Title: Physician profiling using data envelopment analysis: a case study

Authors: Janet M. Wagner, Daniel G. Shimshak

Addresses: Department of Management Science and Information Systems, University, of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125, USA. Department of Management Science and Information Systems, University, of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125, USA

Abstract: As an alternative to existing physician profiling methods, we used DEA to evaluate the efficiency of primary care physicians from a managed care organisation. Taking a case study approach, we discuss how data collected by this organisation regarding resource utilisation, cost, and quality can be used in various DEA models to determine physician efficiency. We consider several decisions regarding the selection of the DEA models and data to be used in these models. We introduce a ||guided stepwise|| method to determine a small, but relevant, set of input and output variables. Physicians were analysed on the basis of both in-patient and out-patient performance. DEA not only provided measures of physician efficiency, but also identified a small set of reference groups to serve as role models for non-efficient physicians.

Keywords: physician profiling; data envelopment analysis; healthcare efficiency.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2000.001088

International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, 2000 Vol.2 No.1/2/3/4, pp.358-374

Published online: 30 Jun 2003 *

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