers
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0899-7640
1552-7395
0899-7640
DOI:10.1177/0899764014549057