[Evaluating the influence of hospital size on respiratory health care efficiency in Andalusia].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the influence of hospital size on efficient delivery of health care to patients admitted with respiratory problems in Andalusia (Spain).


METHODS
From the minimal data base of all public hospital releases from Andalusia for 1994 and 1995, we identified patients whose main diagnosis involved respiratory complaints as shown by diagnosis-related grouper AP-DRG-10.0, excluding patients aged under 15 years. A functional index for each hospital was calculated to estimate hospital efficiency; a case-mix index was used to express the complexity of cases attended.


RESULTS
1) The case-mix indexes of the hospitals studied were not significantly different. Functional indexes were positively related to hospital size.


CONCLUSIONS
1) In Andalusia, case complexity does not increase with the size of public hospital. 2) Larger hospital size led to decreased efficiency in caring for respiratory patients in the population and period under study.
Galán González-Serna
J M
JM
Servicio de Neumología, Hospital San Juan de Dios. jmgalán@eintec.es
Rodríguez Becerra
E
E
Llanes Ruiz
F
F
Rosado Martín
M
M
Castillo Gómez
J
J
D000328:Adult; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain
Evaluación de la influencia del tamaño del hospital sobre la eficiencia asistencial neumológica en Andalucía.