Managing Performance in Intermediate Care Services – A Balanced Scorecard Approach

Abstract: In a free market economy, achieving the highest performance and thereby the organization’s goals is the ultimate responsibility of management. Performance needs to be managed to ensure that the organization is meeting its vision and goals. The Balanced Scorecard is a concept for measuring whether the activities of an organization are in line with its objectives in terms of its vision and its goals. Intermediate Care describes a range of short term health and social care services and interventions that are designed to support older people and promote independence by maximizing functional skills in relation to an individual’s physical and mental health needs. Faced by challenges and the requirements to meet with the changing needs of the service, many Intermediate Care Services as well as other services within the NHS across the country have adopted the balanced scorecard approach to align their activities with the vision and mission of the organization and the Department of Health. However, Intermediate Care Services in Peterborough still uses financial measures as well as total patient numbers in evaluating the performance of the team. As stated above using a balance scorecard to manage performance has the advantage of improving organizational performance by measuring what matters to the organization, increase focus on strategy and results, improve communication and monitor organization’s performance against future strategic goals. This study develops an evaluation framework based on the balanced scorecard methodology and creates a balanced scorecard system to measure the performance of Intermediate Care Services. The study identifies strategic objectives based on the goals of the organization and develops measurement tools and targets for achieving those desired outcomes. The study concludes in a set of recommendations to ensure implementation and successful application of the balanced scorecard system.