Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The measurement of efficiency and productivity of health care delivery
AU - Hollingsworth, Bruce
PY - 2008/10
Y1 - 2008/10
N2 - The measurement of efficiency and productivity of health service delivery has become a small industry. This is a review of 317 published papers on frontier efficiency measurement. The techniques used are mainly based on non-parametric data envelopment analysis, but there is increasing use of parametric techniques, such as stochastic frontier analysis. Applications to hospitals and other health care organizations and areas are reviewed and summarised, and some meta-type analysis undertaken. Cautious conclusions are that public provision may be potentially more efficient than private, in certain settings. The paper also considers conceptualizations of efficiency, and points to dangers and opportunities in generating such information. Finally, some criteria for assessing the use and usefulness of efficiency studies are established, with a view to helping both researchers and those assessing whether or not to act upon published results.
AB - The measurement of efficiency and productivity of health service delivery has become a small industry. This is a review of 317 published papers on frontier efficiency measurement. The techniques used are mainly based on non-parametric data envelopment analysis, but there is increasing use of parametric techniques, such as stochastic frontier analysis. Applications to hospitals and other health care organizations and areas are reviewed and summarised, and some meta-type analysis undertaken. Cautious conclusions are that public provision may be potentially more efficient than private, in certain settings. The paper also considers conceptualizations of efficiency, and points to dangers and opportunities in generating such information. Finally, some criteria for assessing the use and usefulness of efficiency studies are established, with a view to helping both researchers and those assessing whether or not to act upon published results.
KW - efficiency measurement
KW - productivity
KW - health care
KW - parametric
KW - non-parametric
KW - stochastic frontiers
KW - data envelopment analysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=57349184601&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/hec.1391
DO - 10.1002/hec.1391
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:57349184601
VL - 17
SP - 1107
EP - 1128
JO - Health Economics
JF - Health Economics
SN - 1057-9230
IS - 10
ER -