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Efficiency

Efficiency

 

Efficiency is one of the central preoccupations of health policy-makers and managers. The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies has explored efficiency measurement in across a wide range of production pathways and offered insights into the pitfalls and potential associated with various measurement techniques.

 

Health system efficiency seeks to capture the extent to which inputs to the health system, in the form of expenditures and other resources, are used to secure valued health system goals.  

Efficiency is one of the central preoccupations of health policy-makers and managers, and justifiably so. Inefficient care can lead to unnecessarily poor outcomes for patients, either in terms of their health, or in their experience of the health system. Inefficiency anywhere in the system is likely to deny health improvements to patients who might have been treated if resources had been used more effectively. Improving efficiency is, therefore, a compelling policy goal, especially in systems facing serious resource constraints. 

The desire for greater efficiency motivates a great deal of decision-making, but the routine use of efficiency indicators to guide decisions– and the clear understanding of what those indicators can tell decision-makers – is often severely lacking. This gap exists despite numerous advances in data collection and availability, as well as innovative methodological approaches that give valuable insights into how efficiently health care is delivered. 

To improve efficiency in the health system, we must first be able to measure it – so must ensure that our metrics are relevant and useful for policy-makers and managers. Through an edited volume on the subject (Cylus et al, 2016), a policy brief (Cylus et al, ) and a number of journal articles,  the Observatory has explored efficiency measurement in health systems across a wide range of production pathways and offered insights into the pitfalls and potential associated with various measurement techniques. 

Health system performance topics

Featured publications

How to make sense of health system efficiency comparisons?
30 October 2017

How to make sense of health system efficiency comparisons?

Improving health system efficiency is a compelling policy goal, especially in systems facing serious resource constraints. However, in order to improve...

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Measuring efficiency in health care
18 May 2017

Measuring efficiency in health care

Being able to measure efficiency is one of the cornerstones of assessing the performance of health systems and can help to achieve several objectives,...

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Health system efficiency: how to make measurement matter for policy and management
10 August 2016

Health system efficiency: how to make measurement matter for policy and management

Efficiency is one of the central preoccupations of health policy-makers and managers, and justifiably so. Inefficient care can lead to unnecessarily poor...

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How can countries address the efficiency and equity implications of health professional mobility in Europe?
12 July 2015

How can countries address the efficiency and equity implications of health professional mobility in Europe?

The health workforce is a key contributor to health system performance. Shortages, maldistribution and skill-mismatches of health professionals can have...

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