Introduction:

Nursing activity in polyclinics is fundamental to achieve the expected health results in the population. Offering those services with efficiency is both a challenge and a current endeavor aimed at achieving a better use of the resources allocated.

Objective:

Evaluate nursing efficiency in Havana polyclinics.

Method:

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted of all the polyclinics in the municipality of Diez de Octubre. The methodological foundation of the study was the algorithm for efficiency assessment in Cuban primary health care units, based on data envelopment analysis. Use was made of four indicators for results and one for resources.

Results:

Of the eight polyclinics, only four were found to be efficient. Two were best practice units and served as reference for most of the inefficient polyclinics. The main efficiency reserves had to do with poor compliance with follow-up activities for priority patients. The units with the most highly qualified personnel did not achieve the desired efficiency.

Conclusions:

High levels of pure technical efficiency were determined for nursing activity in the polyclinics. However, given the existence of inefficient units, further research should be conducted about the topic. In a number of units there is a structurally determined level of inefficiency to solve which it is necessary to perform an analysis of the distribution and consumption of resources in the municipality.

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