Purpose – The aim of the paper is to trace the history and development of performance measurement and management systems in the Italian National Health System (INHS), to identify their key characteristics, and to provide a critical assessment of their implementation....

Purpose – This paper aims to analyze the development of “pay‐for‐performance” (P4P) programs implemented by Israel's two largest sick funds, insuring 78 percent of the population. Design/methodology/approach – Analysis of the main features and their evolution over time, the observed...

Purpose – This paper aims to describe the introduction of pay‐for‐performance in New Zealand primary health care; compare this policy development with analogous English initiatives; discuss the risk of unintended, adverse consequences of the New Zealand programme; and consider key lessons...

Purpose – The authors' aim was to investigate mechanisms and perceptions of control following the implementation of a new “pay‐for‐performance” contract (the new General Medical Services, or GMS, contract) in general practice. Design/methodology/approach – This article was based on...

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to provide answers to two questions: what has been the impact of nGMS on practice organisation and teamwork; and how do general practice staff perceive the impact? Design/methodology/approach – The article is based on comparative in‐depth case...

Purpose – This paper draws on economic theory and empirical evidence in order to explore the role of incentives and information in the successful implementation of the new hospital funding system in the NHS. Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on case studies in two strategic...

Purpose – The aim of the paper is to connect the field of health management to other related academic discourses (critical management studies and critical development studies) that can contribute to a more interdisciplinary approach to understanding health organizations and management....

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to investigate the inter‐ and intra‐organisational relationships in the commissioning of secondary care by primary care trusts in England, using a principal‐agent framework. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology is a qualitative study of...

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to show that free flowing teamwork depends on at least three aspects of team life: functional diversity, social cohesion and superordinate identity. Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the approach of a discussion, arguing for a strong need to...

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to show that there has been an increasing focus on networks as a model of service delivery and governance in the UK public sector. As an early example, managed clinical networks for cancer were initially considered to represent an ideological move towards a...