Performance Indicators Development in Function of Croatian’s Hospitals Efficiency and Quality Monitoring (Note 1)

Abstract

<p><em>The aim of this paper is to explore issues of hospital’s performance indicators development in Croatia. Accepted standards and regulations require defining of key performance and quality indicators of healthcare organizations. Performance indicators are defined at the sector level. Healthcare organizations are obligated to measure and track performance in accordance with the standards of quality assurance in health care and defined strategic objectives. Tracking performance is important for financing of healthcare organizations and performance monitoring of selected institution’s program goals and healthcare system in general.</em><em></em></p><p><em>For hospitals, it is important to monitor and improve the quality. For that purposes they need to develop adequate and comparable performance indicators. In order to create comparable indicators it is necessary to conduct a detailed analysis of performance measurement of related hospitals in Croatia and Europe. The basis for performance measurement is information that institution owns, acquires and processes. In order to be relevant, indicators need quality information basis for their measurement.</em></p><p><em>This paper analyzes the current performance indicators of selected Croatian and European hospitals’ performance measurement models. Based on the analysis, as the result of paper, we propose indicators for one hospital in Croatia. Authors propose a methodology for development of indicators, as well as a way of measuring and monitoring performance. Through a case study, we explore the use of performance indicators in monitoring and improving the quality of hospitals. Special emphasis has been placed on the role of performance indicators in the financing of health care institutions, and mutual comparison of hospitals as the basis for the development and improvement of the institution’s quality. </em></p>