Framework for evaluating performance and quality improvement in hospitals Available to Purchase

Based on the research so far on quality improvement and performance measurement on hospitals and the health‐care sector, there appears to be a need to combine the various models or approaches to performance and quality improvement. This paper presents a knowledge‐based framework for evaluating the performance of a hospital using a model based on the Singapore Quality Award (SQA) criteria and the balanced scorecard (BSC) approach. A specific case study of a public sector hospital in Singapore is provided to illustrate how the SQA and the BSC can be integrated to help a public sector hospital implement and manage performance‐based programs. Overall, while limitations and implementation challenges exist, the preliminary results suggest that hospitals can also use this approach to their advantage, yielding sustainable improvement in patient satisfaction and better inter‐departmental communication. Through this framework, hospitals can make better quality decisions based on structured measurement and knowledge.