Determining the Technical Efficiency of Hospitals in Tabriz City Using Data Envelopment Analysis for 2013-2014

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to evaluate the technical efficiency of hospitals (training and non-training hospitals of Tabriz city) affiliated with the Medical Science University, based on performance indicators and mathematical model of data envelopment analysis (DEA) in 2014.

METHODS: The present research is a cross sectional study conducted to assess the scale, technical and managerial efficiency of hospitals from2013 to2014. Then, a comparison of the collected data was made among the hospitals under study. The model of minimization of production factors and variable return was used in analyzing the data.

RESULTS: The collected information included two input groups which consisted of the number of physicians (general physicians and specialists), total personnel and active beds, and output groups which consisted of the number of out-patients and bed occupancy rate. Then, the technical, scale and managerial efficiency of the hospitals were calculated and the efficient (Performance Coefficient of E =1) and inefficient (below 1) hospitals were obtained. The average technical, scale and managerial efficiencies in both 2013 and 2014 was equal to 0.817, 0.956 and 0.856, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Hospitals having lower efficiency can model efficient reference hospitals, so as to increase their performance and also approach the efficiency border by better management of human and financial resources.