Abstract

GARCIA FARINAS, Anaí; CHAVIANO MORENO, Magalys; CELESTRIN MARTINEZ, Ángela María  and  ALFONSO PACHECO, Clara Luz. Technical and assigning efficiency of the provision of general integrated dental services. Rev Cubana Salud Pública [online]. 2013, vol.39, n.1, pp. 45-58. ISSN 0864-3466.

Introduction: the changes made in the national health system have made adjustments in the amount of human resources in the health units, all of which means a potential change of the scale of operations and efficiency levels. Objectives: To determine the efficiency level of each dental clinic in Matanzas between 2007 and 2011, to identify the units with best practice, to find out the potentialities to improve efficiency and to describe the effect of organizational measures on efficiency. Methods: Retrospective and descriptive study of 10 dental clinics in the province. Three outcome indicators and two resource indicators were used. The data envelopment analysis under the model of outcome maximization and variable returns on scale was used. Results: The average value of technical efficiency was 70 %. Only three units remained efficient during the whole period. Two of the seven inefficient units had the scale of operations as the cause of inefficiency. The units tended to operate under conditions of increasing returns. "Leonilda Soumbil" unit was the one with the best practice. The merging of units resulted in lower levels of efficiency. Conclusions: The levels of technical inefficiency are high, but the scale of operations is not the basic cause and very little is due to the scale of operations. Just one unit was identified as the one with the best practice. Achieving efficient institutions involves the combination of expenditure reductions and the analysis of their relationship with the results, in comparison with other similar units according to the scale of production.

Keywords : efficiency; public dental care; data envelopment analysis; change.

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