Technical efficiency in primary health care: does quality matter?

The accuracy required in the measurement of output is an issue that has as yet still not been satisfactorily addressed in empirical research on efficiency in primary health care. We exploit information retrieved from a newly constructed database (APEX06) for the Spanish region of Extremadura. The richness of our dataset allows us to consider original synthetic measures of output that take into account both the quantity and the quality of services provided by 85 primary care centres (PCCs) in 2006. We provide evidence that neglecting the issue of properly accounting for the quality of health services can lead to misleading results. Our main finding is that adjusting output for quality influences efficiency analysis in three senses. First, inefficiency now explains relatively more of the deviation from the potential output. Second, the average technical efficiency in the sector is lower, while its dispersion among PCCs is significantly higher. And third, the efficiency ranking of the PCCs is also affected.Primary Health Care; Stochastic Frontier Analysis; Technical Efficiency; Quality

The Use of Parametric and Non Parametric Frontier Methods to Measure the Productive Efficiency in the Industrial Sector. A Comparative Study

Parametric frontier models and non-parametric methods have monopolised the recent literature on productive efficiency measurement. Empirical applications have usually dealt with either one or the other group of techniques. This paper applies a range of both types of approaches to an industrial organisation setup. The joint use can improve the accuracy of both, although some methodological difficulties can arise. The robustness of different methods in ranking productive units allows us to make an comparative analysis of them. Empirical results concern productive and market demand structure, returns-to-scale, and productive inefficiency sources. The techniques are illustrated using data from the US electric power industry.Productive efficiency; parametric frontiers; DEA; industrial sector

An active learning experience in regional and urban economics

El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar una experiencia docente encaminada a favorecer el desarrollo de un conjunto de competencias transversales tales como la capacidad de análisis y síntesis, el trabajo en grupo, la comunicación oral y escrita o la capacidad de organización y planificación. La experiencia docente que presentamos se ha llevado a cabo en el ámbito curricular del Grado en Economía impartido en la Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales de la Universidad de Extremadura. La metodología de trabajo incluye dos innovaciones docentes significativas: el empleo de técnicas de Aprendizaje Cooperativo y la utilización de Rúbricas para la evaluación de actividades. Los resultados muestran una metodología de enseñanza-aprendizaje con un alto valor añadido.The aim of this paper is to present an educational experience led to promoting the development of a set of generic skills such as the ability to analyze and synthesize, the teamwork, the oral and written communication or the ability to organize and plan. This teaching experience was carried out regarding the Degree in Economics taught at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Extremadura. The methodological approach includes two significant educational innovations: the use of Cooperative Learning techniques and the usage of Rubrics for evaluating the activities. The results show a teaching- learning methodology with a high added value.peerReviewe

Diagnóstico financiero y valoración empresarial de CORASA

La valuación de empresas es una necesidad constante en todos los ramos productivos -- Los Tratados de Libre comercio han incrementado la competencia para las compañías Colombianas en estos últimos años -- Especialmente el de la mano de obra menos calificada, la construcción presenta características muy especiales que dificultan los procesos de valuación, como un mercado muy peculiar y la gran fluctuación de la actividad, por lo que se necesita hacer uso de un método que supere éste tipo de obstáculos, el cual amenaza altamente a CORASA, puesto que dicha propensión tiende a reducir la rentabilidad de las compañías que no hayan previsto las estrategias apropiadas para sortear estos cambios -- La generación de valor para la empresa implica, principalmente, utilidades para los accionistas, rendimientos de capital superiores a la competencia, niveles de crecimiento sostenibles, y la administración de riesgos de forma activa -- Visto de otro modo, la empresa que no genera valor, no es sostenible a largo plazo -- Actualmente CORASA no solo ofrece la construcción de vivienda de interés general ya que a su vez se beneficia de los diferentes programas ofrecidos por el gobierno como son las Viviendas de Interés Prioritario – VIP y Vivienda de Interés Social – VIS -- Su como objetivo principal de esta es la prestación de los servicios profesionales en materias de la ingeniería y arquitectura particularmente especializados en vivienda de todos los estrato

Technical efficiency in primary health care: does quality matter?

The accuracy required in the measurement of output is an issue that has as yet still not been satisfactorily addressed in empirical research on efficiency in primary health care. We exploit information retrieved from a newly constructed database (APEX06) for the Spanish region of Extremadura. The richness of our dataset allows us to consider original synthetic measures of output that take into account both the quantity and the quality of services provided by 85 primary care centres (PCCs) in 2006. We provide evidence that neglecting the issue of properly accounting for the quality of health services can lead to misleading results. Our main finding is that adjusting output for quality influences efficiency analysis in three senses. First, inefficiency now explains relatively more of the deviation from the potential output. Second, the average technical efficiency in the sector is lower, while its dispersion among PCCs is significantly higher. And third, the efficiency ranking of the PCCs is also affected

Technical efficiency in primary health care: does quality matter?

The accuracy required in the measurement of output is an issue that has as yet still not been satisfactorily addressed in empirical research on efficiency in primary health care. We exploit information retrieved from a newly constructed database (APEX06) for the Spanish region of Extremadura. The richness of our dataset allows us to consider original synthetic measures of output that take into account both the quantity and the quality of services provided by 85 primary care centres (PCCs) in 2006. We provide evidence that neglecting the issue of properly accounting for the quality of health services can lead to misleading results. Our main finding is that adjusting output for quality influences efficiency analysis in three senses. First, inefficiency now explains relatively more of the deviation from the potential output. Second, the average technical efficiency in the sector is lower, while its dispersion among PCCs is significantly higher. And third, the efficiency ranking of the PCCs is also affected

Analysis of the Territorial Efficiency of European Funds as an Instrument to Reduce Labor Gender Differences

Gender equality has been one of the goals of the European Union since 1957. Article 157 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union authorizes the European Parliament and the Council to adopt all those measures that guarantee the application of the principle of equality opportunities and equal treatment for men and women in employment and occupation matters. The main goal of this article was to determine whether the use of European Funds by Eurozone countries has made it possible to reduce labor differences in gender matters. To this end, the efficiency levels of the Funds are analyzed in two different periods, 2007 to 2013 and 2014 to 2020. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a methodology frequently used by researchers in efficiency analyses, was applied. Among the main conclusions obtained are that the efficiency levels from the period 2014 to 2020 have been higher than that obtained in the previous period, but there are significant and persistent differences over time in the levels of gender efficiency between the different countries of the Eurozone

Caracterización molecular con microsatélites aleatorios rams de la colección de mora, rubus spp, de la universidad nacional de colombia sede palmira

Se estudiaron 36 accesiones, 31 de Rubus glaucus, 3 de R. urticifolius y 2 de R. robustus, mediante marcadores Microsatélites Aleatorios RAMs. Los seis cebadores produjeron 43 bandas polimórficas con pesos moleculares entre 260 y 1500 Kb. El análisis RAMs a un nivel de similitud del 55% diferenció la población en seis grupos de acuerdo con la especie, y relacionó el origen geográfico de R. glaucus e identificó materiales similares de R. robustus. Se encontró un valor de 0.40 de similitud entre materiales silvestres de R. urticifolius y los de R. glaucus; R. robustus presentó el nivel más bajo de similitud 0.25. Según el agrupamiento de las accesiones de acuerdo con el sitio de colecta, el corregimiento de Juntas, vereda La Cecilia (Valle del Cauca), exhibió amplia diversidad y variación entre individuos dentro de las procedencias. ABSTRACT Molecular characterization with random microsatellites rams of the collection of Rubus spp, of the national university of Colombia- Palmira. 36 accesions were studied, 31 belong to the Rubus glaucus species, 3 at R. urticifolius and 2 to R. robustus, by means of markers Random Microsatellite RAMs. The six primers produced 43 polymorphics bands with molecular weights between 260 and 1500 Kb. The RAMs analysis allowed at a level of similarity of 55% differentiating the population in six groups agree with the specie, and to relate the geographical origin of R. glaucus in the group in which they are, and it also identified materials of R. robustus very similar inside the collection. It was a value of 0.40 of similar between the wild materials of R. urticifolius and those belonging to the species R. glaucus, as long as the species R. robustus presented the lowest level in similarity 0.25. The clusters with the collection place suggests that Juntas, Cecilia (Valle del Cauca) it is place that exhibits wide diversity, also evidencing variation among individuals inside the origins. Key words: Rubus glaucus, R. urticifolius, R. robustus, biodiversity, genetic markers, RAMs