Towards a science of the management of health care

This editorial introduces the new journal and sets out some of the editors' principles. It notes the apparently haphazard approach towards the improvement in management practice in health care, and contrasts it with the more scientific approach adopted by the medical profession. The journal aims to provide for the first time a single forum for all those engaged in the systematic evaluation of the management of health care, and seeks to nurture a move towards ‘evidence based management’. We will consider papers from a wide range of institutional settings and disciplinary perspectives. As well as presenting high quality research, authors will be encouraged to make clear the policy implications of their contributions.