Abstract

CHAVIANO MORENO, Magalys; SANCHEZ DELGADO, Zoe  and  GARCIA FARINAS, Anaí. The efficiency of the public dental care services in Matanzas, Cuba. Rev Cubana Salud Pública [online]. 2009, vol.35, n.4, pp.117-127. ISSN 0864-3466.

Introduction The study of efficiency in health units will contribute to designing strategies of distribution of expenses toward more efficient alternatives with the present available resources. Objectives To determine the efficiency rate of public dental care services in Matanzas, to identify those units with the best practice and to ascertain the potential areas to be improved in each unit. Methods A retrospective descriptive research study was made in the 10 dental clinics of the province in 2006. Three outcome indicators and two resource indicators were used. Also, data envelopment analysis technique under the outcome maximization model and the assumption of constant returns scale to scale were employed. Results The mean value of efficiency was 90.07± 18.3. Six health units (60 %) were efficient whereas four (40 %) were inefficient. "Cesar Escalante" dental clinics was the best practice unit in 2006. The principal area of improvement was the increase of percentage of patients that did not require treatment, as well as the decrease of drug and material expenses. Conclusions Most of dental clinics in Matanzas exhibited high efficiency levels in 2006. The collected information is useful for the search of excellence in service and may also become a tool for better management.

Keywords : Efficiency; data envelopment analysis; dental clinics; Matanzas.

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