A study on healthcare supply chain management efficiency: using bootstrap data envelopment analysis.

Abstract

The aims of this study are to analyze the efficiency of players comprising the healthcare supply chain comparatively, and to investigate the relationship between these different types of efficiency, eventually seeking the way to optimize a healthcare supply chain. To achieve the aims, the players comprising a healthcare supply chain are classified either into manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers based on industry, or into the healthcare system and the non-healthcare system based on the system. The subjects are medical institutions comprising a healthcare supply chain. They have been selected as "The Healthcare Supply Chain Top 25" by Gartner for 5years in a row from 2012 to 2016. The bootstrap data envelopment analysis (DEA) and correlation analysis are used. The results are as follows. Players with relatively high competitive efficiency (wholesalers and retailers) can achieve high managerial efficiency even if they pay relatively less attention to supply chain efficiency while players with low competitive efficiency (manufacturers and distributors) should focus on supply chain efficiency to maintain managerial efficiency. In the healthcare system, no significant correlation was observed between managerial efficiency, supply chain efficiency and competitive efficiency. However, the analysis showed that there was a significant positive correlation between the managerial efficiency and the competitive efficiency in the non-healthcare system. This study expands the field of the healthcare supply chain management efficiency.