Evaluating the performance of Brazilian university hospitals

• Published in: Annals of operations research 2010-07, Vol.178 (1), p.247-261
• Main Authors: Ozcan, Yasar A., Lins, Marcos E., Lobo, Maria Stella C., da Silva, Angela Cristina M., Fiszman, Roberto, Pereira, Basilio B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Brazil; Business and Management; Case studies; Combinatorics; Computer programs; Data envelopment analysis; Decision-making; Education; Expenditures; Funding; Graduate students; Health care expenditures; Health care policy; Health maintenance organizations; HMOs; Hospitals; Medicaid; Medical; Medical education; Operations research; Operations Research/Decision Theory; Policies; Productivity; Prospective payment systems; Software; Studies; Teaching; Teaching hospitals; Theory of Computation
• ISSN: 0254-5330; 1572-9338
• DOI: 10.1007/s10479-009-0528-1

In order to demonstrate how DEA modeling can be helpful to aid decision making relative to the Brazilian Teaching Hospital Policy by means of hospital performance assessment, we develop a case study with 30 general hospitals linked to Brazilian Federal Universities. We consider data on medical care (Medical Model—MM), teaching and research (Teaching-Research Model—TRM) and use the software IDEAL (Interactive Data Envelopment Analysis Laboratory) as a tool for the units’ efficiency evaluation. IDEAL, developed in Brazil, is unique in providing a 3-D frontiers visualization, assisting in exploratory analysis and allowing a better understanding of the DEA modeling (envelopment and multiplier). Both models are input-oriented and each hospital is categorized according to its relative efficiency in the MM and TRM. In this phase, it is very important to discuss with the decision-makers the results and patterns of the DEA models. Finally, the modelling indicates the necessary changes for the inefficient units and generates recommendations for teaching ratios and public financing.