Factors affecting the technical efficiency of general hospitals in Iran: data envelopment analysis.
BACKGROUND
Restrictions on resource accessibility and its optimal application is the main challenge in organizations nowadays. The aim of this research was to study the technical efficiency and its related factors in Tehran general hospitals.


METHODS
This descriptive analytical study was conducted retrospectively in 2014. Fifty-four hospitals with private, university, and social security ownerships from the total 110 general hospitals were randomly selected for inclusion into this study on the basis of the share of ownership. Data were collected using a checklist with three sections, including background variables, inputs, and outputs.


RESULTS
Seventeen (31.48%) hospitals had an efficiency score of 1 (highest efficiency score). The highest average efficiency score was in social security hospitals (84.32). Private and university hospitals ranked next with an average of 84.29 and 79.64, respectively. Analytical results showed that there was a significant relationship between hospital ownership, hospital type in terms of duty and specialization, educational field of the chief executive officer, and technical efficiency. There was no significant relationship between education level of hospital manager and technical efficiency.


CONCLUSIONS
Most of the studied hospitals were operating at low efficiency. Therefore, policymakers should plan to improve the hospital operations and promote hospitals to an optimal level of efficiency.
aSocial Determinants of Health Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin bResearch Center for Health Services Management, Institute for Future Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman cStudent Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Science, Tabriz dHealth Human Resources Research Center, School of Management & Information Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz eDepartment of Health Management and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Rohollah
R
Kalhor
Saeed
S
Amini
Mobin
M
Sokhanvar
Farhad
F
Lotfi
Marziye
M
Sharifi
Edris
E
Kakemam
D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005260:Female; D005377:Financial Management, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D010067:Ownership; D012189:Retrospective Studies