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Study on Equity and Efficiency of Health Resources and Services Based on Key Indicators in China

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  • Xinyu Zhang
  • Lin Zhao
  • Zhuang Cui
  • Yaogang Wang

Abstract

Background: This study aims to evaluate the dialectical relationship between equity and efficiency of health resource allocation and health service utilization in China. Methods: We analyzed the inequity of health resource allocation and health service utilization based on concentration index (CI) and Gini coefficient. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to evaluate the inefficiency of resource allocation and service utilization. Factor Analysis (FA) was used to determine input/output indicators. Results: The CI of Health Institutions, Beds in Health Institutions, Health Professionals and Outpatient Visits were -0.116, -0.012, 0.038, and 0.111, respectively. Gini coefficient for the 31 provinces varied between 0.05 and 0.43; out of these 23 (742%) were observed to be technically efficient constituting the “best practice frontier”. The other 8 (25.8%) provinces were technically inefficient. Conclusions: Health professionals and outpatient services are focused on higher income levels, while the Health Institutions and Beds in Health Institutions were concentrated on lower income levels. In China, a few provinces attained a basic balance in both equity and efficiency in terms of current health resource and service utilization, thus serving as a reference standard for other provinces.

Suggested Citation

  • Xinyu Zhang & Lin Zhao & Zhuang Cui & Yaogang Wang, 2015. "Study on Equity and Efficiency of Health Resources and Services Based on Key Indicators in China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(12), pages 1-15, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0144809
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144809
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    2. Bin Zhu & Chih-Wei Hsieh & Yue Zhang, 2018. "Incorporating Spatial Statistics into Examining Equity in Health Workforce Distribution: An Empirical Analysis in the Chinese Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-15, June.
    3. Fang Wu & Wei Chen & Lingling Lin & Xu Ren & Yingna Qu, 2022. "The Balanced Allocation of Medical and Health Resources in Urban Areas of China from the Perspective of Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Nanjing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-28, May.
    4. Peipei Chai & Quan Wan & Yohannes Kinfu, 2021. "Efficiency and productivity of health systems in prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in China, 2008–2015," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 22(2), pages 267-279, March.
    5. Kaili Zhong & Lv Chen & Sixiang Cheng & Hongjun Chen & Fei Long, 2020. "The Efficiency of Primary Health Care Institutions in the Counties of Hunan Province, China: Data from 2009 to 2017," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-15, March.
    6. Deng, Zhongqi & Jiang, Nan & Song, Shunfeng & Pang, Ruizhi, 2021. "Misallocation and price distortions: A revenue decomposition of medical service providers in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    7. Dongjin Chen & Youxing Lang, 2021. "The cream‐skimming effect in China's health care services: A mixed methods study," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(1), pages 113-133, January.
    8. Muhammad Shafiullah & Zhilun Jiao & Muhammad Shahbaz & Kangyin Dong, 2023. "Examining energy poverty in Chinese households: An Engel curve approach," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(1), pages 149-184, March.
    9. Yusi Cheng & Xuejie Bai & Yung‐Ho Chiu, 2023. "Performance evaluation for health‐care sectors using a dynamic network data envelopment analysis approach," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(4), pages 2237-2253, June.
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