The managerial implications of the key performance indicators in healthcare sector: A cluster analysis

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to identify a set of the key performance indicators (KPIs) in order to provide managers and employees from the healthcare system with recommendations for evaluating, monitoring, and controlling the critical factors that influence the performance of the healthcare sector in Algeria during a pandemic crisis. During February–August 2020, a cross-sectional survey design was administrated to medical employees from hospitals situated in the northeastern part of Algeria. Our findings proved that the four groups of KPIs correlate to each other, and during this period, the triple relationship among human factor-technology-medication plays a decisive role in reducing the pressure on the medical system and overcoming the crisis. In order to increase the efficiency of the decision-making process, a hierarchy of KPIs is recommended in terms of their impact on the performance of medical staff. The practical importance of our research consists in ranking KPIs on four clusters that support managers to focus on both the human factor (clinical errors, infection rate, and medication errors) and the technical elements of maximum importance (laboratory test time, location of the facility, and sufficient air).