Success factors of hospital management

The hospital environment of most Western countries is currently undergoing dramatic changes. Competition among hospitals is increasing, and economic i ssues have become decisive factors for the allocation of medical care. Hosp itals therefore require management tools to respond to these changes adequa tely. The balanced scorecard is a method of enabling development and implem entation of a business strategy that equally respects the financial require ments, the needs of the customers, process development, and organizational learning. This method was used to derive generally valid success factors fo r hospital management based on an analysis of an academic hospital in Switz erland. Strategic management, the focus of medical services, customer orien tation, and integration of professional groups across the hospital value ch ain were identified as success factors for hospital management.