title: Performance management of the public healthcare services in Ireland: a review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Performance Management (PM) processes have become a potent part of strategic and service quality decisions in healthcare organisations. In 2005, the management of public healthcare in Ireland was amalgamated into a single integrated management body, named the Health Service Executive (HSE). Since then, the HSE has come up with a range of strategies for healthcare developments and reforms, and has developed a PM system as part of its strategic planning. The purpose of this paper is to review the application of PM in the Irish Healthcare system, with a particular focus on Irish Hospitals and Emergency Services.
  
  
  METHODS
  An extensive review of relevant HSE's publications from 2005 to 2013 is conducted. Studies of the relevant literature related to the application of PM and of international best practices in healthcare performance systems are also presented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PM and performance measurement systems used by the HSE include many performance reports designed to monitor performance trends and strategic goals. Issues in the current PM system include inconsistency of measures and performance reporting, unclear strategy alignment, and deficiencies in reporting (e.g. feedback and corrective actions). Furthermore, PM processes have not been linked adequately into Irish public hospitals' management systems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HSE delivers several services such as mental health, social inclusion, etc. This study focuses on the HSE's PM framework, with a particular interest in acute hospitals and emergency services.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first comprehensive review of Irish healthcare PM since the introduction of the HSE. A critical analysis of the HSE reports identifies the shortcomings in its current PM system.
authors.affiliation: 3S Group, College of Business, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mesabbah
authors.forename: Amr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arisha
mesh_terms: D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D011634:Public Health; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D000066477:Work Performance
keywords: Health service executive; Hospital performance indicators; Ireland; Irish healthcare; Performance management; The HSE strategy