Healthcare professionals are increasingly held accountable for the standards of care that they provide. The focus of control for this accountability can be either internal or external activity to the professional body and can use implicit or explicit quality assessment techniques. The science of...

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...

This paper examines the relationship between senior management team culture and organizational performance in English acute hospitals (NHS Trusts) over three time periods between 2001/2002 and 2007/2008. We use a validated culture rating instrument, the Competing Values Framework, to measure...

Professional boundaries make inter-professional communication, collaboration and teamwork more challenging and can jeopardise the provision of safe, high quality patient care. This in-depth interview study conducted in three UK acute hospital organisations in 2003–2004 explored how...

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...