The Use of Balanced Scorecards in Mental Health Services: an Integrative Review and Thematic Analysis

Performance management of mental health services (MHS) through quality reporting of strategic indicators and goals is essential to improve efficiency and quality of care. One such method is the balanced scorecard (BSC). This integrative review of peer-reviewed and industry implemented BSCs in MHS aims to inform future development of a more comprehensive mental health–focused benchmarking tool. A two-part systematic literature search consisted of peer-reviewed published literature on MHS specific BSCs utilising the PRISMA guidelines in addition to industry published BSCs available online. A total of 17 unique BSCs were identified. A total of 434 indicators were subject to thematic analysis identifying 11 key themes: prevalence, accessibility, services provided, clinical outcomes, client satisfaction, client involvement, staff motivation, staffing levels, governance and compliance, development, and costs and revenue. These themes represented the measures that MHS believed measured key performance criteria in alignment with their organisational objectives.