title: Measuring cost efficiency in the Nordic hospitals--a cross-sectional comparison of public hospitals in 2002.
abstract: The aim of this study was to compare the performance of hospital care in four Nordic countries: Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. Using national discharge registries and cost data from hospitals, cost efficiency in the production of somatic hospital care was calculated for public hospitals. Data were collected using harmonized definitions of inputs and outputs for 184 hospitals and data envelopment analysis was used to calculate Farrell efficiency estimates for the year 2002. Results suggest that there were marked differences in the average hospital efficiency between Nordic countries. In 2002, average efficiency was markedly higher in Finland compared to Norway and Sweden. This study found differences in cost efficiency that cannot be explained by input prices or differences in coding practices. More analysis is needed to reveal the causes of large efficiency disparities between Nordic hospitals.
authors.affiliation: THL, Center for Health and Social Economics, Helsinki, Finland. mika.linna@thl.fi
authors.forename: Miika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linna
authors.forename: Unto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Häkkinen
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peltola
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Magnussen
authors.forename: Kjartan S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Anthun
authors.forename: Sverre
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kittelsen
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roed
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Medin
authors.forename: Clas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rehnberg
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational / Q000191:economics*; D005387:Finland; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000191:economics*; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries