Research On The Efficiency Of Medical Services To Township Hospitals In Western Region Of China

PurposeOn the basis of analysing the operating conditions and the medical efficiency of theTownship Hospitals in the sample areas, the purpose of this study is to determine the DEAevaluation index of the efficiency of medical services in Western Region of THs by usingthe clustering methodology, and use the method of Data Envelopment Analysis to compareand analysis efficiency of THs in the Western Region from2008to2010, and to discuss thestatus of medical services and optimization plan of THs in the area, and provides statisticsupport and policy recommendations for the government in policy-making.MethodsIn this study, health management, health statistics and other methods are used, Byadopting the combination of subjective and objective way to evaluate medical serviceefficiency of THs in the Western Region. The main research methods include: literatureresearch methods, empirical research methods, descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, dataenvelopment analysis method.ResultsBasic situation of THs in the area being investigated: In2008,the annual average realnumber of open beds of19THs was18.16, Average of1.2965million yuan in fixed assets,the average number of active employees and the number of doctors were16.84and6.89,Most of the surveyed THs in terms of scale have been expanded, in2010,19THs had rapiddevelopment, which the average growth rate of fixed assets in Wu er qi and Ka Er sai THwas12.37%, the number of active employees and the number of doctors essentiallyunchanged.Medical efficiency of THs in the area being investigated: In2008, outpatient andemergency department volume, discharged conditions, bed utilization rate and bed turns ofthe19THs were in significant differences, but There was so little difference on the index of average length of stay in the19THs. In2010, Ka Er sai THs have significantly reduced theamount of outpatient and emergency Other THs had not so much difference from theprevious two years.Economic situation of THs in the area being investigated: In2008, average grossincome of19THs was884400Yuan, and average of total spendings was892100Yuan, theworkers’ per capita annual business income was16700yuan on average, of which doctorsper capita annual business revenue reached396million Yuan.2009,19township hospitalssurveyed in gross income has increased.In2010, in basis of the former one year, h t eindicators of the surveyed THs remained relatively stable growth, the average of the grossincome continued to grow, reaching1.4595million Yuan, but part of the total expenditureincreased and the workers per capita revenue and doctors per capita revenue weredecreased.Medical burden of the residents in the area being investigated: in2008，the averageoutpatient expenses per time of19THs was33.48Yuan, the average cost of discharge dailyhospitalization is165.52Yuan.2009, there was no great changes in outpatient expenses pertime. Compared to2009, in2010, the outpatient expenses per time of Bai Yanhua, SuDulun TH Decreased obviously, but the Shuangshu and other THs had a certain degree ofrise, but there was little changes in the daily average cost of inpatient.DEA analysis results: In2008,6THs returns to scale are in the best conditions(technical efficiency and scale efficiency are1) they are under a state of optimal scalereward and the scale reward stays the same.3THs are non-DEA effective decision-makingunits (the overall efficiency is less than1and it’s coursed by the relatively ineffective oftechnical efficiency and scale efficiency). In2009, there are7THs in the best conditions(technical efficiency and scale efficiency are1), and3THs are non-DEA effectivedecision-making units. In2010, there are5THs in the best conditions (technical efficiencyand scale efficiency are1), and4THs are non-DEA effective decision-making units. ConclusionsBy analysing the status of medical services and efficiency of the sample THs, wefound that the THs in the Western Region have the following problems:(1) Infrastructures of The THs in the Western Region are lagging behind.(2) THs in the Western Region are lacking of health funding and appropriateregulatory.(3) Essential Medicines System in the Western Region needs to be improved.(4) The situation of human resources in the THs of Western Region is not ideal.(5) The utilization of beds in the THs of Western Region needs to be improved.The following policy recommendations are giving to improve the efficiency ofmedical services:(1) To strengthen the infrastructure of THs in Western Region.(2) To increase the input of funds, and to establish the appropriate regulatorymechanism of funds.(3) To improve the Essential Medicine System in the Western Region.(4) To steadily accelerate the beds turnaround times, and to improve the bed occupancyrate of the THs in the Western Region.(5) To gradual improve the allocation of human resources of the THs in the WesternRegion.Innovation：In this study, we evaluate the efficiency of medical services of THs in the westernregion for three consecutive years as the first time, and propose an optimization programfor medical service efficiency from the perspective of optimizing, to provide data supportand basis for follow-up study.