COMPETITIVENESS OF INNOVATIONS IN HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS AS A STRATEGIC RESULT OF BALANCED PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Abstract

The article addresses the competitiveness of innovations in healthcare institutions as a managerial category connected with balanced performance management. The relevance of the topic is determined by the growing need to select medical, digital, service and organisational innovations under financial constraints, workforce shortages, wartime risks and unequal access to healthcare. The discussion focuses on how healthcare managers can compare alternative projects not only by technological novelty or purchase price, but also by clinical value, patient safety, accessibility, full life-cycle cost, organisational readiness, quality management and long-term strategic contribution. The conceptual framework covers multidimensional assessment, normalisation of indicators, weighting of criteria, integral scoring, sensitivity testing and post-implementation monitoring. It also considers the distinction between an innovation’s planned effects and its verified operational outcomes, as well as the need to identify a baseline and a realistic alternative before calculating an integral score. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between innovation policy, patient trust, continuity of care, data interoperability, staff competence, procurement readiness and the sustainability of services. International approaches are considered through the practices of the United Kingdom, Germany, Estonia and Israel, including health technology evaluation, digital health applications, nationwide electronic health records and public support for research infrastructure. The Ukrainian context is examined through the development of the electronic health system, the Medical Guarantees Programme, monitoring by the National Health Service of Ukraine and process-based quality management. The article discusses how evidence, life-cycle costs, implementation capacity and measurable patient value can be combined within a single managerial logic without reducing healthcare innovation to a purely financial or technological choice. The analytical perspective is intended for healthcare executives, owners, local authorities and health departments that need to justify investment priorities, compare implementation scenarios, identify critical risks and establish measurable criteria for evaluating innovation projects before and after their introduction.