Analysis of Service Efficiency of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Hospitals in China Based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)

Abstract

In order to optimize the allocation of health resources and promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), this research employs the China Health Statistics Yearbook 2018 to collect relevant data on TCM hospitals in 2017, and the DEA method is used to construct a BCC model for the evaluation of service efficiency of these hospitals in 30 provinces (including autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) across the country. It is found that TCM hospitals in non-effective DEA provinces are not operating efficiently, with excessive investment in institutions, beds, and health staff, and insufficient output of visits, bed utilization, and the average length of stay. Given this, attention to promoting the service capacity and efficiency of TCM hospitals should be paid on the following aspects: scientific allocation of health resource, strengthened external policy control, improved internal management of hospitals, optimized characteristic services and establishment of scientific evaluation system.