Performance priorities and administrative practice in hospital social work departments

This article reports the results of a study which examined the performance priorities of 55 hospital social service departments, as reported by their directors. The findings indicate that departments give highest priority to certain output/productivity goals such as timely discharge and documenting service activities. Performance goals dealing with service quality and domain maintenance do not have as high priorities, but they do receive attention. The data suggest that how departments set priorities may be influenced, in part, by what important constituents, such as hospital administrators, consider important. Implications of these findings for the management of hospital social work departments are discussed.