Evaluating quality in healthcare organizations: the experience of the performance plan in lombardy region

In 2011 Lombardy Region introduced a performance measurement, evaluation and accountability system that has to be adopted by all Public Healthcare Organizations operating within its boundaries. The system is based on a performance plan methodology that includes the quality perspective as one of the perspectives needed to evaluate and communicate organizational results. The paper, based on the analysis of all performance plans produced by Lombardy Public Healthcare Organizations highlights the results achieved in terms of: compliance between regional guidelines and organizational practices, and in terms of measures really used in order to evaluate different quality issues.