Outcome analysis of capitation payment as used in hospital delivery / 中华医院管理杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the impact of capitation payment on obstetric indicators for the maternity insurance of urban workers in Yinchuan city.Methods Collection of indicators on lying-in women hospitalized at the obstetrics departments of designated hospitals in Yinchuan,in the period of 2011 to 2012 when the capitation payment was put in place.Such indicators include the percentage of uterine-incision delivery,diagnostics and therapeutic expenses,drug expenses,and average days of stay,along with mortality of pregnant and lying-in women and that of newborns,which are used as indicators to measure quality of care.Results The capitation payment policy has witnessed drops in the percentage of uterine-incision delivery,cost per inpatient,drug expenses per inpatient and average days of stay among urban workers covered by the insurance.The drops amount to 10％ for cost per inpatient and 45％ for drug expenses per inpatient.The differences found in pregnant and lying-in women are not statistically significant.Conclusion Capitation payment is conducive to dropping the percentage of uterine-incision delivery and medical expenses,and saving medical insurance payment,for the sake of optimal use of healthcare resources.