Reducing health care costs by rationalizing staffing in primary care settings

ABSTRACT

Jordan spends around 9% of its GDP on health care services, a high figure compared with similar developing countries. This study assessed staffing patterns in relation to Ministry of Health expenditures in a nationally representative sample of 97 primary care facilities. The economic costs of primary care facilities amounted to Jordanian dinar [JD] 42.3 million. Personnel costs consumed 53.8% of recurrent costs and in monetary terms the amount of down time [time not being used effectively] amounted to JD 9.7 million [about US$ 13.7 million]. The Ministry should consider changing the functioning of its primary care facilities to obtain a more cost-effective use of staff time