title: The Technical Efficiency of Earthquake Medical Rapid Response Teams Following Disasters: The Case of the 2010 Yushu Earthquake in China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Performance assessments of earthquake medical rapid response teams (EMRRTs), particularly the first responders deployed to the hardest hit areas following major earthquakes, should consider efficient and effective use of resources. This study assesses the daily technical efficiency of EMRRTs in the emergency period immediately following the 2010 Yushu earthquake in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on EMRRTs were obtained from official daily reports of the general headquarters for Yushu earthquake relief, the emergency office of the National Ministry of Health, and the Health Department of Qinghai Province, for a sample of data on 15 EMRRTs over 62 days. Data envelopment analysis was used to examine the technical efficiency in a constant returns to scale model, a variable returns to scale model, and the scale efficiency of EMRRTs. Tobit regression was applied to analyze the effects of corresponding influencing factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average technical efficiency scores under constant returns to scale, variable returns to scale, and the scale efficiency scores of the 62 units of analysis were 77.95%, 89.00%, and 87.47%, respectively. The staff-to-bed ratio was significantly related to global technical efficiency. The date of rescue was significantly related to pure technical efficiency. The type of institution to which an EMRRT belonged and the staff-to-bed ratio were significantly related to scale efficiency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides evidence that supports improvements to EMRRT efficiency and serves as a reference for earthquake emergency medical rapid assistance leaders and teams.
authors.affiliation: Department of Military Health Management, College of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China. aqualau@126.com.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Military Health Management, College of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China. mangotangbihan@126.com.
authors.forename: Bihan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Affairs, Second Artillery General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100088, China. yanghy1986@163.com.
authors.forename: Hongyang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Military Health Management, College of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China. yawnlau@126.com.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Military Health Management, College of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China. xue1990chen@163.com.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Department of Military Health Management, College of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China. zllrmit@163.com.
authors.forename: Lulu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational / Q000592:standards*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D018635:Rescue Work / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Yushu earthquake; data envelopment analysis; earthquake medical response team; technical efficiency; tobit regression