Performance Analysis of Hospital Managers Using Fuzzy AHP and Fuzzy TOPSIS: Iranian Experience

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hospitals are complex organizations that require strong and effective management. The success of such organizations depends on the performance of managers. This study provides a comprehensive set of indicators to assess the performance of hospital managers in Iranian Ministry of Health owned hospitals. METHODS: This research was a cross-sectional study. First, reviewing the literature and using experts’ viewpoints and convening a panel of experts, the dimensions of performance have been selected and came in the form of a performance model. Then, using Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP), the chosen dimensions were weighted. Finally, based on the weighted performance dimensions, a questionnaire was designed and after confirming the reliability and validity, through a census, 407 senior and middle managers from 10 hospitals in Yazd, Iran completed it and performance of CEO(s) in these hospitals was evaluated using the Fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity Ideal Solution (FTOPSIS). RESULTS: To measure the performance of hospital managers, a performance assessment model consisted of 19 sub-dimensions in 5 main dimensions (Functional, Professional, Organizational, Individual and Human) was developed. The functional area had the most weight and the individual area had the least weight, as well. The hospital managers had different performance levels in each category and sub-dimensions. In terms of overall performance, the hospital managers C and H had the best and the worst performance, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The use of appropriate dimensions for performance, prioritizing them and evaluating the performance of hospital managers using appropriate techniques, can play an effective role in the selection of qualified managers, identifying strengths and weaknesses in performance and continuous improvement of them.