Evaluation of the Efficiency in Public Health Centers in Greece Regarding the Human Resources Occupied: A Bootstrap Data Envelopment Analysis Application

In this paper, the overall efficiency of health centers in Greece is measured by applying the input-oriented model of Data Envelopment Analysis. In addition, four different models were subjected to the input-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis to investigate the contribution of each category of human resources to the efficiency results of the health centers. The bootstrap technique was performed to generate confidence intervals for the models. Data for 155 health centers in Greece were provided by the Ministry of Health. The health centers submitted in the analysis obtained an average efficiency value of 0.932. The average results of the partial models in terms of each input show that the efficiency values achieved by the health centers are mostly influenced by the number of physicians and the number of managers employed. The second factor influencing the efficiency values of the health centers are the number of nursing staff occupied in the health centers. Non-medical staff employed in the health centers had the least contribution to the efficiencies measured. This paper provides important information for the stakeholders and the Government of Greece so as to better allocate the personnel employed in primary health care according to the efficiencies attained by the health centers

Measuring technical efficiency of health centers in Greece : a data envelopment analysis application for the primary health system of Greece

PURPOSE: In this paper Data Envelopment Analysis will be applied to investigate the technical efficiency of 196 Heath Centers in Greece. The analysis is referred at their efficiency in the year 2018.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Data were collected by the Ministry of Health and were analyzed by performing quality tests to ensure validity and avoid bias. The method used is the non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis and more specifically the input-oriented, onestage VRS model. Tobit regression analysis was performed to analyze the effect of the Health Region in the efficiency of the Health Centers.FINDINGS: The results of the paper indicate the efficient Health Centers in Greece, which construct the efficient frontier. The inefficient Health Centers in Greece lie beneath the efficient frontier. Moreover, the 196 Health Centers included in the research were classified depending on the Health Region they belong to, to investigate the effect of the Health Regions in the efficiency measured.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: This study highlights the importance of measuring the efficiency of Primary Health Care. Taking into consideration the contribution of Health Centers to the National Health System, the results may be used as a guide for improvements for the efficiency of the Health Centers.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The research focus on the underestimated field of Primary Health Care and its importance. The application of Data Envelopment Analysis combined with the Tobit Regression Model reveals a new approach for measuring the efficiency.peer-reviewe