title: Efficiency. Measured response.
abstract: An analysis of the activity of 75 acute hospitals over the period 1991-96 using data envelopment analysis shows that, while overall productivity increased, the efficiency of individual hospitals did not. A small decrease in the efficiency of individual hospitals was found in the last four years studied. An analysis of quality of care over the same period suggests that gains in volume of services may have been at the expense of quality of care. The results suggest that incentives for increasing hospital efficiency have a one-off impact rather than a sustained effect.
authors.affiliation: Newcastle University.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hollingsworth
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maniadakis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thanassoulis
mesh_terms: D017598:Efficiency, Organizational / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000458:organization & administration; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods*; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D012107:Research Design; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration; D006113:United Kingdom