REENGINEERING - DEJA-VU ALL OVER AGAIN

There is growing interest among hospitals in reengineering. It promise s dramatic improvements in performance: Casts will be reduced while wo rk processes, productivity, and patient care will all improve. A revie w of the health care literature on reengineering shows that little evi dence exists to support its claims. This article critiques the existin g literature on reengineering and addresses the conundrum hospital exe cutives encounter when faced with the decision to adopt a new manageme nt technique-such as reengineering-in the absence of proof of its effi cacy.