ABSTRACT
Background and Aims: Hospitals are the most important centers that provide health services in the country. They have to use scientific and efficient management at all levels for promoting health. Intensive care units [ICU] are one of the most sensitive parts of the hospitals; therefore, paying attention to its efficiency is of particular importance. The purpose of this paper was to estimate the technical efficiency of intensive care units in teaching hospitals in Kerman, Iran
Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was done in 2009 in Kerman teaching hospitals. Input variables included the number of staff [physicians, nurses and other staff], number of equipments, number of beds and output variables include the percentage of bed occupancy. Data were collected by checklists and forms built by the researchers and were analyzed by applying stochastic frontier analysis [SFA] by the Frontier 4.1 software
Results: The results of stochastic frontier analysis in intensive care unit showed that the capacity to improve efficiency of intensive care units in these hospitals could increase to 21% [compared with the most efficient hospitals in the studied population]. The ICU No. 3 of Bahonar Hospital had the lowest technical efficiency [0.414] in April and maximum technical efficiency was of Afzalipour Hospital intensive care unit in January [0.951]; Moreover, given minor elasticity coefficients indicated that their sum was more than one, and as a result, it showed a rising in productivity scale
Conclusion: Results of analysis of surplus and an additional use of inputs produced in intensive care units suggested that efficiency achieved in August was more than the other months; it is noteworthy that the average of technical efficiency in these sectors has not have a stable process
ABSTRACT
Activity Based Costing is widely used as a cost measurement instrument to more closely approximate the true cost of operations. This study was aimed to estimate radiology services total cost in Shafa hospital, Kerman. This practical research was done by descriptive method in a Cross-sectional and retrospective form during year 2010. Data was collected trough direct observation, interviews and information sheets of hospital. Cost price of radiology services calculated by using activity based costing method and Excell software. Personnel cost involved 55.70% from total costs in the radiology department that is the highest share of department costs. Consuming materials obtained 7/57% of department costs. Nutrition cost's share was 1/23%. Water, electricity and telephone costs were/32% from total cost. Also, the depreciation cost equals 14/96% of total costs. Total cost in this ward was 1396273212 Rials from which 97/68% is related to direct costs and 2/32% to indirect costs. The results of research indicated that we can reduce the services cost price by improving performance management, especially human resource management initiatives and standardization of consumptions to reduce the consuming materials coat