Innovation in hospital management: analysis of efficiency results of an portuguese hospital in a local health unit

Abstract

Objective: Verify that the change of the legal form of the Amato Lusitano Hospital and the simultaneous integration with primary care led to improved results in efficiency in their clinical services. Methodology: For evaluate the efficiency results, we used the technique of data envelopment analysis, considering as inputs the costs and as results the recorded production of each clinical service over a period of 15 years. Cost and production data were obtained through the Office of Management Support and the Accounting Office of the hospital. The sample included all clinical inpatient services, imagiology and clinical pathology. Results: The change of public management for corporate condition resulted in improvement in efficiency results, with 16 of the 17 services analyzed with an average increase of 19.0%. Conclusions: The adoption of business management and the local health unit model has been beneficial to the performance of clinical services, overall improvement in technical efficiency results.