title: Does money really matter? The effects of fiscal margin on quality of care in military treatment facilities.
abstract: This study was prompted by an escalating interest in the quality of healthcare provided within the United States. The authors hypothesized that one determinant of quality is the adequacy of financial resources available to the healthcare organization. The authors addressed their question by using data from two Defense Department sources: the 2003 Health Care Survey of Defense Department Beneficiaries (HCSDB) and 1999-2003 data from the Department of Defense Medical Expense Performance Reporting System (MEPRS). The authors used a measure of military treatment facility fiscal margin to predict seven Consumer Assessment of Health Plan Satisfaction (CAHPS) quality dimensions. Regression analysis and multilevel modeling are the primary statistical methods. Results indicate a significant and positive association between organizational financial strength and quality outcomes. This finding indicates that organizations with more financial flexibility may be more adept at meeting or exceeding patient care expectations.
authors: Penn State University, PA, USA.
authors: Brad
authors: B
authors: Beauvais
authors: Rebecca
authors: R
authors: Wells
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Vasey
authors: Jami L
authors: JL
authors: DelliFraine
mesh_terms: D002017:Budgets; D019992:Databases as Topic; D005375:Financial Audit; D005377:Financial Management, Hospital; D006772:Hospitals, Military / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014481:United States