Balanced scorecard: A management tool for psychiatric hospitals

Objective The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) method represents a wide-spread and very successful management tool for organizational development within strategic management. BSC aims at clarifying and communicating an organization's vision and strategy into action. The purpose of this project was to create scorecards adjusted specifically to the needs of a psychiatric hospital. Methods For data acquisition a systematic and step-wise self-assessment by a multiprofessional quality circle preparing the clinic for a certification according to KTQ (R) criteria was used. Results After developing different visions for different psychiatric hospitals in different surroundings, a set of two or three objectives, measures, targets and activities was defined for each of the four key perspectives of an organization's success, i.e. customer satisfaction, financial results, business processes and learning and growth with respect to the specific requirements and expectations of psychiatric in-patient care. Conclusions The BSC method is a strategic approach and performance management system that can enable each psychiatric hospital to translate its individual vision and strategy into implementation to assure a successful future development.