A DEA methodology to evaluate multidimensional quality performance in hospitals
by Chris McDermott; Liam O'Neill; Gregory Stock; Hesna Muge Yayla-Kullu
International Journal of Services Sciences (IJSSCI), Vol. 5, No. 1, 2013

Abstract: Research into hospital quality performance typically considers a single dimension of quality at a time (e.g., West et al., 2002; McFadden et al., 2004). But as both hospitals and payers are aware, quality is multidimensional and needs to be measured more holistically to capture top performers. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a useful tool that typically looks at economic or cost data to determine the most efficient organisations in a group (with few exceptions). Using data from cardiology units in a sample of hospitals, this paper presents results from the use of DEA to study multiple quality metrics simultaneously in a geographically clustered group of hospitals to determine the best performers. This type of analysis might be useful for a hospital payer or a government agency that wants to reward hospitals for greater quality performance, but might otherwise be using a single dimension. Even those organisations that use multiple quality measures must face the problem of how to combine these different dimensions into one comprehensive quality measure. Our results highlight the usefulness of this technique in this situation and demonstrate how this technique can identify organisations that might otherwise be overlooked as high performers using traditional, single-dimension methods.

Online publication date: Sat, 12-Jul-2014

The full text of this article is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

 
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.

Pay per view:
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.

Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Services Sciences (IJSSCI):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:

Username:        Password:          Forgotten your password?

Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com