Efficiency of public hospital services in the state of Pará: An analysis based on the DEA method

Abstract

The present study has as its theme "the efficiency of public hospital services in the state of Pará: an analysis based on the DEA method", and its objective is to evaluate the degree of efficiency of the public services offered by medium and high complexity hospitals in the state of Pará. The methodology adopted is a quantitative analysis based on the DEA model, which allows comparing characteristics of the physical, financial and organizational structure of 25 hospitals with more than 50 beds available in 2019, for the interpretation and discussion of the results. The analysis allowed, in a preliminary way, to show that the management of hospitals managed by social health organizations does not present such a differentiated pattern in relation to the average behavior of the group, even though such hospitals are using a diversified set of hospital equipment. It was also found that there is a differential in monetary costs to which hospitals are subject, about the contracting of services. Apparently, some hospitals of the Direct Administration incurred slightly higher costs than those directed by the social health organizations. The results also showed that both under the hypothesis of constant returns (CCR model – Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes), and variable returns (BCC model – Banker, Charnes and Cooper), five hospitals exhibit maximum efficiency scores equivalent to or very close to 1, three of which are subject to direct administration by the State and only two whose management was subordinated to OSS. In view of the above, the main result of this study indicated that of the 12 decision-making units considered efficient in the DEA BCC model, only four had their management carried out by OSS, while in the DEA CCR model, of the five units that reached the maximum efficiency score, only two were subject to social health organizations. Therefore, it cannot be categorically stated that most hospitals managed by OSS can be considered efficient.