The development of a balanced scorecard information system

New patient-focused care models require new approaches to the delivery of management information. The balanced scorecard is a framework for a set of measures that give top managers a fast but comprehensive view of strategically important indicators. By graphically demonstrating information trends from four different perspectives, the balanced scorecard provides insight into dynamically complex situations and allows managers to assess whether improvements in one area may have been achieved at the expense of another. We have developed a balanced scorecard information system prototype for a cardiovascular patient service unit using a spiral model development cycle. The system has been very useful for demonstrating interrelationships between indicators such as length of stay and cost per case and has positively impacted on the management of a cardiovascular patient service unit