title: [Analysis of hospital efficiency determinants in Chile].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The knowledge of variables influencing hospital efficiency is of paramount importance to carry out initiatives of management improvement and optimization.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore on the hospital technical efficiency factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 255,439 hospital discharges from 28 hospitals from May to October 2011 were analyzed. The efficiency index developed by Santelices et al was calculated. Proxy variables of hospital practices, human resource productivity, strategic performance, financing mechanisms, geographical territory and specialization, were considered. The analysis was carried out estimating econometric models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most significant variables to explain efficiency are the length of stay adjusted by complexity, the discharges per nurse and midwife and the performance of the Hospital Balancea Score Card.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The suggested analysis contributes to identify hospital efficiency causes. The results suggest ways to improve performance of hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Desarrollo Estratégico, Ministerio de Salud, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Santelices C
authors.forename: Héctor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ormeño C
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delgado S
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lui M
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valdés V
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Durán C
mesh_terms: D002677:Chile; D004469:Economics, Hospital; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D017059:Models, Econometric