ABSTRACT
Fairness, which is of special importance to health economy policies, has the following three major implications: fairness of the state of health, fairness of the delivery of health services and fairness of health fundraising. Traditional methods for measuring fairness include those of range, Lorentz curve, Jeany coefficient, difference index, and, for measuring unfairness, those of slope index, relative index and comprehensive curve. Recently WHO put forward 3 new fairness indexes and measurement methods, viz. measuring the fairness of residents health via the distribution index of child survival rate and disability adjusted life expectancy; measuring the fairness of the delivery of health services via reactivity; and measuring the fairness of health fundraising via the fairness and reasonableness index for the contributions of funds.
ABSTRACT
Fundraising policies on the part of both the supply and the requisitioning parties are currently the major health fundraising policies adopted by various countries in the world. Yet these policies, to a greater or lesser extent, failed to incorporate fairness, thus producing the following effects: apparent unfairness of health, hindrance to the accessibility and availability of health services as a result of unfair distribution of health resources, and additional unfairness brought about by rising medical expenses. In order to perfect health fundraising policies and enhance social fairness, it is imperative for us to attach importance to the delivery of basic medical services and preventive health care; health fundraising policies ought to favor more those weak groups of people, such as the poor and those with low incomes; and various forms of payment in advance should be actively promoted.
ABSTRACT
Efficiency, one of the key principles of economic assessment in the health service sector, has three implications: technical efficiency, cost efficiency and allocation efficiency. The paper gives an account of the various interpretations of some relevant concepts and different assessment methods. The following methods are frequently used to measure technical efficiency: ratio analysis, CPD, comprehensive index, DEA, etc. Economic efficiency is measured by production function while CEA, CUA and CBA are used to assess cost result. The major indexes for assessing allocation efficiency include the proportion between medical and preventive services, the proportion between basic and non basic medical services and the flow direction of total health expenses.
ABSTRACT
Objective To analyze the present situation of technical efficiency in TCM hospitals throughout the country, discuss the influencing factors causing inefficiency and propose corresponding suggestions. Methods The technical efficiency in 60 TCM hospitals in the country was analyzed using the stochastic frontier cost model for panel data and the influencing factors causing inefficiency were discussed using the multiple stepwise regression method. Results The average technical inefficiency was 22.59% and inefficiency showed an upward trend as the areas shifted from the eastern through the middle to the western regions. Five factors, including the utility rate of beds and the proportion of health technicians among the entire hospital staff, were statistically significant so far as the effect on the increase of the overall cost was concerned. Conclusion The stochastic frontier cost model for panel data is the best method for evaluating the technical efficiency in TCM hospitals. On the basis of the above analysis, suggestions for strengthening scientific management, improving the utility rate of resources and reducing unnecessary waste are put forward.