Applying the balanced scorecard to local public health performance measurement: deliberations and decisions.

Background: All aspects of the heath care sector are being asked to account for their performance. This poses unique challenges for local public health units with their traditional focus on population health and their emphasis on disease prevention, health promotion and protection. Reliance on measures of health status provides an imprecise and partial picture of the performance of a health unit.

Planning a coordinated local health care system response to a pandemic using an accelerated Delphi technique: phase 1.

Objectives: To coordinate local responsibilities and identify options to enhance local health system capacity during a pandemic. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the application of a Delphi exercise in an Ontario Public Health Unit as a first step in this complex planning task. Its strengths and weaknesses are presented.