Should a person get an MHA or an MBA as his or her advanced degree in health care?

A number of students have been asking that question as they contemplate their future. Physicians who want more management knowledge and skills have also been wondering the same thing.

Is there a definitive way to gauge which choice is best for a particular situation?
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The simple answer is — it depends. It depends on your current level of knowledge about health care and it on how you intend to use the degree. While there are no hard and fast rules, a few simple guidelines might help in deciding which route is the best one for you to take. Here are five:

1. Current Health Care Knowledge. How much do you already know about health care? Is it already a fair amount, having spent the past ten years in the industry or are you new to the industry and want to break in? A master in health administration (MHA) program is likely going to have most, if not all, of its coursework specifically related to health care. Thus, even a financial management course is going to teach you the principles of finance in the context of health care. For some people, that immersion in health care is important; for others it may not be all that crucial. Not surprisingly, a “traditional” MBA program is not going to have that industry focus (unless it’s specifically designed for health care).

2. Health Policy. MBA programs generally don’t tend to spend much time on health policy issues, while most MHA programs either have specific classes in that area or cover the same material in a variety of different classes. Health policy is significant for health care professionals for several reasons. First, so much of health care is scrutinized and regulated by government entities. Second, policy decisions often wind up driving business decisions. Thus, the more knowledgeable one is on the complexities surrounding health policy, the better one should be in making executive decisions.

3. Peer Learning. Some of the best learning takes place between and among students. The usual advantage of being enrolled in an MHA program is that you are surrounded by peers who are either currently employed in health care (and thus bring a different perspective than yours) or who have a strong interest in the industry. Either way, there’s much to be gained from interacting with your peers. And while peer learning will also take place in any MBA program, the knowledge gained is more diffused.

4. Commitment to Others. Most MHA programs have a history of service to others, which goes back to the early days of non-profit hospitals and other medical services. And while more and more health care services are being run either as a for-profit venture or like one, there is still that “service to people” thread that weaves through the industry and MHA programs. MBA programs are actually playing catch-up in that regard as they now offer courses and programs dedicated to social entrepreneurship. Still, if you are most attracted by money and wealth, the MBA is probably the best place to go.

5. Competitiveness. There a lot more people applying to get into a top MBA program at a top school than those trying to get into an MHA program. For example, more than 1,200 people will compete for openings in the MBA program at the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Meanwhile, on average, about 120 students apply to the residential MHA program. If you’re worried about your chances of getting in or you are looking at the odds, then you might look at the MHA degree. Of course, some students wind up getting a dual MBA/MHA degree, but those are rare and require a much greater commitment of time and energy.

Each situation is different. Perhaps where you live the MBA program is your best bet because it’s high quality, affordable and convenient. On the other hand, perhaps the MHA is your best route because you clearly intend to be the CEO of a health system and you need all the knowledge and skills you can find in health care to be considered for the job.

Whichever degree works best for you, get that degree. An advanced degree (whatever it is) will likely do more to boost your career, especially in the early years, than anything else you can do. It’s become the required listing in most executive-level job searches.

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History

In the past 50 years, many confrontational psychodynamic approaches became popular and almost the expectation of substance abuse and addiction treatment. There was the idea that substance abuse was a symptom of an underlying disorder (Weegmann, 2002). Once the disorder was treated, the secondary substance abuse would clear up on its own. As Weegmann discussed, research has shown that highly confrontational methods often instilled an ever deeper sense of resistance in the client. The percentage of successful outcomes within the field of addiction have been tossed around and range a great deal, however they have always seemed pretty dismal in comparison to the length and cost of many treatment programs. A new approach is necessary and an approach that is more accessible to those in need of it would be highly valuable in the field.

Addiction and Substance Abuse

According to Miller (1998), addiction can be described within two conditions: (1) a behavior that persists even though there is apparent risk or harm to oneself or others and (2) to an outside observer the individual demonstrates diminished, but retrievable, capacity for self-regulation of the behavior. Miller also discusses “symptoms” of addiction which include: giving inordinate priority to the addictive behavior; avoidance of situations where the behavior is inaccessible; and giving a high priority to the behavior after a period of abstinence, among others. Miller suggests that the problem of addiction is simply competing motivations. Motivation for the behavior currently outweighs the harm and perceived value of available alternatives to that behavior.

So how does an addicted individual escape addiction? Miller (1998) argues that there can be a sudden shift in how the person perceives the pros and cons of their behavior. This is often seen over time as the suffering directly attached to the addiction increases and the ratio of pros and cons shifts. Through motivational interviewing, Miller suggests that therapists and other helping professionals can lend clients another perspective, a mirror image of themselves, so as to increase the client’s conception of the consequences and saliency of their behavior.

Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Within efforts to utilize motivational interviewing within adolescence, motivational interviewing offers several advantages over other treatment options. According to one article (Tevyaw & Monti, 2004), motivational enhancement and other brief interventions have the highest effect sizes among all treatments for alcohol abuse and dependence and evidence similar efficacy rates. Motivational techniques also provide a more flexible continuum of treatment ranging from abstinence to harm reduction within cases where abstinence is not necessary, which is often the case with adolescents with short histories of substance abuse (Tevyaw & Monti, 2004). Adolescents also often end up in a treatment setting due to a decision made by an authority figure such as their parents or the justice system and concerns are often not shared by the adolescent. They are often characterized by resistance to change and a lack of understanding of the consequences of their behavior. Motivational techniques provide clinicians with an attractive method to increase rapport and commitment to change from clients that have been deemed as resistant in the past (Tevyaw & Monti, 2004).

It is often not necessary for adolescents to admit to or acknowledge having substance abuse problems in order for them to benefit from a motivational approach. Motivational techniques also do not rely on diagnostic labels allowing for the client to benefit at any level of readiness to change. It can raise awareness during the pre-contemplation stage, can help in decision-making during contemplation, can enhance a person’s resolution to change during the action and maintenance stages, and after a relapse it can provide an opportunity for reassessment (Ford, Oliver & Whitehead, 2006).

Within young adulthood, motivational interviewing provides similar advantages over other treatment options, however the ability to utilize brief interventions becomes incredibly valuable at this stage. Young adults are at a much higher risk of the drastic effects of substance abuse due to their distance from home and authority. As Monti and Tevyaw (2004) point out, young adults in the 18 to 25 age range consistently engage in high rates of risky behavior such as heavy substance abuse and unprotected sex. These individuals are less likely to be confronted by family due to their distance from them or by friends due to the general acceptance of this behavior during this life stage. It is therefore important to utilize brief motivational interventions within areas where young adults present themselves such as the emergency department, college counseling and health centers, and within employee assistance programs. Motivational interviewing provides a simple, trainable technique that can be used in any of these settings in a brief period of time.

Outcomes

Each study agreed that motivational interviewing provided at the very least a comparably effective option for substance abuse treatment. Within one study (Schneider, Case & Kohn, 2000), clients who were placed with counselors practicing motivational interviewing showed higher satisfaction rates with their experience. In another study among heavy drinkers on college campuses, brief interventions of motivational interviewing results in lower self-reported rates of alcohol consumption and lower blood alcohol levels than individuals who simply received feedback (Monti & Tevyaw, 2004). Students mandated into a campus alcohol program were more likely to seek further assistance with their drinking following a brief motivational intervention than students who simply completed the program in one study (Monti & Tevyaw, 2004). In one final study, older adolescents presenting at an emergency department following an alcohol-related event were randomized to one session of motivational interviewing versus typical care. At a 6-month follow-up, those who had received the motivational interview showed a significantly lower rate of drinking and driving, traffic violations, and other alcohol-related problems or injuries (Tevyaw & Monti, 2004).

Conclusion

Motivational interviewing is a simple, highly trainable, and effective technique that approaches addiction in a unique way. It provides a theoretical framework that falls more in line with social work values and ethics than many others. It allows for self-determination, respect, and validation of the client’s strengths. An emphasis is on giving the client something new. Especially within substance abuse, the client has heard from multiple authorities and trusted family and friends that their behavior needs to change. The framework also allows for brief interventions that can take place in almost any setting and do not require a professional therapist to initiate. This allows for more manageable, accessible, and cost-effective treatment.

Miller described addiction as when an observer sees the behavior as too high a cost and diminished control within the individual. Motivational interviewing allows for the client to become that observer of their own behavior.

References

Ford, C., Oliver, J., Whitehead, B. (2006). Treating Drug Users: A Collaborative Method. Therapy Today. 17, 2, 17-20

Miller, W. (1998). Toward a Motivational Definition and Understanding of Addiction. Motivational Interviewing Newsletter for Trainers, 5, 3, 2-6

Monti, P., Tevyaw, T.O., Borsari, B. (2004). Drinking Among Young Adults. Alcohol Research and Health, 28, 4, 236-244

Schneider, R. J., Casey, J., Kohn, R. (2000). Motivational versus Confrontational Interviewing: A Comparison of Substance Abuse Assessment Practices at Employee Assistance Programs. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, 27, 1, 60-74

Tevyaw, T.O., Monti, P. (2004). Motivational Enhancement and Other Brief Interventions for Adolescent Substance Abuse: Foundations, Applications, and Evaluations. Addiction, 99, 63-75

Weegmann, M. (2002). Motivational Interviewing And Addiction: A Psychodynamic Appreciation. Psychodynamic Practice, 8, 2, 179-195

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