Measuring and comparing performance of health services: a conceptual model to support selection and validation of indicators Stefania Rodella ° , Pierantonio Bellini # , Mario Braga ^ , Vincenzo Rebba * ° Agenzia Regionale di Sanità, Regione Toscana, Florence, Italy # Dipartimento di Sc. Statistiche, University of Padua, Italy ^ Direzione Sanitaria, Croce Rossa Italiana, Rome, Italy * Dipartimento di Sc. Economiche, University of Padua, Italy This document synthesizes the results of a research conducted in Italy in 2000-2001 on behalf of the ‘Commissione per la Garanzia dell’Informazione Statistica (CGIS), Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri, Roma’, and is the English version of the Italian ‘Rapporto di Ricerca’ which was published by the Commission in November 2002 June 2003