Has the Efficiency of China’s Healthcare System Improved after Healthcare Reform? A Network Data Envelopment Analysis and Tobit Regression Approach

Guangwen Gong, Yingchun Chen, Hongxia Gao, Dai Su and Jingjing Chang
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Guangwen Gong: School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Yingchun Chen: School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Hongxia Gao: School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Dai Su: School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Jingjing Chang: School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 23, 1-12

Abstract: Background: A healthcare system refers to a typical network production system. Network data envelopment analysis (DEA) show an advantage than traditional DEA in measure the efficiency of healthcare systems. This paper utilized network data envelopment analysis to evaluate the overall and two substage efficiencies of China’s healthcare system in each of its province after the implementation of the healthcare reform. Tobit regression was performed to analyze the factors that affect the overall efficiency of healthcare systems in the provinces of China. Methods: Network DEA were obtained on MaxDEA 7.0 software, and the results of Tobit regression analysis were obtained on StataSE 15 software. The data for this study were acquired from the China health statistics yearbook (2009–2018) and official websites of databases of Chinese national bureau. Results: Tobit regression reveals that regions and government health expenditure effect the efficiency of the healthcare system in a positive way: the number of high education enrollment per 100,000 inhabitants, the number of public hospital, and social health expenditure effect the efficiency of healthcare system were negative. Conclusion: Some provincial overall efficiency has fluctuating increased, while other provincial has fluctuating decreased, and the average overall efficiency scores were fluctuations increase.

Keywords: healthcare system; efficiency; network data envelopment analysis; Tobit regression; healthcare reform (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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