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Measuring performance in the presence of stochastic demand for hospital services: an analysis of Belgian general care hospitals

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  • Mike Smet

Abstract

Since demand for hospital services is subject to substantial variability, the relationship between uncertain demand, excess capacity, hospital costs and performance should be investigated thoroughly. In this paper a waiting time indicator to proxy hospital standby capacity is incorporated into a multi-product translog cost function for Belgian general care hospitals. The indicator is derived from queuing theory and improves on the conventionally used (inverse of the) occupancy rate. The multi-product stochastic frontier specification allows calculation of cost elasticities and marginal cost of seven hospital departments, as well as the degree of economies of scale and scope and enables identification of differences in efficiency. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007

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  • Mike Smet, 2007. "Measuring performance in the presence of stochastic demand for hospital services: an analysis of Belgian general care hospitals," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 13-29, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jproda:v:27:y:2007:i:1:p:13-29
    DOI: 10.1007/s11123-006-0021-7
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    Cited by:

    1. C. O’Donnell & K. Nguyen, 2013. "An econometric approach to estimating support prices and measures of productivity change in public hospitals," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 40(3), pages 323-335, December.
    2. Stefan Meyer, 2015. "Payment schemes and cost efficiency: evidence from Swiss public hospitals," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 73-97, March.
    3. Jos Blank & Evelien Eggink, 2014. "The impact of policy on hospital productivity: a time series analysis of Dutch hospitals," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 139-149, June.
    4. Parmeter, Christopher F., 2021. "Is it MOLS or COLS?," Efficiency Series Papers 2021/04, University of Oviedo, Department of Economics, Oviedo Efficiency Group (OEG).
    5. Brandon Pope & Andrew Johnson, 2013. "Returns to scope: a metric for production synergies demonstrated for hospital production," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 239-250, October.
    6. Buzzacchi, Luigi & Scellato, Giuseppe & Ughetto, Elisa, 2016. "Frequency of medical malpractice claims: The effects of volumes and specialties," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 152-160.
    7. Kim-Huong Nguyen & Tim Coelli, 2009. "Quantifying the effects of modelling choices on hospital efficiency measures: A meta-regression analysis," CEPA Working Papers Series WP072009, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    8. Alvaro Almeida & Joana Cima, 2013. "Demand Uncertainty and Hospital Costs: an Application to Portuguese NHS Hospitals," FEP Working Papers 499, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    9. C. A. Knox Lovell & Ana Rodríguez‐Álvarez & Alan Wall, 2009. "The effects of stochastic demand and expense preference behaviour on public hospital costs and excess capacity," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(2), pages 227-235, February.
    10. Alvaro Almeida & Joana Cima, 2015. "Demand uncertainty and hospital costs: an application to Portuguese public hospitals," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 16(1), pages 35-45, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Hospital costs; Stochastic demand; Efficiency; Productivity; Stochastic frontier analysis; Econometrics; Queuing theory; Multi-product cost function; C01; C13; C21; D24; H51; l11; l12;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C01 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - General - - - Econometrics
    • C13 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Estimation: General
    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health

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