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Operational efficiency vs clinical safety, care appropriateness, timeliness, and access to health care

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Listed:
  • Diogo Cunha Ferreira

    (University of Lisbon)

  • Alexandre Morais Nunes

    (University of Lisbon
    University of Lisbon)

  • Rui Cunha Marques

    (University of Lisbon)

Abstract

Health care systems face resource scarcity that may jeopardise their financial sustainability as well as the quality of delivered health care. In view of that, the association between technical efficiency, access, and quality of services should be investigated, despite some past attempts that led to mixed, unclear, and perhaps biased results. We use a dataset composed of financial resources, hospital services, appropriateness and timeliness of care, patients’ clinical safety, access to health care services, demographics, and epidemiology variables to study the aforementioned link regarding the Portuguese public hospitals (operating between 2013 and 2016). Quality and access data are aggregated into three main composite indicators, through Grey Relational Analysis (GRA). Bias- and environmentally corrected efficiency scores are estimated via bootstrap-based directional Data Envelopment Analysis. A double bootstrap algorithm is employed, using GRA-based quality indicators as predictors of technical efficiency. Evidence suggests that (1) Portuguese public hospitals exhibit low performance in terms of quality, while the different indicators present considerable correlation among them and with hospital size and patients’ complexity characteristics; (2) patients’ clinical safety, appropriateness and timeliness, as well as access to health care services are consistent and significant predictors of technical efficiency; and (3) the association between efficiency, quality, and access depends on the interaction between appropriateness, timeliness, and access. Therefore, quality and access can be improved with no efficiency sacrifice and vice versa.

Suggested Citation

  • Diogo Cunha Ferreira & Alexandre Morais Nunes & Rui Cunha Marques, 2020. "Operational efficiency vs clinical safety, care appropriateness, timeliness, and access to health care," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 53(3), pages 355-375, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jproda:v:53:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s11123-020-00578-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s11123-020-00578-6
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    2. Vardanyan, Michael & Valdmanis, Vivian G. & Leleu, Hervé & Ferrier, Gary D., 2022. "Estimating technology characteristics of the U.S. hospital industry using directional distance functions with optimal directions," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    3. Rocha, António & Costa, Ana Sara & Figueira, José Rui & Ferreira, Diogo Cunha & Marques, Rui Cunha, 2021. "Quality assessment of the Portuguese public hospitals: A multiple criteria approach," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    4. Xinxin Peng & Xiaolei Tang & Jing Hua Zhang & Yijun Chen, 2023. "Smoking Bans and Circulatory System Disease Mortality Reduction in Macao (China): Using GRA Models," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-14, March.
    5. Margit Sommersguter-Reichmann, 2022. "Health care quality in nonparametric efficiency studies: a review," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 30(1), pages 67-131, March.
    6. Alicia Ramírez-Orellana & María del Carmen Valls Martínez & Mayra Soledad Grasso, 2021. "Using Higher-Order Constructs to Estimate Health-Disease Status: The Effect of Health System Performance and Sustainability," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-23, May.
    7. Paulo Caldas & Miguel Varela, 2023. "The Portuguese Public Hospitals Performance Evolution before and during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic (2017–2022)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-31, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Hospitals; Efficiency; Quality; Access; Data Envelopment Analysis; Grey Relational Analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C12 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Hypothesis Testing: General
    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
    • C18 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Methodolical Issues: General
    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health

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