INTRODUCTION: The aims of this investigation were to describe the development of a structured decision support information method at a major Danish university hospital and to present the results of a quantitative organisational evaluation of this method for integrated decision making at many levels of the management hierarchy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The results of more than five years' development of the decision support method are described. Quantitative analyses of attitudes to the method included a survey of satisfaction with the method in general along with specific questions concerning its perceived effect on administrative and organisational success parameters. RESULTS: The majority of respondents were of the opinion that the decision support method had had a positive influence on administrative parameters, such as control of expenses, administrative transparency, quality of decision-making processes and rational prioritization. CONCLUSION: The decision support method has had a beneficial influence on mutual communication and understanding among administrative leaders, economists, doctors and politicians. This is particularly remarkable considering that earlier qualitative evaluations of the hospital investigated concluded that such communication and understanding were not optimal.
INTRODUCTION: The aims of this investigation were to describe the development of a structured decision support information method at a major Danish university hospital and to present the results of a quantitative organisational evaluation of this method for integrated decision making at many levels of the management hierarchy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The results of more than five years' development of the decision support method are described. Quantitative analyses of attitudes to the method included a survey of satisfaction with the method in general along with specific questions concerning its perceived effect on administrative and organisational success parameters. RESULTS: The majority of respondents were of the opinion that the decision support method had had a positive influence on administrative parameters, such as control of expenses, administrative transparency, quality of decision-making processes and rational prioritization. CONCLUSION: The decision support method has had a beneficial influence on mutual communication and understanding among administrative leaders, economists, doctors and politicians. This is particularly remarkable considering that earlier qualitative evaluations of the hospital investigated concluded that such communication and understanding were not optimal.