title: Data envelopment analysis comparison of hospital efficiency and quality.
abstract: Using a sample of Virginia hospitals, performance measures of quality were examined as they related to technical efficiency. Efficiency scores for the study hospitals were computed using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The study found that the technically efficient hospitals were performing well as far as quality measures were concerned. Some of the technically inefficient hospitals were also performing well with respect to quality. DEA can be used to benchmark both dimensions of hospital performance: technical efficiency and quality. The results have policy implications in view of growing concern that hospitals may be improving their efficiency at the expense of quality.
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research and Administration, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-4350, USA. pnayar@unmc.edu
authors.forename: Preethy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nayar
authors.forename: Yasar A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Ozcan
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019985:Benchmarking; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004469:Economics, Hospital; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006753:Hospital Records; D006761:Hospitals / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008330:Management Audit / Q000379:methods; D006278:Medicare; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States; D014768:Virginia
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents