title: Comparing performance of Tabriz obstetrics and gynaecology hospitals managed as autonomous and budgetary units using Pabon Lasso method.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Considering governmental scrutiny and financial constraints in medicine, the need for improved performance, which can provide acceptable care for medical consumers, leads to the conduct of new managerial methods to improve effectiveness.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to compare performance indicators of obstetrics and gynaecology teaching hospitals in Tabriz.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal, retrospective study was conducted to compare performance indexes of Tabriz obstetrics and gynaecology teaching hospitals during 2010-2012. Al-Zahra is Tabriz's central teaching hospital in obstetrics and gynaecology that is authorised under a board of trustees as an autonomous hospital and Taleghani hospital is managed under centralised administration. Study variables included: Average Length of Stay (ALOS), Bed Occupancy Rate (BOR), and Bed Turnover Ratio (BTR). The data was extracted via the Hospital Information Systems (HIS) within the hospitals' admission and discharge units. Pabon Lasso model was used to assess hospital performance. Data was analysed and graphs were plotted using the SPSS-17 software package.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to study findings, overall ALOS in Al-Zahra hospital is 3.15 (2.15) days (1.88 (0.97) days for prenatal wards and 6.13 (0.97) days for neonatal wards) and ALOS in Taleghani Hospital is 3.37 (3.09) days (1.74 (0.14) days for perinatal wards and 5.96 (3.55) days for neonatal wards). In this regard, Al-Zahra hospital holds the maximum BOR with 86.92 per cent and the minimum BOR was attributed to Taleghani hospital at 68.44 per cent (P<0.001). Study findings indicate that BOR in neonatal wards is greater than prenatal wards. On the other hand, BOR in Al-Zahra is greater than Taleghani (P<0.001), whereas BOR trend shows an increasing pattern in both hospitals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of this study showed that the performance of Al- Zahra Hospital is better than Taleghani Hospital. These two hospitals are similar in different aspects except Al-Zahra is under a board of trustees and Taleghani is not. We should also consider that Al-Zahra Hospital has more facilities than Taleghani.
authors.affiliation: Iranian Centre of Excellence in Health Management, Departmant of Health Services Management, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Kamal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gholipour
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Management, Health Management and Economic Research Centres, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Bahram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Delgoshai
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Management, Science & Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Iravan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Masudi-Asl
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Management, Science & Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Kamran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hajinabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Management, Health Management and Economic Research Centres, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Health Services Management, Science & Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shabnam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iezadi
keywords: Administration Models; Autonomisation; Obstetrics and Gynaecology hospital; Pabon Lasso; Performance