The concept of critical success factors (CSFs) as a planning tool for healthcare managers

A well-used concept in business, the Critical Success Factor (CSF) is just beginning to be applied to healthcare organizations. This article discusses the utility of the CSF approach to the management of health services, explains how senior healthcare executives can use it to consider, define and direct the planning needs of healthcare organizations, and demonstrates how it can be applied in hospital management. Managers can use the CSF planning approach to achieve the organization's goals in accordance with its mission, be competitive, and evaluate and restructure existing programs to satisfy needs to meet specific objectives.