Performance management is a management philosophy which focuses sharply on the achievement of good and sustainable results. It starts with a strategic process that takes account of internal and external factors and works out clearly defined, measurable strategic objectives, which are then put into operation. Performance management in the healthcare sector aims to constantly improve the results of the best possible healthcare processes by making optimal use of tools. This text begins by addressing the organizational preconditions and provides a step-by-step approach for the realization of performance management in a healthcare organization. It then proceeds to discuss the relevance of performance management to disease management and the professional development of the discipline, and concludes with the topical debate on the publication of results and a set of case histories.

Part 1: Background and Principles of Performance Management 1. General Introduction 2. The Learning Organisation in the Healthcare Sector 3. Principles of Performance Management Part 2: Development of Performance Management in Healthcare 4. Setting the Stage 5. The Core of the System: Multidisciplinary Teams 6. Process Description and Guarantees 7. Performance Indicators 8. Patient Variables 9. Criteria and Benchmarks 10. Feedback and Presentation 11. Analysis and Improvement Part 3: Performance Management and Society 12. Disease Management 13. Performance Management and the Development of the Discipline 14. Performance Management and Stakeholders Part 4: Case Histories