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The Jellinek Center is a treatment service for prevention, care and cure of clients with addiction problems. Ten years ago the first quality improvement program was started. In 1994 the management team did the first formal self‐assessment based on the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Model and three assessors from the “Instituut Nederlandse Kwaliteit” audited the Jellinek and delivered a feedback report which was used to make an elaborate two‐year work‐plan. Five projects to improve the quality of the Jellinek Center were identified and carried out. After two years, the work‐plan was evaluated and the improvements assessed through a self‐assessment conducted by the management team and an external audit team made up of six assessors. The findings of the self‐assessment were presented to the Dutch jury for the EFQM Award and the Jellinek Center won the Dutch Quality Award. The Jellinek is not complacent, however, as it recognises that the next phase of the quality management journey is to carry out self‐assessment in all teams, redesign the treatment processes and improve performance measurements.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the best measure among several alternatives (SERVQUAL, weighted SERVQUAL, SERVPERF, weighted SERVPERF) and develop a scale which healthcare providers can use for measurement of healthcare service quality.

The study involved two phases. The first phase was through a series of in-depth interviews with experts and patients followed by a pilot study. Subsequently, the second phase involved a quantitative phase through surveys with 384 patients. Alternative measures were analyzed using coefficient (Cronbach) α, composite reliability, factor analysis and logistic regression analysis.

Findings confirmed “Weighted SERVPERF” using an interactive methodology as the most appropriate for measurement of healthcare service quality.

Using the model and scale developed, healthcare providers will be able to measure healthcare service quality and identify areas of shortfall and act accordingly to improve delivery through allocating resources in service areas that would generate the greatest returns in customer satisfaction. Enhancing satisfaction will ultimately generate patient loyalty and positive recommendation behavior.

The purpose of this paper is to explore in a specific hospital care process the applicability in practice of the theories of quality costing and value chains.

In a retrospective case study an in‐depth evaluation of the use of a quality cost model (QCM) and the applicability of Porter's care delivery value chain (CDVC) was performed in a specific care process: glaucoma care over the period 2001 to 2006 in the Rotterdam Eye Hospital in The Netherlands.

The case study shows a reduction of costs per product by increasing the number of outpatient visits and surgery combined with a higher patient satisfaction. Reduction of costs of non‐compliance by using the QCM is small, due to the absence of (external) financial incentives for both the hospital and individual physicians. For CDVC to be supportive to an integrated quality and cost management the notion “patient value” needs far more specification as mutually agreed on by the stakeholders involved and related reimbursement needs to depend on realised outcomes.

The case study just focused on one specific care process in one hospital. To determine effects in other areas of health care, it is important to study the use and applicability of the QCM and the CDVC in other care processes and settings.

QCM and a CDVC can be useful tools for hospital management to manage the outcomes on both quality and costs, but impact is dependent on the incentives in the context of the existing organisational and reimbursement system and asks for an agreed on operationalisation among the various stakeholders of the notion of patient value.

The objective of this project was to develop and implement an indicator system, which delivered concise, specific and relevant information for the managers of the treatment departments. The project was carried out in The Jellinek Center, a treatment service for addiction in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. During a period of ten years the indicator system called Profile Package was developed and implemented in all departments. The results of the project are: a system and an infrastructure for producing a Profile Package for each team every quarter. The departments use five critical indicators and each department has added about 40 indicators to meet their needs. On the basis of the indicators the performance of the team can be monitored. An annual reviewing cycle and goal‐finding procedure is established, which stimulates a results‐orientation. The trend of the five critical indicators over a number of years shows that the results of the departments, working with the system, are positive.

The effective management of health services and the delivery of quality systems in Irish health‐care institutions have increased in significance in recent years. Consumers (patients) are expecting more of health‐care providers and are demanding higher standards of care and service. Simultaneously, those paying for health services have become more concerned about rising health costs and possible inefficiencies. As a result there is widespread interest in understanding what makes for an effective health service and in developing better practices to improve existing approaches to health‐care management and delivery. Reviews developments in quality‐service management in the Irish health‐care sector and focuses attention on the need for the development of a model for quality implementation in health‐care institutions.

As in the world‐wide context in recent years Irish health care has undergone much change, which has led purchasers and consumers alike to call for a more efficient and effective service. Many differing approaches are being utilised in an effort to become more responsive; however, only limited results have been shown. Thus, the search for excellence is both compelling and inevitable within the sector. Here one seeks to discern the elements that offer health‐care institutions the chance to excel from an organisational perspective in their quest to become more responsive and patient‐focused. Also provides details of some forthcoming research aimed at exploring the issues and outcomes of using the EFQM excellence model to support the search for excellence in Irish health care. A follow‐up article with the findings will be published in a later issue of this journal.

Increasing delegation to clinical departments has been a feature of health‐care organizations in recent years. However, as managers of these departments take greater responsibility for results and resources, it follows that they need relevant and objective information to carry out their work effectively. This was the background to the development of an indicator system at the Jellinek Center, a treatment service in The Netherlands for people with addiction problems. Every year, a staff of 500 professionals treats 5,000 patients. Fifteen services range from prevention and counseling to out‐patient and detoxification programs and therapeutic communities.

A brief introduction into recent developments of the EFQM Excellence Model and the United Kingdom (UK) Government’s agenda for ensuring that quality is at the heart of all decision making is given. In view of the Government explicitly commending the use of the EFQM Excellence Model to all organisations within the National Health Service, the author decides to explore the possible reasons behind the commendation. When comparing the EFQM Excellence Model with the Government’s vision for quality, the former emerges as a more than ideal tool for any organisation wishing to commence or strengthen their journey on the road to quality and/or excellence; particularly as the EFQM Excellence Model is based on the principles of self‐assessment, continuous improvement, learning and innovation, teamwork and a culture totally focused on the customer. Finally, ten possible reasons behind the Government commending the use of the Model are given.

Different approaches to improve quality are used in organizations delivering health care. Donabedian introduced structure, process and outcome, from which other approaches like self‐assessment, accreditation, visitation, International Standards Organisation (ISO) and European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) can be aligned. The EFQM model is one such approach that has been adopted and adapted by the Dutch Institute for Quality Management. This article describes the background and progress relating to the use of the EFQM business excellence model within Dutch health care organizations. In addition the process for applying for the European Quality Award and the Dutch Quality Award are described in detail. Finally, the reader is enlightened regarding the work of the European ExPeRT research group who are promoting the use of quality models within health care.

The purpose of this paper is to report on a process and impact evaluation of the Positief Educatief Programma (Positive Education Programme (PEP)), a whole school approach to supporting children’s well-being and creating a positive school climate in primary schools in the Netherlands. PEP adopts a competence skill enhancement approach with a focus on developing children’s positive emotions and strengths.

A process and impact evaluation was performed within the context of two schools piloting the programme. Employing questionnaires and interviews, the evaluation sought to examine the implementation of PEP, participants’ experiences with key components and the programme impact of PEP.

The findings reveal largely positive attitudes towards PEP. Staff and parents were positive about the core components of PEP. Results from standardised questionnaires provide preliminary evidence about the positive impact of PEP on children’s self-reported well-being and problem behaviour, teachers’ awareness of children’s strengths and overall school climate. The provision of practical strategies and activity-based resources was considered essential to the ongoing implementation of PEP.

This study reports on findings from two implementation schools and therefore lacks generalisability. Further research using more robust research methods exploring the effectiveness of PEP when compared with “business as usual” is needed.

School frameworks aimed at creating a positive school climate and promoting well-being at the whole school level have not been carried out in the Netherlands to date. The results from this study provide a unique insight into the implementation and perceived impact of a whole school framework in the context of two primary schools.